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Counting Teeth: A Namibian Story
In "Counting Teeth: A Namibian story," Peter Midgley travels the byways of Namibia, his childhood home, with his teenaged daughter, Sinead, as his companion. Along the way they examine the layering of culture and history, and the author introduces his daughter to this complex country while renewing his love of the land and its people. Memories of war dog the journey, as the author's own history as a conscientious objector in the Namibian War of Independence with South Africa becomes intertwined with the war-ravaged history of Namibia itself, and the travellers find the bitter legacy of apartheid lingering in unexpected ways. Midgley shows the reader the dizzying beginnings of independence in Namibia, a country of struggle, but one growing and changing, filled with fascinating people and dramatic landscapes.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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129 people want to read
About the author
Peter Midgley
10 books11 followersThirty years working as a festival director, freelance editor, university lecturer, managing editor, acquisitions editor, clerk of court, bartender, janitor and door-to-door salesman (and some other unmentionable jobs), has given Peter Midgley enough material for twelve books for children and adults. His latest book is let us not think of them as barbarians (NeWest Press). You can reach him via his website.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 13, 2017
Full disclosure: Peter is a colleague of mine and I think the world of him.
Perhaps the strongest endorsement I can give for Counting Teeth is that I fucking hate memoirs... and I liked this one. This is the story of a Namibian Canadian bringing his daughter back home to the land of his youth, ostensibly to be tourists and enjoy the sites, but on a deeper level, to "count teeth": to take the measure of the author's history in this land and how it has shaped him over the years.
Midgley, born in Namibia, spent his young adulthood in South Africa, where he became an academic and met his wife... and where he was drafted into the South African army to enforce the unjust and inhumane laws of apartheid. He deferred as long as possible as a conscientious objector before literally fleeing the country to avoid serving in a military whose entire purpose was to further the racist aims of the government.
Flash forward several decades. Apartheid is over, Midgley is comfortably settled in Canada with his wife and daughters, and it's time to return to the country of his birth to introduce his daughter to its history. Thus begins their parent/child journey of bonding and, yes, a few shenanigans.
What was incredible to me was the amount of information about Namibia, its geography, culture, and history, that I straight up didn't know. Midgley, being an academic, is a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge about Namibia, and while this wasn't quite a case of "I learned more about penguins than I cared to know," it was a pretty exhaustive primer. It definitely made me want to spend time traveling in the southern reaches of Africa, and not just for what's described as a gorgeous landscape filled with all kinds of giant and adorable animals.
As strong as the character of the land was, there was one character who was stronger: Sinead, the author's college-age daughter. Her curiosity and determination drives the plot (as much of a plot as a travel memoir can have). You see in her a bit of the spirit that made her father resist and escape the apartheid government, but also the impatience and pride that only a child of the New World can possess (says me, a child of the New World). I feel like Sinead and I would be gal pals.
In the Western discussion of southern Africa, South Africa takes centerstage in the spotlight. Namibia is relegated to waiting in the wings, so obscure as to be completely unknown by the three different strangers who asked me "What are you reading?" while I was sitting in airports and waiting rooms. Counting Teeth gives Namibia, and the culture of its natives, both white and black, the time in the limelight it deserves.
Perhaps the strongest endorsement I can give for Counting Teeth is that I fucking hate memoirs... and I liked this one. This is the story of a Namibian Canadian bringing his daughter back home to the land of his youth, ostensibly to be tourists and enjoy the sites, but on a deeper level, to "count teeth": to take the measure of the author's history in this land and how it has shaped him over the years.
Midgley, born in Namibia, spent his young adulthood in South Africa, where he became an academic and met his wife... and where he was drafted into the South African army to enforce the unjust and inhumane laws of apartheid. He deferred as long as possible as a conscientious objector before literally fleeing the country to avoid serving in a military whose entire purpose was to further the racist aims of the government.
Flash forward several decades. Apartheid is over, Midgley is comfortably settled in Canada with his wife and daughters, and it's time to return to the country of his birth to introduce his daughter to its history. Thus begins their parent/child journey of bonding and, yes, a few shenanigans.
What was incredible to me was the amount of information about Namibia, its geography, culture, and history, that I straight up didn't know. Midgley, being an academic, is a veritable encyclopedia of knowledge about Namibia, and while this wasn't quite a case of "I learned more about penguins than I cared to know," it was a pretty exhaustive primer. It definitely made me want to spend time traveling in the southern reaches of Africa, and not just for what's described as a gorgeous landscape filled with all kinds of giant and adorable animals.
As strong as the character of the land was, there was one character who was stronger: Sinead, the author's college-age daughter. Her curiosity and determination drives the plot (as much of a plot as a travel memoir can have). You see in her a bit of the spirit that made her father resist and escape the apartheid government, but also the impatience and pride that only a child of the New World can possess (says me, a child of the New World). I feel like Sinead and I would be gal pals.
In the Western discussion of southern Africa, South Africa takes centerstage in the spotlight. Namibia is relegated to waiting in the wings, so obscure as to be completely unknown by the three different strangers who asked me "What are you reading?" while I was sitting in airports and waiting rooms. Counting Teeth gives Namibia, and the culture of its natives, both white and black, the time in the limelight it deserves.
October 28, 2014
A fascinating and deeply emotional account of travelling through Namibia, both physically--as he and his daughter deal with bad roads, a temperamental GPS, extremes of hot and cold, and the complexities of local cultures and patterns of life--and emotionally--as the author navigates through his personal and family history in Namibia, his memories of living there, what sent him and his family out of the country and what has brought him back--and temporally--connecting the personal and the political, contemplating and living the complexities of race, searching out the traces of Namibia's complex history on its landscape, its memorials and museums, as well as its erasures and forgettings. I could hear his voice in every line. I wish it had included photos and images of the places he visited. Both the beauty and the difficulties of the place are vivid, and the closing paragraphs brought tears to my eyes.
April 5, 2015
I had the pleasure of hearing Peter Midgley talk about this book and his travels at LitFest last fall.
While "Counting Teeth" is considered a travel book, I think that it's more of an adventure story. Peter Midgley and his daughter, Sinnead, travel in Africa looking for answers to questions about what happened to the countries and the people. Peter was born in Namibia and knows the history of his country. Now he is seeing how so much of that history has been forgotten or pushed under a bush. Seeing the region through his daughter's eyes is an adventure for him too. They encounter frustrating bureaucrats and kind, helpful strangers. This book was heartwarming, adventurous, entertaining and educational.
I highly recommend this book!
While "Counting Teeth" is considered a travel book, I think that it's more of an adventure story. Peter Midgley and his daughter, Sinnead, travel in Africa looking for answers to questions about what happened to the countries and the people. Peter was born in Namibia and knows the history of his country. Now he is seeing how so much of that history has been forgotten or pushed under a bush. Seeing the region through his daughter's eyes is an adventure for him too. They encounter frustrating bureaucrats and kind, helpful strangers. This book was heartwarming, adventurous, entertaining and educational.
I highly recommend this book!
January 14, 2015
Edmonton based author Peter Midgley goes back to his home country of Namibia in this travel history/memoir. This was a dense book that took me a long time to read because I didn't know anything about Namibian history and many of the words and references were unfamiliar to me.
I still enjoyed it and learned a great deal. My dad is very interested in African history, so I can't wait to share this book with him.
I still enjoyed it and learned a great deal. My dad is very interested in African history, so I can't wait to share this book with him.
January 2, 2026
3.5/5. Peter Midgley has a lovely writing voice and has set out to do what sounds like a very difficult task of telling both Namibian history and personal memoir, and also travel journal? There were times that we transitioned from present storytelling to historical context education in the next paragraph, and sometimes I was right there with him and happy to receive context right away, and other times I realized I was confused and had to back up and re-read in order to organize it all in my head.
THAT SAID, this is a thoughtful, researched, at times humorous, and LOVING tale with stories of war, legend, culture, family, longing, home, belonging, time, and space. I wanted to read it all before traveling to Namibia, and did not finish before or during my trip. What I read before/during absolutely enriched my visit. What I’ve read since traveling to Namibia was immensely enriched by having spent time in parts of the country. I hope to both read the book again and travel to Namibia again.
Some things take time to simmer and settle, and I think this book would really thrive in the hands of someone who already knew more about Namibia and its peoples than I did upon starting. Still, I’m so glad I read it, connected to my travels in some way.
THAT SAID, this is a thoughtful, researched, at times humorous, and LOVING tale with stories of war, legend, culture, family, longing, home, belonging, time, and space. I wanted to read it all before traveling to Namibia, and did not finish before or during my trip. What I read before/during absolutely enriched my visit. What I’ve read since traveling to Namibia was immensely enriched by having spent time in parts of the country. I hope to both read the book again and travel to Namibia again.
Some things take time to simmer and settle, and I think this book would really thrive in the hands of someone who already knew more about Namibia and its peoples than I did upon starting. Still, I’m so glad I read it, connected to my travels in some way.
November 15, 2017
I enjoyed this glimpse into Namibian history through the eyes of a Namibian citizen who moved to Canada as a child, and revisited Namibia with his teen-aged daughter in the present day. It chronicles the traumatic history during German colonization in the early 1900s, and the war for independence in the 1990s as the author and his daughter drive around the country visiting historical sites. I read this book as I prepared to visit Namibia myself, and it gave me insight into the history and culture of the country. The many tribes in Namibia have suffered much through Namibia's history. It is an eye-opening, and at times a very sad story. An avid reader of nonfiction would probably have given it more that three stars. As a typical fiction reader, I would have to say it was a little dry at times, but well worth the read if you are planning to visit Namibia and/or are interested in the affects of German colonization and apartheid on southern Africa.
January 16, 2019
SUMMARY:
In "Counting Teeth: A Namibian story," Peter Midgley travels the byways of Namibia, his childhood home, with his teenaged daughter, Sinead, as his companion. Along the way they examine the layering of culture and history, and the author introduces his daughter to this complex country while renewing his love of the land and its people. Memories of war dog the journey, as the author's own history as a conscientious objector in the Namibian War of Independence with South Africa becomes intertwined with the war-ravaged history of Namibia itself, and the travellers find the bitter legacy of apartheid lingering in unexpected ways. Midgley shows the reader the dizzying beginnings of independence in Namibia, a country of struggle, but one growing and changing, filled with fascinating people and dramatic landscapes.
DIDN’T FINISH THIS BOOK
In "Counting Teeth: A Namibian story," Peter Midgley travels the byways of Namibia, his childhood home, with his teenaged daughter, Sinead, as his companion. Along the way they examine the layering of culture and history, and the author introduces his daughter to this complex country while renewing his love of the land and its people. Memories of war dog the journey, as the author's own history as a conscientious objector in the Namibian War of Independence with South Africa becomes intertwined with the war-ravaged history of Namibia itself, and the travellers find the bitter legacy of apartheid lingering in unexpected ways. Midgley shows the reader the dizzying beginnings of independence in Namibia, a country of struggle, but one growing and changing, filled with fascinating people and dramatic landscapes.
DIDN’T FINISH THIS BOOK
May 20, 2015
First, let say that I got this book in Goodreads giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
With his 19-year-old daughter, a collection of maps, and the help of an opinionated GPS, Peter Midgley sets out across Namibia. Visiting small-town museums and gravesites, crossing border checkpoints, and changing tires, they travel the length and breadth of the country uncovering every facet of it. Stories about Portuguese explorers and the first genocide of the 20th century collect on the back seat of their car alongside the author's earliest childhood memories of growing up in the country. By the end of the journey, the stories piece together into an understanding of present-day Namibia and make it possible for Midgley to share his love for this complicated, vibrant place with his daughter.
Dr. Midgley does not shy away from difficult history (colonialism, apartheid, wars...) and politics, nor from deep feelings (father/daughter). He knows pretty well how to describes beautifully his native country and its legacy, its inhabitants and his own travel with his daughter.
I recommend the book to everybody who loves history, travel and paternal love.
With his 19-year-old daughter, a collection of maps, and the help of an opinionated GPS, Peter Midgley sets out across Namibia. Visiting small-town museums and gravesites, crossing border checkpoints, and changing tires, they travel the length and breadth of the country uncovering every facet of it. Stories about Portuguese explorers and the first genocide of the 20th century collect on the back seat of their car alongside the author's earliest childhood memories of growing up in the country. By the end of the journey, the stories piece together into an understanding of present-day Namibia and make it possible for Midgley to share his love for this complicated, vibrant place with his daughter.
Dr. Midgley does not shy away from difficult history (colonialism, apartheid, wars...) and politics, nor from deep feelings (father/daughter). He knows pretty well how to describes beautifully his native country and its legacy, its inhabitants and his own travel with his daughter.
I recommend the book to everybody who loves history, travel and paternal love.
December 19, 2014
Counting Teeth is a very carefully researched book which combines travelogue with illumination of Namibia's fate under and since colonialism. Combining two genres, and so interesting a general and a specialist audience, is a tricky proposition to say the least. This attempt works because of the writer's deep personal knowledge and love of his subject. Historians of Europe will ask themselves whether the ideologies that underpinned Nazism in fact had at least some of their roots in far-flung colonial adventures. Those who simply seek to understand another culture will find writing vivid enough to make them feel that they have really seen the country.
March 18, 2015
I received a copy of this book from the goodreads first reads program. Unfortunately I had a hard time following this book and being engaged due to not knowing any Namibian history. I found that part a bit overwhelming and confusing for me to follow. I can get from this book that this country has a rich history and a lot of conflict. What I really enjoyed about this book was the obvious passion of the author about his birthplace and learning more about where he is from. I also enjoyed learning about the author's relationship with his daughter during their journey. The descriptions of the wildlife and interactions with local people were interesting.
April 26, 2016
Wonderful words and a glimpse into a past that is being lost or perhaps, was never completely uncovered. Peter Midgley traced some of the stories and the history Namibia, his childhood home, along with glimpses into his own history. Counting Teeth can be dry reading at times and the stories lost in description. I read through because I’m interested in African history. While living in The Gambia, I always wondered where the stories of the World War II soldiers and other conflicts were gathered. I never found out but I’m glad this book is knocking the dust off the many layers of Namibia.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews