The Boy who Spat in Sargrenti's Eye

by Manu Herbstein

Sargrenti is the name by which Major General Sir Garnet Wolseley, KCMG (1833 – 1913) is still known in the West African state of Ghana. Kofi Gyan, the 15-year old boy who spits in Sargrenti’s eye, is the nephew of the chief of Elmina, a town on the Atlantic coast of Ghana. On Christmas Day, 1871, Kofi’s godfather gives him a diary as a Christmas present and charges him with the task of keeping a personal record of the momentous events through which they are living. This novel is a transcription of Kofi’s diary. Elmina town has a long-standing relationship with the Castelo de São Jorge da Mina, known today as Elmina Castle, built by the Portuguese in 1482 and captured from them by the Dutch in 1637. In April, 1872, the Dutch hand over the unprofitable castle to the British. The people of Elmina have not been consulted and resist the change. On June 13, 1873 British forces punish them by bombarding the town and destroying it. (It has never been rebuilt. The flat open ground where it once stood serves as a constant reminder of the savage power of Imperial Britain.) After the destruction of Elmina, Kofi moves to his mother’s family home in nearby Cape Coast, seat of the British colonial government, where Sargrenti is preparing to march inland and attack the independent Asante state. There Melton Prior, war artist of the London weekly news magazine, The Illustrated London News, offers Kofi a job as his assistant. This gives the lad an opportunity to observe at close quarters not only Prior but also the other war correspondents, Henry Morton Stanley and G. A. Henty. Kofi witnesses and experiences the trauma of a brutal war, a run-up to the formal colonialism which would be realized ten years later at the 1885 Berlin conference, where European powers drew lines on the map of Africa, dividing the territory up amongst themselves. On February 6, 1874, Sargrenti’s troops loot the palace of the Asante king, Kofi Karikari, and then blow up the stone building and set the city of Kumase on fire, razing it to the ground. Kofi’s story culminates in his angry response to the British auction of their loot in Cape Coast Castle. The loot includes the solid gold mask shown on the front cover of the novel. That mask continues to reside in the Wallace Collection in London. The invasion of Asante met with the enthusiastic approval of the British public, which elevated Wolseley to the status of a national hero. All the war correspondents and several military officers hastened to cash in on public sentiment by publishing books telling the story of their victory. In all of these, without exception, the coastal Fante feature as feckless and cowardly and the Asante as ruthless savages. The Boy who Spat in Sargrenti’s Eye tells the story of these momentous events for the first time from an African point of view. It is told with irony and with occasional flashes of humor. The novel is illustrated with scans of seventy engravings first published in The Illustrated London News. This book won a Burt Award for African Literature which included the donation by the Ghana Book Trust of 3000 copies to school libraries in Ghana. In 2016, at the annual conference of the African Literature Association held in Atlanta, GA, it received the ALA’s Creative Book of the Year Award. Prof. Kwesi Kwaa Prah “The Boy who Spat in Sargrenti’s War takes history out of the recesses of memory and obscurity, and expresses it in vivid and dazzling light.” The Boy who Spat in Sargrenti’s Eye is a story for adults of all ages, both young adults and those no longer so young.

Genres: Historical Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2014

Reviews

[Kofi · Rating 4 out of 5]

An honest recant of British brutality and treachery.

[Tal Honor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and in fact wish it was longer so I could hear more about Kofi Gyan and his family and the harsh plight of his people during the British colonization of Ghana during the late 1800's. It's especially heartbreaking when you know that these heinous acts of colonialism and brutality are historical and factual and that so many people died at the hands of brutal invaders. For history buffs and specially art history enthusiasts there are scanned pictures drawn during the British invasion and colonization which are beautiful and a wonderful addition to the story. I would definitely recommend this book to those wanting to delve deeper into Ghanaian history and the suffering of her people.

[Hannah of the Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in Ghana, 1871-1874. Shows the interaction between the local people and colonial intruders. The book won a Burt Award for African literature. Its author is white South African with dual Ghanaian citizenship, where he has lived for decades. At 300 pages, it is a long read for its target age (10-12 years) - and very detailed. Although fictional, it often reads more like a history book than a novel. Prior knowledge of the area and its history would be helpful. And a map. And definitely consult the list of characters at the back of the book.
You can tell that most of the historical sources for this book comes from European records, for though Kofi is the main character, the story centers on his observations of the Europeans, and we don't get much info at all about his own life, culture, family members, goals, etc. The book is definitely written from a postcolonial perspective though, even anticolonial, and does not portray the Europeans in a positive light.
It is a highly informative narrative, well researched and with authentic hand drawn images sprinkled throughout. Despite being boring compared to most middle grade and highschool literature, it is definitely more interesting and more compelling than reading about these same events in a history book. Thus it is useful for educational purposes and as a foundation for discussion.
In general the content is appropriate for ages 10-12. Note however that some of the historical drawings show topless women. Note also that there are conversations between Europeans in which they speak about the Africans in terrible ways, showing the prejudices of their times clearly. In these conversations author quotes directly from these historical figures' own writings, and chooses not to censor or tone down their language. This includes several uses of the N-word! I personally found this raw use of language unhelpful in a book geared towards a young audience.

This book demonstrates clearly some of the struggles African rulers and African people faced as they interacted with European powers. Not a perfect book, but I'm glad I read it.

[Kofi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The irony of slave stoppers subjecting others to servitude

This story told through the eyes of a 'local' boy makes his perspective more appreciated.
You live through this period of Ghana history vicariously.
Nicely written. Well researched.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

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