First Line Friday
African Visas by Maria Thomas
On Fridays, I will post the first lines of the stories in selected collections. Hope you enjoy!
This week’s featured title is African Visas by Maria Thomas, which is actually a novella and short stories.
“The Jiru Road”
I had been earmarked as scholar bait and spinster material as far back as the second grade.
“Back Bay to the Bundu”
Every day before she took the lunch Cook had scraped together down to That-Man-Stan, Frances Eliot worked on her memoirs.
“The Blond Masai”
O.K. I was willing to overlook it when this Alex from Chicago showed up with so much camera gear that I had to put my backpack on the roof rack.
“The Visit”
In vain the stewardess warned everyone to be seated.
“Makonde Carvers”
Victory is a Makonde tribesman, a refugee from Mozambique and the Michaelangelo of Dar es Salaam.
“My Mermaid”
When we first met, Corinne was dressed in pale blue.
“Ethiopia”
Parking in Washington sometimes feels like destiny.
African Visas is out of print and may be a little hard to find, but it’s worth it!
Buy River of Dolls and Other Stories by Suzanne Kamata here.
Buy The Beautiful One Has Come by Suzanne Kamata here.