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An African in Greenland
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
62 posts | 19 read | 57 to read
A native of Africa, the author recounts how a picture book about Greenland inspired him to embark on a life-changing journey that would last for ten years, leading him to the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Mauritania, Paris, Copenhagen, and, ultimately, to Greenland. Translated from French. Photos.
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Ididsoidid
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Pickpick

Adventurous. I can‘t think of any other words to describe this amazing autobiographical story that transports you from tropical Togo to the endless night of Greenland. 7/10

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Dilara
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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My thermometer is playing up and displaying an eye-watering outside temperature of minus 65.8 degrees Celsius (-86°F) (obvious wrong! It's not even freezing). I thought I'd immortalise it...

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Hooked_on_books
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Pickpick

As a child in #Togo, Kpoomassie found a book about Greenland and was just mesmerized. It took him years, but he got there and spent over a year traveling the country and meeting it‘s people, which he details here. He‘s a wonderful writer and I just loved this! I‘m also glad I couldn‘t smell the place because yikes! (Oh, and he‘s 5‘11”, but Greenlanders are so small, he looks like a giant.)

#ReadingAfrica2022

BarbaraBB Glad you liked it too! And yes that smell!! 😂 2y
Librarybelle So much love for this one…hooray! 2y
56 likes2 comments
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Hooked_on_books
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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I‘m liking your priorities, Tété-Michel!

Sleepswithbooks Yesssssss!!!! 📚 2y
Soubhiville Happens to the best of us! 2y
RebelReader The struggle is real! 2y
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MicheleinPhilly This will be @Cinfhen when she flies home! 😉 2y
Hooked_on_books @MicheleinPhilly She‘s a smart woman! Who needs clothes? 😂 2y
Cinfhen #relatable xxx 😘 2y
Cinfhen I literally packed an entire wheely bag with ONLY books @MicheleinPhilly ( it‘s my carry on!!!) #Essentials 🫶🏼 2y
Megabooks 💯💯 2y
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BarbaraBB
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Pickpick

When the author was a boy in #Togo he suddenly decides he wants to live in #Greenland and sets of to do so. This #NYRB book is about his travels getting there but mostly about living among the people of Greenland. I learned a lot about them. Family dynamics, hunting, alcohol, winter and cold. It‘s a hard life under hard circumstances but with proud people. Very interesting!

#ReadingAfrica2022 🇹🇬 #ReadingTheAmericas2023 🇬🇱

squirrelbrain Ha! I love that you got the overlap with both of your challenges! 👏 2y
swishandflick Love your picture! 2y
batsy Fab photo! 2y
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Librarybelle Amazing photo! 2y
Tamra Great pic! 2y
BarbaraBB @swishandflick @batsy @Librarybelle @tamra Thank you friends, I‘ve been hiking through the Netherlands with some friend this weekend and it‘s getting Winter here! 2y
Hooked_on_books Nice! I‘m just starting this one today! 2y
BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books Using it for two challenges as well?! 2y
Hooked_on_books Actually, I have another book I want to read for Greenland and if I count this one, then I‘m less likely to read that one. So I‘m telling myself it can only count for one challenge to make sure I read the other book. 🤪 A bit of lunacy, I know! 2y
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DGRachel
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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One advantage to a preliminary plan of next year‘s #ReadingAfrica2022 is the ability to order out-of-print books secondhand and have them count for MountTBR, since they were technically purchased in 2021. This was the only book I could find for Togo, which makes me sad, as it‘s definitely not a genre a enjoy. I think it‘s going to be tough to get through this one, but I would be happy to be proved wrong.

ChaoticMissAdventures This one is so interesting!! He is a great storyteller. 3y
BarbaraBB This is the only one I have been able to find too. I did read good things about it though. And I do like the genre - that helps! 3y
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Tove_Reads
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Highly recommended book from #Togo and #Greenland. This is a true story, and an amazing one! Can‘t remember who‘s organizing the Africa reading in 2022, but please tag them! This book can be requested on NG. My review of the book https://theworldisourstoread.wordpress.com/2020/08/27/togo-from-under-the-africa... 🥰🥰🥰📖👍🏿👍

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rwmg
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Pickpick

After an illness caused by a fall from a tree, Tété-Michel Kpomassie is apprenticed to the python cult priestess in Togo. He runs away from home in 1957 aged 16, determined to go to Greenland as a country devoid of trees and pythons. 8 years later he explores Greenland looking for locals still living a traditional way of life unaffected by colonialism and modernity.

Beautifully descriptive of both Togo and Greenland and the local cultures.

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rwmg
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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"Not awake yet, is he?" Uncle asked contemptuously.

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

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rwmg
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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rwmg
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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rwmg
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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ChaoticMissAdventures
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Pickpick

#bookspin
Okay so I am a few pages away from the end but counting this for November bookspin! I am loving this. It is so easy to read and absorbing, hard to out down as you explore with him the different cultures and adventures.
Written in the 70's so much about travel has changed, but that sense if wonder never will let you down
@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
ChaoticMissAdventures I guess looking at my board this is actually my #doublespin go me! Thanks for all your hard work @TheAromaofBooks ❤️ 4y
TheAromaofBooks haha bonus!!! 4y
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ChaoticMissAdventures
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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"Even in the Arctic, Equality is only a word."

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sisilia
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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#NYRBClassicsReadingSociety loved this book. 4.2⭐️ average! We were fascinated by the story, and impressed with the superb writing 🤩

BarbaraBB You‘re in one more #NYRBBookClub! Wow! 4y
sisilia @BarbaraBB I created this bookclub 2 years ago 😅 We meet every month, but have switched into Zoom ever since Covid. 4y
BarbaraBB Cool! I didn‘t know! 4y
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sisilia
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Pickpick

4⭐️ This is definitely a must-read book! It is filled with excellent landscape descriptions, and detailed observations of the local customs. I love how - when he was a teenager - he fell in love with a book about the Eskimos, and decided on this quest. “Do people ever know their true reason for embarking on a long journey? So many causes, motives and impulses intertwine to form the semblance of a reason.”

sisilia @Robothugs sent me this book (and the cute pin) two years ago. Thank you, Jen! 🥰 4y
Tanisha_A That pin is cute 🙂 4y
sisilia @Tanisha_A I love it! Perfect for bookstore visits 😄 4y
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Cathythoughts Sounds really good. Stacked 4y
AlaMich This sounds very intriguing! 4y
sisilia I highly recommend this @Cathythoughts @AlaMich 🤩 4y
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sisilia
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Stack update + Hamilton on the side

batsy Wow 😍 4y
SamAnne I hope to start Entangled next month. 4y
sisilia @SamAnne 😍 Looking foreward to it 4y
sisilia @LeahBergen Yay! I‘ll read that next 😃 4y
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sisilia
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Tove_Reads
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Pickpick

One of the strangest true stories I have read. A boy from Togo reads about Greenland, and when he is older he goes there. It takes him years to work his way there through Africa and Europe, and it is impressive that he did it in the 1960s! Very interesting story, and you learn much about Greenland and its people. Highly recommended! #Togo #Greenland #readingtheworld

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ju.ca.no
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Day 3 for #31bookpics @howjessreads #underrated : african authors are underrated and should be read much more by anyone! I try to keep my reading diverse and am always happy for suggestions😘

Notafraidofwords I read changes by her. It‘s a play. (edited) 6y
ju.ca.no @Notafraidofwords was it good?:) 6y
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sisilia
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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😘😘😘 Thank you @Robothugs !! These just arrived 🎉 Yay to a new addition to my NYRB Classics collection 😍

CindyE09 I ❤️ #nyrb 6y
Robothugs You‘re very welcome!! 6y
ju.ca.no I really enjoyed this book!! 6y
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VioletBramble
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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This will be my last book read for March. It's my "green" book for the ColorCAT at LibraryThing. I'm hoping to finish it today. Yesterday was so warm and muggy I turned off the heat in the apartment. It's chilly this morning so I'm starting my day with some Arctic white hot cocoa with Italian green walnut syrup. Yum.
#MagicalMarch
#green
#LibraryThing

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful pic 💚💚💚 7y
vkois88 Gorgeous 😍 7y
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ju.ca.no
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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I don‘t really have a #favoritegenre - I love all kinds of them, very much depending on my mood😊 #readingresolutions #day21 @Jess7

Jess7 I‘m #moodreader too! 7y
Sarah83 I love your shelf 😊 7y
ephemeralwaltz Gorgeous bookend!😍 7y
Tanisha_A 😍 What a cute shelf! 7y
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Loreen
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Two #diversenonfiction books that I need to read! #uncannyoctober

ju.ca.no I really enjoyed them both! 😊😊 7y
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ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Found this great book thanks to @shawnmooney ! Also doubling up and answering @Booksandcooks question that I prefer print books over audio/e-books (though I love those too). Thanks for the giveaway opportunity! #6666giveaway

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JoanCallen
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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"Far away, through the curtain of mist that suddenly enveloped the village, an iceberg glinted." Tate-Michel Kpomassie

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JoanCallen
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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"For Kpomassie, Greenland is the never-never land where children know best, dreams come true, and everyone lives happily ever after." A. Alvarez

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CherylDeFranceschi
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Cinfhen I've always meant to read this one! Thanks for the reminder 😉💘 7y
shawnmooney I loved the Greenland memoir! 💜 7y
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Suzze
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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An African boy reads a book about Greenland, and later goes to live there! Loved this non-fiction. AND this was the very first book I posted about on Litsy after I joined last July. #17rainbowbooks #greentitleorauthor

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heikemarie
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Not done bookish gifting for the holidays + my #24in48 #readathon pile being made ready! #saturday

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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Pickpick

Absolutely extraordinary! Be like me: fall in love with the title of this book about a teenager in Togo who falls in love with Greenland from the title of a book he happens upon, and his life-changing quest to visit the country most different from his own. And then please casually drop the title of this book into conversation, so as to infect others who love the idea that the mere title of a book can change a life.

Soubhiville You got me- TBR'd 8y
mauveandrosysky Awesome review. I'm intrigued. 8y
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Litlady Don't mind if I do! 😃 Great review‼️ 8y
Hobbinol I love NYRB books(looks like one of their publications). They have a great deal going on now where you get a book-per-month PLUS a subscription to the Paris Review.. Before I knew what I was doing I was entering my charge card number!😬This sounds like a terrific book! 8y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa As soon as you first posted about this book, I too thought it sounded very interesting! 8y
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Suzze
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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My #firstlitsypost I feel like I have been here forever, but I posted this June 17, 2016. And I got TWO LIKES! #booktober

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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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LeahBergen 😮 8y
shawnmooney @LeahBergen I am – excuse the pun – biting my tongue to repress all the puns I wish to make. LOL 8y
LeahBergen "Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar" or however that Freud quote goes ... ? 8y
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Akvavit is a Scandinavian spirit. I mean alcoholic beverage, not ghost.

Hobbinol Poor Rudolph! 8y
JanuarieTimewalker13 That does not sound appealing...yikes! 8y
shawnmooney @Hobbinol I hear if you drink too much of this you get completely blitzened! ;) 8y
Hobbinol 😂 8y
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Louise Oh, my! Such tiny print! 8y
shawnmooney @louise. Ha ha. Sorry about that - I use an iPad so it's huge on my screen. :) 8y
JanuarieTimewalker13 That's just all around sad. 8y
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Louise @shawnmooney I didn't know you could view Litsy on anything but a phone. Can you actually go on Litsy with your iPad? Or did you design the graphic on your iPad but load it onto FB with your phone? Inquiring minds want to know! 🤔 8y
shawnmooney @Louise All of the above. I use Litsy on my iPad only. 8y
Louise @shawnmooney Thanks for the info! I'll have to try and find Litsy on my laptop. It would be so much easier on the eyes! 😳 8y
shawnmooney @Louise It should be easy to find. Good luck! 8y
Louise Alas, I checked, and Litsy is not yet available for laptops. Sigh! 8y
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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SusanInTiburon I'm starting to think Greenland is not my next home. 8y
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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shawnmooney @SusanInTiburon Looks delicious, hey? ;) 8y
coffeenebula Ahh, the rare and elusive Nopefish 😂 8y
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kammartinez It must be my upbringing, but I would still consider eating that XD. Clean it up, dump it into a pot with veggies and the juice of several unripe tamarinds and enough water to cover everything, and leave covered on low hear until cooked. Mmmm, fish-head soup :D. 8y
stargazerblue49 😳😳😳 8y
shawnmooney @kammartinez The author went on to write that the fish, once cooked, was surprisingly delicious with a mild taste. 8y
kammartinez @shawnmooney Ha! This has become an excellent case of looks being very deceptive indeed XD. 8y
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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Hobbinol Still better than American television commercials: stopping every 10 minutes to sell you something! 8y
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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rubyslippersreads I can see why you didn't use this for #booksthatmakemehungry! 😝 8y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled My copy was shipped yesterday. *drumming fingers impatiently* 8y
shawnmooney @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled.com I assume you mean the book and not the whale meat? :) This book is soooooo good! 8y
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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LeahBergen Nope. Just ... nope. 8y
shawnmooney @SusanInTiburon @LeahBergen Makes you just want to hop on a ship and go somewhere, hey? :-) 8y
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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The aunt as matchmaker. Helpful, hey?

LeahBergen It might work 😉 8y
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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shawnmooney
An African in Greenland | Tt-Michel Kpomassie
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SusanInTiburon Python? Nope nope nope 😂 8y
shawnmooney @SusanInTiburon I'm with you, and like me you might rethink the deep repulsion just a wee wee bit reading this incredible section of the book where the snake god priestess gently lectures the 16-year-old Togolese guy about why he shouldn't fear pythons. Utterly fascinating! 8y
SusanInTiburon Oh dang! Caught with my mind closed again. 😆 8y
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