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This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life By Africa's First Woman President
In January 2006, after the Republic of Liberia had been racked by fourteen years of brutal civil conflict, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf—Africa's "Iron Lady"—was sworn in as president, an event that marked a tremendous turning point in the history of the West African nation.
In this stirring memoir, Sirleaf shares the inside story of her rise to power, including her early childhood; her experiences with abuse, imprisonment, and exile; and her fight for democracy and social justice. This compelling tale of survival reveals Sirleaf's determination to succeed in multiple worlds: from her studies in the United States to her work as an international bank executive to her election campaigning in some of Liberia's most desperate and war-torn villages and neighborhoods. It is also the story of an outspoken political and social reformer who, despite danger, fought the oppression of dictators and championed change. By sharing her story, Sirleaf encourages women everywhere to pursue leadership roles at the highest levels of power, and gives us all hope that, with perseverance, we can change the world.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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4795 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
13 books62 followersEllen Johnson Sirleaf is the current President of Liberia. She served as Minister of Finance under President William Tolbert from 1979 until the 1980 coup d'état, after which she left Liberia and held senior positions at various financial institutions. She placed a distant second in the 1997 presidential election. Later, she was elected President in the 2005 presidential election and took office on 16 January 2006.
Johnson-Sirleaf is often referred to as the "Iron Lady", and she is Africa's first elected female head of state. She has pledged to embark on neoliberal reforms.
Johnson-Sirleaf is often referred to as the "Iron Lady", and she is Africa's first elected female head of state. She has pledged to embark on neoliberal reforms.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 214 reviews
May 25, 2009
I first saw Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on the Jon Stewart show and knew I had to read her book. I was not disappointed. Truth is often so much better than fiction. She became the first woman president in Africa through sheer determination, great intelligence and a belief that she was needed to help her country.
I learned so much about the history of Liberia. We have all heard about slaves returning to Africa and always assumed things worked out just fine. Her description of the colonial class and the discrepancy between the new settlers and the natives was a revelation to me. I loved her description of the government as the kleptocracy regime.
It puts our problems in perspective. Obama is dealing with 8 years of failed economic policies and a world that lost respect for us. Ellen is dealing with an economy ruined by 16 years of civil war, an illiteracy rate of 80%. a lack of schools and basic services and a criminal class of child soldiers. I look forward to seeing what she can accomplish in the next 6 years.
I learned so much about the history of Liberia. We have all heard about slaves returning to Africa and always assumed things worked out just fine. Her description of the colonial class and the discrepancy between the new settlers and the natives was a revelation to me. I loved her description of the government as the kleptocracy regime.
It puts our problems in perspective. Obama is dealing with 8 years of failed economic policies and a world that lost respect for us. Ellen is dealing with an economy ruined by 16 years of civil war, an illiteracy rate of 80%. a lack of schools and basic services and a criminal class of child soldiers. I look forward to seeing what she can accomplish in the next 6 years.
September 25, 2022
I found it hard to put this book down. It was an insightful, informative, and necessary read for me. I studied Political Science in college when H.E was elected and knew of her win (we're members of the same sorority so her election was exciting news); however, I did not know much of anything about the conflict in Liberia that preceded her election. So much of my upbringing and college lessons on Africa focused on Rwanda and Darfur.
I'm still in shock from reading about what happened in the country prior to her election but grateful that H.E shared such a necessary history with us. If you're looking to learn more about international conflict, how genocides begin, and how leaders like H.E work diligently to rebuild the nations they love, this is a must-read.
I'm still in shock from reading about what happened in the country prior to her election but grateful that H.E shared such a necessary history with us. If you're looking to learn more about international conflict, how genocides begin, and how leaders like H.E work diligently to rebuild the nations they love, this is a must-read.
April 30, 2009
I have so many reactions to Sirleaf's memoir, it's hard to know where to begin! What a complex, thought-provoking book.
First - I learned a great deal about my own ignorance. It had never occurred to me, until reading the beginning of This Child Will be Great, that the African-Americans who settled in Liberia in the early nineteenth century were imperialists. My sense of what colonialism is (not unreasonably) tied to whiteness, particularly when I think about the development of the American nation at the same time that African Americans were leaving the U.S. for Africa. But there's no question that the actions of those same African Americans, in forming Liberia out of the indigenous homelands of countless other communities, were the actions of colonizers. That brought home to me the vagaries of colonialism, and how colonialism is almost like a bacteria, an organism that seeks to replicate itself over and over in a handy host.
Second - For all that I learned about Liberia, particularly Liberia's history in the late twentieth century, I felt as if I was only learning a very small part of what there is to know. That no doubts rests upon the fact that I am - that one book can never fully tell any story. But it's also linked to -
Third - the book's author, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is Liberia's current president. As such, this is a politician's biography - it's measured and careful and while she does admit mistakes and apologize for false steps, there's a narrative drive to prove worthiness that I think is par for the course in the biography of any sitting or past-politician. (I thought of Obama's two books, and how the second lost some of the authenticity of the first, because, by the second, he was a politician, and had constituents to speak to directly. And I thought of HIlary Clinton's autobiography, issued after she'd left the White House, and how every 'truth' in there was geared to make the best of her life and the challenges she'd face, not to mention to rationalize decisions like staying with Bill.)
Still - and Fourth - this is a book that presents a unique perspective on the challenges of governing Liberia, and on the wider challenges facing West Africa. It's the last two chapters that I found most absorbing, where Sirleaf lays out her agenda, defends some decisions already made, and speaks frankly about the problems that still need to be solved. Perhaps what's most telling about those chapters is that the "I" of the rest of the book is gone - it's no longer about Sirleaf, it's about Liberia, and it's about Liberia's neighbors, and the transformation is telling.
A fascinating book, if frustrating in places.
eta: One other thing that was frustrating? Sirleaf argues that African Americans owe Liberia particular help and support - that there is a special connection between the two groups. She says she understands that for much of Liberia's history, African Americans were busy fighting their own battles for social justice, but now is the time for them to step up because things in the US, for all intents and purposes, fixed.
I don't doubt that, looking at the United States from the perspective of Liberia, it seems like African Americans are in a remarkably comfortable spot. But to so completely dismiss the systemic, institutional, continuing racism that has such an impact upon the lives of so many African Americans? Incredibly problematic.
First - I learned a great deal about my own ignorance. It had never occurred to me, until reading the beginning of This Child Will be Great, that the African-Americans who settled in Liberia in the early nineteenth century were imperialists. My sense of what colonialism is (not unreasonably) tied to whiteness, particularly when I think about the development of the American nation at the same time that African Americans were leaving the U.S. for Africa. But there's no question that the actions of those same African Americans, in forming Liberia out of the indigenous homelands of countless other communities, were the actions of colonizers. That brought home to me the vagaries of colonialism, and how colonialism is almost like a bacteria, an organism that seeks to replicate itself over and over in a handy host.
Second - For all that I learned about Liberia, particularly Liberia's history in the late twentieth century, I felt as if I was only learning a very small part of what there is to know. That no doubts rests upon the fact that I am - that one book can never fully tell any story. But it's also linked to -
Third - the book's author, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, is Liberia's current president. As such, this is a politician's biography - it's measured and careful and while she does admit mistakes and apologize for false steps, there's a narrative drive to prove worthiness that I think is par for the course in the biography of any sitting or past-politician. (I thought of Obama's two books, and how the second lost some of the authenticity of the first, because, by the second, he was a politician, and had constituents to speak to directly. And I thought of HIlary Clinton's autobiography, issued after she'd left the White House, and how every 'truth' in there was geared to make the best of her life and the challenges she'd face, not to mention to rationalize decisions like staying with Bill.)
Still - and Fourth - this is a book that presents a unique perspective on the challenges of governing Liberia, and on the wider challenges facing West Africa. It's the last two chapters that I found most absorbing, where Sirleaf lays out her agenda, defends some decisions already made, and speaks frankly about the problems that still need to be solved. Perhaps what's most telling about those chapters is that the "I" of the rest of the book is gone - it's no longer about Sirleaf, it's about Liberia, and it's about Liberia's neighbors, and the transformation is telling.
A fascinating book, if frustrating in places.
eta: One other thing that was frustrating? Sirleaf argues that African Americans owe Liberia particular help and support - that there is a special connection between the two groups. She says she understands that for much of Liberia's history, African Americans were busy fighting their own battles for social justice, but now is the time for them to step up because things in the US, for all intents and purposes, fixed.
I don't doubt that, looking at the United States from the perspective of Liberia, it seems like African Americans are in a remarkably comfortable spot. But to so completely dismiss the systemic, institutional, continuing racism that has such an impact upon the lives of so many African Americans? Incredibly problematic.
October 5, 2012
The root cause of conflict is not simply poverty but poverty brought on by exclusion. Exclusion in its broadest context: exclusion from resources, from power, from education and information, from the opportunity to better one's life. (p. 305)
This is a hard review to write! I'm a little bit floored by this complicated, powerful woman. I am awed by what she has done with the adversity she overcame, and her simple but unshakeable commitment to sound, ethical governance. But I'm struck by her politicking, her profession (banker), and her equally unshakeable strategic drive. I don't mean to posit these striking traits as "bad" things in contrast to the awe-inspiring; just to suggest that this woman commands deep respect but not necessarily sympathy. She's a powerhouse.
This book is worth reading. Thoughtfully. I learned much too much about recent Liberian history in it, and it would behoove me to read something less biased to understand Sirleaf critically. I'll direct the rest of my thoughts toward the engaging discussion going on in the Great African Reads book club.
This is a hard review to write! I'm a little bit floored by this complicated, powerful woman. I am awed by what she has done with the adversity she overcame, and her simple but unshakeable commitment to sound, ethical governance. But I'm struck by her politicking, her profession (banker), and her equally unshakeable strategic drive. I don't mean to posit these striking traits as "bad" things in contrast to the awe-inspiring; just to suggest that this woman commands deep respect but not necessarily sympathy. She's a powerhouse.
This book is worth reading. Thoughtfully. I learned much too much about recent Liberian history in it, and it would behoove me to read something less biased to understand Sirleaf critically. I'll direct the rest of my thoughts toward the engaging discussion going on in the Great African Reads book club.
March 8, 2019
Don't get fooled by the word "memoir" in the title. This is not a memoir but an essay about the history and financial and administrative issues of Liberia in the recent past. Ellen Sirleaf's book is not about herself but about Liberia. While it is detailed, there is such a thing as being too detailed and most readers aren't looking for debt figures and how much financing is given to each sector in Liberia. The last part of the book reads like an essay on political promotion.
So Liberia. If asked to pick a country that USA has completely screwed up for their own nefarious purposes, most people would choose Afghanistan. But that is nothing compared to what they did to Liberia. After using Africans to bolster their economy and work for free in the America, some leaders decide that now that the blacks have been emancipated, they really can't stay with white people *gasp*. So they send them away back to Africa and bully the native Africans into giving away land for the new settlers. Not content with this, they encourage the settlers to take control, leading to a huge split in society with the newly returned settler class, fresh with lovely new ideas about slavery and colonialism, try their hand at copying their erstwhile masters. And succeed. Fast forward a couple of hundred years and there is retaliation. And so on. Then civil war. America still played games and backed the militant regimes, a task it does remarkably well in the world. But at the same time, utterly refused to help with controlling the civil war or to help the people. But unfortunately, as Sirleaf points out, most of Africa cannot yet show the finger to the West, so they must put up with the unfair demands until the country can stand on its feet.
Coming back to Sirleaf, she is an awesome woman who has suffered greatly and she is very inspirational. I think she is completely right in focusing on education, gender equality and creating a liberal market aimed at development as primary goals. I am especially glad that she thinks that women's rights must be an important focus for any future of Africa in general, and Liberia in particular.
So, impressed with the woman, but not so impressed with the book.
So Liberia. If asked to pick a country that USA has completely screwed up for their own nefarious purposes, most people would choose Afghanistan. But that is nothing compared to what they did to Liberia. After using Africans to bolster their economy and work for free in the America, some leaders decide that now that the blacks have been emancipated, they really can't stay with white people *gasp*. So they send them away back to Africa and bully the native Africans into giving away land for the new settlers. Not content with this, they encourage the settlers to take control, leading to a huge split in society with the newly returned settler class, fresh with lovely new ideas about slavery and colonialism, try their hand at copying their erstwhile masters. And succeed. Fast forward a couple of hundred years and there is retaliation. And so on. Then civil war. America still played games and backed the militant regimes, a task it does remarkably well in the world. But at the same time, utterly refused to help with controlling the civil war or to help the people. But unfortunately, as Sirleaf points out, most of Africa cannot yet show the finger to the West, so they must put up with the unfair demands until the country can stand on its feet.
Coming back to Sirleaf, she is an awesome woman who has suffered greatly and she is very inspirational. I think she is completely right in focusing on education, gender equality and creating a liberal market aimed at development as primary goals. I am especially glad that she thinks that women's rights must be an important focus for any future of Africa in general, and Liberia in particular.
So, impressed with the woman, but not so impressed with the book.
August 22, 2012
This was a rather interesting read, but it had certain considerable disadvantages which hurt it. Primarily, the style of the writing was rather flat and problematic. I suppose Madame Sirleaf is an excellent economist, but I'm afraid she's an indifferent writer. The topic was fascinating, but it was hurt badly by her writing an economics paper, instead of a book.
Secondly, I felt sometimes that she was, perhaps entirely subconsciously, writing a propaganda manifesto. It wasn't blatant, or terribly off-putting, but it did feel like something one might present on one's presidential campaign and say "look at me, I'm pretty awesome, aren't I?"
Therefore, two stars. It was okay because the subject of the history and rebuilding of Liberia (about which I'd like to hear more, with less numbers of electricity poles and more story) is a relatively new one to me, and quite interesting. Also, I like biographies of strong women.
Secondly, I felt sometimes that she was, perhaps entirely subconsciously, writing a propaganda manifesto. It wasn't blatant, or terribly off-putting, but it did feel like something one might present on one's presidential campaign and say "look at me, I'm pretty awesome, aren't I?"
Therefore, two stars. It was okay because the subject of the history and rebuilding of Liberia (about which I'd like to hear more, with less numbers of electricity poles and more story) is a relatively new one to me, and quite interesting. Also, I like biographies of strong women.
November 28, 2010
This is not so much a memoir (or even a biography) of Sirleaf as it is a history of Liberia. Sirleaf's telling of her homeland's bloody past is informative, fair, & insightful. It will be interesting for me to follow Liberia's progress now. Sirleaf becoming president is probably one of those times when a ray of light shines down from the heavens.
I rated this 4 stars only because I was hoping for more of a personal account--something along the line of "Left to Tell" or "Life & Death in Shanghai," both of which are about strong women who survive horrific regimes. Sirleaf covers the political history, especially her own involvement, & I learned a ton, but there was no connection to her for me. For instance, she barely mentions her time in prison, although she says it was the most terrified she had ever felt. Her private life is mostly kept private. The writing, while dry at times, was more than adequate, and I am left with a great respect for Sirleaf. While I don't relate to her on many levels, I appreciate her valuable contribution!
I rated this 4 stars only because I was hoping for more of a personal account--something along the line of "Left to Tell" or "Life & Death in Shanghai," both of which are about strong women who survive horrific regimes. Sirleaf covers the political history, especially her own involvement, & I learned a ton, but there was no connection to her for me. For instance, she barely mentions her time in prison, although she says it was the most terrified she had ever felt. Her private life is mostly kept private. The writing, while dry at times, was more than adequate, and I am left with a great respect for Sirleaf. While I don't relate to her on many levels, I appreciate her valuable contribution!
February 24, 2013
A profound political memoir that captures the rich history of Liberia and its ties to America, the history of the political and social unrest that led to civil war, and the economic climate. President Sirleaf was an outspoken career woman who was often shunned by her male counterparts and at one point, jailed and forced into exile. Though she grew up with the privileged few in Liberia and had German lineage, her family also extended to the indigenous Liberian ethnic groups and in this book, she discusses the effects of slavery upon a society. There are a few instances where she mentions some very personal and surprising details about her life, but this account, written by a head of state, is mostly a political and historical one. What I liked about it were the behind-the-scenes snapshots that involved political heads, warlords, and the international community.
October 18, 2015
I saw President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf speak at the institution where I work a few years ago, and found her story to be incredibly inspiring. I was hoping the book would be more of the same. While inspiration can be found here, it is often bogged down with tedious economic detail (Sirleaf was in banking and economics) and acronyms like you would not believe.
I definitely learned some things, and I think that kept it at 3 stars for me. I don't think I was aware of anything going on in Liberia, ever. Blame my lack of knowledge of the world, blame the lack of American media's focus, but a lot happened that I knew nothing about. Most of the violence is recent and around the same time as Rwanda, but I knew nothing. I also didn't know anything about how Liberia was founded, and was very surprised to find out the connection between the United States and Liberia's original colonies. These connections still have some impact today.
Sirleaf herself was greatly influenced by the United States. This is where she was educated, and she says she learned more about her country from the Harvard library than she'd ever learned while growing up. She was even in the states when JFK was assassinated.
Little factoid and case in point:
"Robert E. Lee, the American Confederate Civil War general, freed most of his slaves before the war and offered to pay their expenses to Liberia."
From the unification of Liberia:
"We are all of us Liberians."
There is some great fodder here about leadership, and that seemed to be what I honed in on.
From Sirleaf's own wisdom:
"So often it is the small decisions in life that end up shaping our future the most."
"I looked around and saw the lives of so many Liberian women, all of these incredibly hardworking market women and housewives and mothers, and what I saw was that their lives were drudgery, a simple trudging from day to day to day. I did not want that; that was not the life for me."
"We always felt that if anything really terrible began to happen, if ever things went seriously awry, America would come to our aid. America was our great father, our patron saint. It would never let us suffer. That's what so many of us in Liberia thought.
But then we found out that everyone has to stand on his own."
"People - usually women - sometimes ask me if, during my long climb up the career ladder, I ever bumped into any glass ceilings or encountered resistance to my taking a seat at the table because I am a woman and African. My answer is that I am sure there have been those who suspected me of being a token or who resented my having the positions I had. But I was usually too busy to worry about them."
"In this global age individuals are sometimes tempted to believe they have no power, not even collectively. This is not true. The public can make a difference if it is willing to take a position and stand up for a cause in which it believes. Against a united and committed public, even the harshest of governments cannot stand."
"This is the way of the world, of human nature, and if you want to lead, you have to accept that there will be conscious attempts to push you into oblivion. You have to be prepared to be very lonely sometimes."
"Progress may be slowed by oppression, but it will not be stopped."
"Men have failed us,' people said over and over again. 'Men are too violent, too prone to make war. Women are less corrupt, less likely to be focused on getting fancy cars and fancy home for themselves."
"Civilized nations must not be indifferent to any conflict - internal or external - regardless of the factors that fuel it."
I definitely learned some things, and I think that kept it at 3 stars for me. I don't think I was aware of anything going on in Liberia, ever. Blame my lack of knowledge of the world, blame the lack of American media's focus, but a lot happened that I knew nothing about. Most of the violence is recent and around the same time as Rwanda, but I knew nothing. I also didn't know anything about how Liberia was founded, and was very surprised to find out the connection between the United States and Liberia's original colonies. These connections still have some impact today.
Sirleaf herself was greatly influenced by the United States. This is where she was educated, and she says she learned more about her country from the Harvard library than she'd ever learned while growing up. She was even in the states when JFK was assassinated.
Little factoid and case in point:
"Robert E. Lee, the American Confederate Civil War general, freed most of his slaves before the war and offered to pay their expenses to Liberia."
From the unification of Liberia:
"We are all of us Liberians."
There is some great fodder here about leadership, and that seemed to be what I honed in on.
From Sirleaf's own wisdom:
"So often it is the small decisions in life that end up shaping our future the most."
"I looked around and saw the lives of so many Liberian women, all of these incredibly hardworking market women and housewives and mothers, and what I saw was that their lives were drudgery, a simple trudging from day to day to day. I did not want that; that was not the life for me."
"We always felt that if anything really terrible began to happen, if ever things went seriously awry, America would come to our aid. America was our great father, our patron saint. It would never let us suffer. That's what so many of us in Liberia thought.
But then we found out that everyone has to stand on his own."
"People - usually women - sometimes ask me if, during my long climb up the career ladder, I ever bumped into any glass ceilings or encountered resistance to my taking a seat at the table because I am a woman and African. My answer is that I am sure there have been those who suspected me of being a token or who resented my having the positions I had. But I was usually too busy to worry about them."
"In this global age individuals are sometimes tempted to believe they have no power, not even collectively. This is not true. The public can make a difference if it is willing to take a position and stand up for a cause in which it believes. Against a united and committed public, even the harshest of governments cannot stand."
"This is the way of the world, of human nature, and if you want to lead, you have to accept that there will be conscious attempts to push you into oblivion. You have to be prepared to be very lonely sometimes."
"Progress may be slowed by oppression, but it will not be stopped."
"Men have failed us,' people said over and over again. 'Men are too violent, too prone to make war. Women are less corrupt, less likely to be focused on getting fancy cars and fancy home for themselves."
"Civilized nations must not be indifferent to any conflict - internal or external - regardless of the factors that fuel it."
July 21, 2013
In her first run for President her opponent's slogan was "He killed my ma, he killed my pa, so I will vote for him". Yikes! She lost that election (through fraud and intimidation) - but the courage to run in such an atmosphere is amazing! The book is a summary of her life - not particularly warm and full of personal details, but an overview of Liberia before, during, and after some of the worst dictators and warmongerers in world history. She never shrinks from her mistakes (at first she supported Charles Taylor because the dictator at the time was also bad for the country), but tells things the way she saw them at the time. A remarkable person.
Read
September 21, 2012 From Publishers Weekly
Forbes lists Sirleaf, the 23rd president of Liberia and the first elected female president on the African continent, among the 100 Most Powerful Women in 2008. In and out of government, in and out of exile, but consistent in her commitment to Liberia, Sirleaf in her memoir reveals herself to be among the most resilient, determined and courageous as well. She writes with modesty in a calm and measured tone. While her account includes a happy childhood and an unhappy marriage, the book is politically, not personally, focused as she (and Liberia) go through the disastrous presidencies of Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor. Sirleaf's training as an economist and her employment (e.g., in banking, as minister of finance in Liberia, and in U.N. development programs) informs the perspective from which she views internal Liberian history (e.g., the tensions between the settler class and the indigenous people) and Liberia's international relations. Although her focus is thoroughly on Liberia, the content is more widely instructive, particularly her account of the role of the Economic Community of West African States. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Africa’s first elected female president, Sirleaf chronicles her rise from an abused young wife and mother to a woman with a career in government finance and international banking to the president of Liberia since 2006. Sirleaf confronted corruption and incompetence through several Liberian governments and suffered imprisonment and exile for her controversial positions before ultimately returning and challenging the long and troubled history of her nation. Liberia was created by the U.S. to repatriate former slaves, creating a tension between Americo-Liberians and indigenous peoples that continues. She recounts her struggles at home and abroad; she watched dictator Samuel Doe and later Charles Taylor destroy Liberia while she continued to criticize U.S. involvement with corrupt regimes. Having no colonial power to overcome, Sirleaf contends that Liberia has often struggled to develop and maintain a sense of true national integration, something she has sought to achieve as she has worked to bring economic and social stability to her civil-war-torn nation. An inspiring inside look at a nation struggling to rebuild itself and the woman now behind those efforts. --Vanessa Bush
October 16, 2012
I knew vaguely of Liberia before reading This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President--I had a distant memory of reading that it was established as a home for resettled slaves, and then I remembered reading of its violent civil war and its government's horrible support for the devastating war in Sierra Leone. Other than that, as with most of the African continent, I was woefully ignorant. I definitely would have had trouble identifying it on a map or naming its current leader. Well, now I am much better informed, courtesy of the Nobel Peace Prize winning president herself.
I have read reviews of the book that critique it for heavy use of acronyms and clunky writing. I frankly wasn't bothered by either factor. I don't expect non-fiction in general to read like literature, so I am not disappointed when it fails to do so. On the rare occasions when it does, I am just pleasantly surprised. There were acronyms for political parties and international organizations when Ellen Johnson Sirleaf discussed them, but I didn't find them to be a distraction. I had no trouble staying fully engaged in the tale of Sirleaf's life and of Liberia's history, which are both fascinating. I came away with a sense of just how much one courageous person can accomplish, if she or he is bright and able to access education. Sirleaf is a truly remarkable character, not perfect, but willing to own up to her flaws. I will follow the history of this nation moving forward in a way that I had never been interested in doing to this point. I hope that Sirleaf's dreams and plans of moving her country forward through education, sound planning and management, and a commitment to democratic and ethical governance will come to fruition and move her country into a position of greater significance and leadership in Africa and the world as a whole. The world could use more women like her in positions of power and influence!
I have read reviews of the book that critique it for heavy use of acronyms and clunky writing. I frankly wasn't bothered by either factor. I don't expect non-fiction in general to read like literature, so I am not disappointed when it fails to do so. On the rare occasions when it does, I am just pleasantly surprised. There were acronyms for political parties and international organizations when Ellen Johnson Sirleaf discussed them, but I didn't find them to be a distraction. I had no trouble staying fully engaged in the tale of Sirleaf's life and of Liberia's history, which are both fascinating. I came away with a sense of just how much one courageous person can accomplish, if she or he is bright and able to access education. Sirleaf is a truly remarkable character, not perfect, but willing to own up to her flaws. I will follow the history of this nation moving forward in a way that I had never been interested in doing to this point. I hope that Sirleaf's dreams and plans of moving her country forward through education, sound planning and management, and a commitment to democratic and ethical governance will come to fruition and move her country into a position of greater significance and leadership in Africa and the world as a whole. The world could use more women like her in positions of power and influence!
May 6, 2021
I loved and enjoyed reading this one; it was well written, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is indeed a good storyteller. From the reason behind the title of the book, her parents, marriage and divorce, her political and professional journey I found myself knowing and loving her more and more.
She shared how eager she was in learning and focusing on her future despite her father (before the stroke and death) being a well-known person in Liberia and they had a good life; she pursued her education and kept the eagerness to learn even when started working, her ability to keep learning was amazing.
As she said; "I was forever working and studying, determined to advance my career. Plus, I loved it"
She didn't stop pursuing education even after she was married at 17years and with four kids. She applied and fought for a scholarship, got in and everything changed…. isn't that amazing!
Her boldness, courage, failure, criticism, successes, Liberia’s political reform, professionalism and perseverance is what this Memoir entails and it was a good read. This Nobel Peace Laureate indeed deserves the name, the Iron Lady of Africa.
She shared how eager she was in learning and focusing on her future despite her father (before the stroke and death) being a well-known person in Liberia and they had a good life; she pursued her education and kept the eagerness to learn even when started working, her ability to keep learning was amazing.
As she said; "I was forever working and studying, determined to advance my career. Plus, I loved it"
She didn't stop pursuing education even after she was married at 17years and with four kids. She applied and fought for a scholarship, got in and everything changed…. isn't that amazing!
Her boldness, courage, failure, criticism, successes, Liberia’s political reform, professionalism and perseverance is what this Memoir entails and it was a good read. This Nobel Peace Laureate indeed deserves the name, the Iron Lady of Africa.
August 21, 2013
This book provided great insight into the history of Liberia and the sadness that is Africa - a great continent still struggling and suffering with corruption and greed. Sirleaf's commitment to her country and to what she believes in is inspiring. I loved the honesty with which she acknowledges some of her great mistakes and the humility she brings to her leadership through her constant recognition of the need to lead for those that have nothing or have less or have been through great hardships. Her memoirs are honest and full of factual political information. I would have liked to have more insight into the person that is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf not yet the president of Liberia. This was an inspiring and intriguing book from a great African leader.
July 8, 2016
I gotta say, this woman has balls. Seriously she has lived through a lot in her country and keeps coming back to it, this book tells her journey from being a young married woman and mother at 17 to getting her education at USA and divorcing her abusive husband and moving on her life, proving that she was a capable though a lot of men in charge underestimated her. She became Africa's first woman president and paved the way for other African women to take up important places in Liberia's government. It is really packed with all the social upheaval from the 70's and 80's but it's a worthy read about a very strong woman.
Read
August 5, 2011Reading this story was long and tideous for me-I think most of the story is summed up in the back with her Inaugural Speech.
The fact hat she is the first woman to be Preisdent of Africa is a great accomplsihment in a Country that degrades women. She has the capacity to over come many obstalcles.
I did not like that fact that she was seperated for so many years from her children, all except one that was with her a great deal of the time.
The book is a history of Liberia during great turmoil and slaughtering of millions.
The fact hat she is the first woman to be Preisdent of Africa is a great accomplsihment in a Country that degrades women. She has the capacity to over come many obstalcles.
I did not like that fact that she was seperated for so many years from her children, all except one that was with her a great deal of the time.
The book is a history of Liberia during great turmoil and slaughtering of millions.
November 8, 2011
This was my first memoir, and while I enjoyed it, it took me a while to get through it. There is some pretty heavy alphabet soup in the middle of the book, but as soon as she decides to run for president in 2005 it really takes off and get's interesting.
Johnson Sirleaf includes a history of modern Liberia, with a lot of international economics thrown in for good measure. I appreciated her unsentimental attitude and international perspective. I would absolutely recommend this book, though if you're truly interested in learning the material, give yourself some time to get through it.
Johnson Sirleaf includes a history of modern Liberia, with a lot of international economics thrown in for good measure. I appreciated her unsentimental attitude and international perspective. I would absolutely recommend this book, though if you're truly interested in learning the material, give yourself some time to get through it.
August 9, 2012
My understanding of Liberian history has been superficial, but this book helped me to understand the complexities of Liberia's past. It also helped me to fully appreciate that Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is the right woman, in the right place, at the right time. I pray that Liberia's next chapter is one of reconciliation and prosperity.
May 4, 2013
well-told history of Liberia from a very different view of West Africa than we're used to hearing from Western figures and media
but this is very much a book written by an incumbent politician. Bias, grandstanding, slanted language, overall sense of things missing...
worth reading. Makes me want to go to Liberia.
but this is very much a book written by an incumbent politician. Bias, grandstanding, slanted language, overall sense of things missing...
worth reading. Makes me want to go to Liberia.
Read
December 20, 2016This was an interesting read , It depicts the consequence of war and the damage it leaves behind . Something a lot of African countries can learn from . Ellen is one of the most phenomenal women in Africa and her struggle to presidency shows her resilience and determination she is not perfect but so close to the real deal . I loved every bit of this book
December 29, 2018
A wonderful memoir of Africa’s first female president & really a historic rendering of Liberia’s tumultuous past. Her presidency is well deserved and much needed for an abused nation of over 15 years. 💚💚💚
April 15, 2024
This was more of a history book than a memoir. I learned a tremendous amount about Liberia and west Africa. I had no idea about the conflicts and horrifying conditions that existed in that section of Africa during the 80s and 90s. Ellen Sirleaf is an impressive woman and leader, however there were times I would think “I’m sure there’s another side to this story!”
I would have preferred this to be an actual memoir.
I would have preferred this to be an actual memoir.
June 28, 2020
I enjoyed this memoir immensely! I agree with Madam President Sirleaf’s assessment of the Western civilization having no desire of economic independence of Liberia 🇱🇷 or any other African nation.
July 5, 2021
It's a story of her life as it led to her becoming President. It's majorly a story of her political life.
Read
November 25, 2009IRON LADY
Erin Aubry Kaplan
Review of This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa’s First Woman President
By Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (with Kim McLarin)
Harper
The 2006 election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as Liberia’s first woman president—the first in all of Africa!—is one of the new uncontested bright spots in the turbulent recent history of that country. But personal triumph is not the point of this memoir, despite its title. Sirleaf instead narrates the fascinating but frequently disheartening story of Liberia itself. From its improbable origins as a new settlement for freed American slaves in the 1800s to its descent into the hopelessly “balkanized chaos” of civil war more than 100 years later, Sirleaf tells it all in a steady and unsentimental voice, fueled throughout by a certain optimism, even in Liberia’s darkest hours.
Not that she neglects her own part in the story: The trajectory of her life is described with the same passion and attention to detail with which she describes everything else. And what a life it is, one that ultimately measures up to the greatness predicted for Sirleaf by a somewhat anonymous old man who visited her parents when she was
born. Highlights—or lowlights—include becoming a self-made power broker in international finance and surviving imprisonment by a Liberian dictator while colleagues are slaughtered around her. But it is concern,
almost obsession, for Liberia’s future that drives Sirleaf in all her endeavors. Clearly, the “child” that marches toward destiny is not just Sirleaf, but her still-emerging native land: As it goes, so goes she. She does try her luck
elsewhere in the world. On the way to the presidency, she has a brilliant career with institutions such as the World Bank, Citibank, the Equator Bank and the United Nations. Yet time and again she quits those posts
to follow a path back to Liberia, determined to fulfill a long-standing dream of helping her country achieve peace, prosperity and stability. Often she returns home against the advice of family and friends, who think she’s “cuckoo” to leave the material comfort and international prestige (to say nothing of the personal safety) of private-sector jobs. But Sirleaf is determined; it’s not for nothing she’s called “Iron Lady.”
Sometimes information overshadows the storytelling. At points This Child reads less like a memoir and more like a history primer, stump speech or opaque analysis from a politician who, after all, is still working to sell her vision. And what happens to Sirleaf’s four children, who all but disappear after the first 50 pages? Perhaps she was too wedded to her cause to devote much to the parental scene, but I’d like to hear her talk about that, to hear her version of the impossible sacrifices many women make to be effective in their chosen fields.
Sirleaf’s great talent as a narrator is that she doesn’t waffle. She admits to initially liking Liberian revolutionaries who later morph into despots; she admires Kofi Annan but doesn’t excuse his neglect of the Rwandan genocide. She praises the U.S. for the educational and work opportunities it provides her, but takes American governments (and Jimmy Carter) to task for supporting the vicious Liberian regimes of William Tolbert and Charles Taylor.
But Sirleaf never underestimates the enormity of the task of leading her country into the freedom implied in its name. Becoming president in postwar Liberia was pure euphoria, she says, the most she could hope for. At the same time, “Despair and resignation stared many of our citizens in the face,” she writes. “All of this was as true on inauguration day as it had been the day before and as it would be the day after.” Wise words, reminding us that hope is far too complicated a thing for politics, or even historic elections, to fully express.
---
ERIN AUBRY KAPLAN is a freelance writer and a contributing editor to the Los Angeles Times opinion section.
Erin Aubry Kaplan
Review of This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa’s First Woman President
By Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (with Kim McLarin)
Harper
The 2006 election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as Liberia’s first woman president—the first in all of Africa!—is one of the new uncontested bright spots in the turbulent recent history of that country. But personal triumph is not the point of this memoir, despite its title. Sirleaf instead narrates the fascinating but frequently disheartening story of Liberia itself. From its improbable origins as a new settlement for freed American slaves in the 1800s to its descent into the hopelessly “balkanized chaos” of civil war more than 100 years later, Sirleaf tells it all in a steady and unsentimental voice, fueled throughout by a certain optimism, even in Liberia’s darkest hours.
Not that she neglects her own part in the story: The trajectory of her life is described with the same passion and attention to detail with which she describes everything else. And what a life it is, one that ultimately measures up to the greatness predicted for Sirleaf by a somewhat anonymous old man who visited her parents when she was
born. Highlights—or lowlights—include becoming a self-made power broker in international finance and surviving imprisonment by a Liberian dictator while colleagues are slaughtered around her. But it is concern,
almost obsession, for Liberia’s future that drives Sirleaf in all her endeavors. Clearly, the “child” that marches toward destiny is not just Sirleaf, but her still-emerging native land: As it goes, so goes she. She does try her luck
elsewhere in the world. On the way to the presidency, she has a brilliant career with institutions such as the World Bank, Citibank, the Equator Bank and the United Nations. Yet time and again she quits those posts
to follow a path back to Liberia, determined to fulfill a long-standing dream of helping her country achieve peace, prosperity and stability. Often she returns home against the advice of family and friends, who think she’s “cuckoo” to leave the material comfort and international prestige (to say nothing of the personal safety) of private-sector jobs. But Sirleaf is determined; it’s not for nothing she’s called “Iron Lady.”
Sometimes information overshadows the storytelling. At points This Child reads less like a memoir and more like a history primer, stump speech or opaque analysis from a politician who, after all, is still working to sell her vision. And what happens to Sirleaf’s four children, who all but disappear after the first 50 pages? Perhaps she was too wedded to her cause to devote much to the parental scene, but I’d like to hear her talk about that, to hear her version of the impossible sacrifices many women make to be effective in their chosen fields.
Sirleaf’s great talent as a narrator is that she doesn’t waffle. She admits to initially liking Liberian revolutionaries who later morph into despots; she admires Kofi Annan but doesn’t excuse his neglect of the Rwandan genocide. She praises the U.S. for the educational and work opportunities it provides her, but takes American governments (and Jimmy Carter) to task for supporting the vicious Liberian regimes of William Tolbert and Charles Taylor.
But Sirleaf never underestimates the enormity of the task of leading her country into the freedom implied in its name. Becoming president in postwar Liberia was pure euphoria, she says, the most she could hope for. At the same time, “Despair and resignation stared many of our citizens in the face,” she writes. “All of this was as true on inauguration day as it had been the day before and as it would be the day after.” Wise words, reminding us that hope is far too complicated a thing for politics, or even historic elections, to fully express.
---
ERIN AUBRY KAPLAN is a freelance writer and a contributing editor to the Los Angeles Times opinion section.
September 18, 2024
Book Review
This Child Will Be Great
5/5 stars
*******
Of the book:
-Prologue, plus 21 chapters (317 pages)and inaugural speech (18 pages).
-15 pages per chapter
-15 source bibliography.
Whom is this book for?
I think that the largest beneficiaries would actually be black people in the United States; Liberia is a snapshot of a common culture from a couple of centuries back. And if you look at these events, black self-government ("self-determination" is the current hackneyed expression) is nothing close to the panacea that they think it is - -AND THEY ACTUALLY RAN THAT EXPERIMENT IN LIBERIA.
It could be that "self-determination" actually ends up creating something worse. As it did there (or, Detroit, or really any place black people put their hands in the government).
I really do enjoy Sirleaf's neutral, matter of fact tone throughout the book.
And it is apparent that she is quite a bright woman: she went to Harvard, as well as heading a bank.
Unfortunately, such intellectual competence is EXTREMELY RARE on the African context. (Otherwise, they wouldn't be at the bottom of every development index for decade after decade.)
Also, I don't want to minimize Sirleaf's accomplishments, but:
1. Her election was probably somewhere between the difficulty of a mayoralty and a governorship.
The center of gravity in the country is Monrovia, and it is 75 square miles. (That's about 8.6 miles on an edge; about half the size of the city of Detroit.) Liberia itself is about the size of Tennessee: 43,000 sq. mi.
2. Her total campaign purse was US$2 million. That works out to about $0.67 per person spent on campaigning. (Compare this to $22 per person spent on the last US presidential campaign.)
3. A lot of times heads of state of small places can actually become larger than life even though campaigning in a smaller place might be logistically easier. (Singapore's 290 square miles and it produced Lee Kuan Yew.)
Sirleaf is impressive, to be sure; maybe if she had had the (genetic, other) material to work with that Lee Kuan Yew did, Liberia could have been another Singapore.
*******
I've wanted to study Liberia for quite some time. (It happens that this country showed up in a book that I was reading about a mulatto child growing up in Nazi Germany (!).)
Liberia is a settler country, but the settlers were black Americans.
And they set up a society similar to the one that they left, in which they themselves were the dominant caste and no one could marry them or hold office. (I wonder why Isabel Wilkerson didn't use this place as an example of caste.)
Here is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's description:
It declared independence in 1847 and was recognized by Britain immediately and by the United States 18 years later (right at the end of the Civil War).
"This initial settler group, and those who followed, came to call themselves Americo- Liberians.
"It was an appropriate name, for this band of hopeful immigrants was far more American than African and intended to remain that way. They had adopted the cultures, traditions, and habits of the land of their birth, and these they brought with them with them when they came.
"The colonists spoke English and retained the dress, manners, housing, and religion of the American South.
"The settlers of Modern Day Liberia decided they would plant their feet in Africa but keep their faces turned squarely toward the United States. This stance would trigger a profound alienation between themselves and the indigenous people upon whose shores they had arrived and among whom they would build their home. Alienation would lead to disunity; disunity would lead to a deeply cleaved society.
"That cleavage would set the stage for all the terror and bloodsheds to come."
*******
Really, almost all of this book is old wine in new bottles: One could just scratch out the Anglo-Saxon names (a huge fraction of the Liberians have English names, such as "William Tubman" or "Charles Taylor"), and it would be the same story with any of these other perpetually unstable African jokes.
1. Incompetence
2. Corruption
3. Violence/brutality
4. Wanton destruction
5. Looting
The progression was: William VS Tubman (died in office)--> William Tolbert (assassinated)-->Samuel Doe (assassinated)-->Charles Taylor (arrested)-->Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Some themes were revisits of more subtle observations:
1. There are some indigenous people somewhere and they only get radicalized after they go to (Western) university. (It was an accident that the author ended up at Harvard, and *that* was the time she felt it critical that "my people know their own true history.")
2. Seems like people of African descent have a very difficult time at statecraft. And all of these examples fall apart in the same way, be it in a majority black region in US or Liberia. Flint or Lagos: Essentially, whatever it is starts with goodwill and degenerates into a racketeering operation (this is on the part of the government) or come outright looting and destruction (on the part of the citizens). Or, even the African peacekeeper from other countries engage in looting (p.192).
When the government X falls to the government (X+1), usually via coup, then the officials from the former government are executed. Usually publicly (p.102). And then we have soldiers shooting everybody in sight--attacking churches with refugees and then hacking everybody else to death that survived the initial shooting (p.180).
3. The author herself notes that black Americans have this romanticized, inaccurate view of Africa, but the one people on the continent with which they have the closest connection (that would be Liberians / Americo- Liberians), are the ones in which they are either uninterested or completely unaware.
*******
A very rich history, this country.
1. 43,000 mi² (about the same size as Ohio or Virginia)
2. Started as a series of colonies in 1820 and declared independence on 1847. Recognized by the United States in 1865.
3. Is properly understood as a commonwealth, because There were colonies established by separate US states that merged together.
4. (As of 2009) has 75% of citizens that are not literate in any language.
5. The Whig party of Liberia persisted a full century and a half after the original one from the United States had dissolved.
6. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was one of the four ministers from the Tolbert government that was not executed.
7. Sirleaf managed to survive several governments just by luck, and she actually consulted with an American - - Larry Gibson - to finance and run her campaign. (This guy flew to China and had produced 850K posters, 4000K stickers 300K shopping bags, etc.)
8. The war had killed about 250k out of 3 million people.
Quotes:
1. Liberia had been a golden opportunity... And we had squandered it. We had had so much and had done so little.
2. But things never hit rock bottom, and for one simple reason: the United States held the country up.
3. We know two that Quiwonkpa himself was shot and his body put on public display at the Barclay Training Center.
4. At some point, I knew Doe would say to himself, "So what if the United States doesn't like it? Once she's dead, she's dead." As much as I wanted to stay in Liberia, I wanted even more to stay alive. It was time to go.
5. Doe had reportedly come to the headquarters for a meeting intended to secure his safe passage out of Liberia. Instead he was wounded in the legs, captured, and taken to Johnson's headquarters, where he was brutally tortured - - beating, his ears sawed off - - and eventually killed. A videotape of his torture, mutilation, and death was quickly and widely circulated throughout the country.
6. Better the devil you know than the angel you do not.
7. I suppose that's the part of me that believes in predestination. I believe that when it's my time to go, it's my time to go, and when that time arrives - - so be it. Nothing I do or do not do will be able to stop it. Until then, however, I plan to keep doing what it is I have to do.
8. Taking a page from Taylor's book, the RUF recruited child soldiers by forcing them to rape or kill their own parents before swearing allegiance to Mr Sankoh..... After one is raped and killed one's own mother, what boundaries are left to cross?
9. In many places there were no roads at all, and I would just take a canoe and paddle across the river to visit a village.
10. The hard truth is that a good number of these young former combatants - - our children, yes - are hardened criminals..... Theft and even armed robbery remain serious problems in Liberia, and these hardened former combatants are largely the source of it.
Verdict: Recommended
This Child Will Be Great
5/5 stars
*******
Of the book:
-Prologue, plus 21 chapters (317 pages)and inaugural speech (18 pages).
-15 pages per chapter
-15 source bibliography.
Whom is this book for?
I think that the largest beneficiaries would actually be black people in the United States; Liberia is a snapshot of a common culture from a couple of centuries back. And if you look at these events, black self-government ("self-determination" is the current hackneyed expression) is nothing close to the panacea that they think it is - -AND THEY ACTUALLY RAN THAT EXPERIMENT IN LIBERIA.
It could be that "self-determination" actually ends up creating something worse. As it did there (or, Detroit, or really any place black people put their hands in the government).
I really do enjoy Sirleaf's neutral, matter of fact tone throughout the book.
And it is apparent that she is quite a bright woman: she went to Harvard, as well as heading a bank.
Unfortunately, such intellectual competence is EXTREMELY RARE on the African context. (Otherwise, they wouldn't be at the bottom of every development index for decade after decade.)
Also, I don't want to minimize Sirleaf's accomplishments, but:
1. Her election was probably somewhere between the difficulty of a mayoralty and a governorship.
The center of gravity in the country is Monrovia, and it is 75 square miles. (That's about 8.6 miles on an edge; about half the size of the city of Detroit.) Liberia itself is about the size of Tennessee: 43,000 sq. mi.
2. Her total campaign purse was US$2 million. That works out to about $0.67 per person spent on campaigning. (Compare this to $22 per person spent on the last US presidential campaign.)
3. A lot of times heads of state of small places can actually become larger than life even though campaigning in a smaller place might be logistically easier. (Singapore's 290 square miles and it produced Lee Kuan Yew.)
Sirleaf is impressive, to be sure; maybe if she had had the (genetic, other) material to work with that Lee Kuan Yew did, Liberia could have been another Singapore.
*******
I've wanted to study Liberia for quite some time. (It happens that this country showed up in a book that I was reading about a mulatto child growing up in Nazi Germany (!).)
Liberia is a settler country, but the settlers were black Americans.
And they set up a society similar to the one that they left, in which they themselves were the dominant caste and no one could marry them or hold office. (I wonder why Isabel Wilkerson didn't use this place as an example of caste.)
Here is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's description:
It declared independence in 1847 and was recognized by Britain immediately and by the United States 18 years later (right at the end of the Civil War).
"This initial settler group, and those who followed, came to call themselves Americo- Liberians.
"It was an appropriate name, for this band of hopeful immigrants was far more American than African and intended to remain that way. They had adopted the cultures, traditions, and habits of the land of their birth, and these they brought with them with them when they came.
"The colonists spoke English and retained the dress, manners, housing, and religion of the American South.
"The settlers of Modern Day Liberia decided they would plant their feet in Africa but keep their faces turned squarely toward the United States. This stance would trigger a profound alienation between themselves and the indigenous people upon whose shores they had arrived and among whom they would build their home. Alienation would lead to disunity; disunity would lead to a deeply cleaved society.
"That cleavage would set the stage for all the terror and bloodsheds to come."
*******
Really, almost all of this book is old wine in new bottles: One could just scratch out the Anglo-Saxon names (a huge fraction of the Liberians have English names, such as "William Tubman" or "Charles Taylor"), and it would be the same story with any of these other perpetually unstable African jokes.
1. Incompetence
2. Corruption
3. Violence/brutality
4. Wanton destruction
5. Looting
The progression was: William VS Tubman (died in office)--> William Tolbert (assassinated)-->Samuel Doe (assassinated)-->Charles Taylor (arrested)-->Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Some themes were revisits of more subtle observations:
1. There are some indigenous people somewhere and they only get radicalized after they go to (Western) university. (It was an accident that the author ended up at Harvard, and *that* was the time she felt it critical that "my people know their own true history.")
2. Seems like people of African descent have a very difficult time at statecraft. And all of these examples fall apart in the same way, be it in a majority black region in US or Liberia. Flint or Lagos: Essentially, whatever it is starts with goodwill and degenerates into a racketeering operation (this is on the part of the government) or come outright looting and destruction (on the part of the citizens). Or, even the African peacekeeper from other countries engage in looting (p.192).
When the government X falls to the government (X+1), usually via coup, then the officials from the former government are executed. Usually publicly (p.102). And then we have soldiers shooting everybody in sight--attacking churches with refugees and then hacking everybody else to death that survived the initial shooting (p.180).
3. The author herself notes that black Americans have this romanticized, inaccurate view of Africa, but the one people on the continent with which they have the closest connection (that would be Liberians / Americo- Liberians), are the ones in which they are either uninterested or completely unaware.
*******
A very rich history, this country.
1. 43,000 mi² (about the same size as Ohio or Virginia)
2. Started as a series of colonies in 1820 and declared independence on 1847. Recognized by the United States in 1865.
3. Is properly understood as a commonwealth, because There were colonies established by separate US states that merged together.
4. (As of 2009) has 75% of citizens that are not literate in any language.
5. The Whig party of Liberia persisted a full century and a half after the original one from the United States had dissolved.
6. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was one of the four ministers from the Tolbert government that was not executed.
7. Sirleaf managed to survive several governments just by luck, and she actually consulted with an American - - Larry Gibson - to finance and run her campaign. (This guy flew to China and had produced 850K posters, 4000K stickers 300K shopping bags, etc.)
8. The war had killed about 250k out of 3 million people.
Quotes:
1. Liberia had been a golden opportunity... And we had squandered it. We had had so much and had done so little.
2. But things never hit rock bottom, and for one simple reason: the United States held the country up.
3. We know two that Quiwonkpa himself was shot and his body put on public display at the Barclay Training Center.
4. At some point, I knew Doe would say to himself, "So what if the United States doesn't like it? Once she's dead, she's dead." As much as I wanted to stay in Liberia, I wanted even more to stay alive. It was time to go.
5. Doe had reportedly come to the headquarters for a meeting intended to secure his safe passage out of Liberia. Instead he was wounded in the legs, captured, and taken to Johnson's headquarters, where he was brutally tortured - - beating, his ears sawed off - - and eventually killed. A videotape of his torture, mutilation, and death was quickly and widely circulated throughout the country.
6. Better the devil you know than the angel you do not.
7. I suppose that's the part of me that believes in predestination. I believe that when it's my time to go, it's my time to go, and when that time arrives - - so be it. Nothing I do or do not do will be able to stop it. Until then, however, I plan to keep doing what it is I have to do.
8. Taking a page from Taylor's book, the RUF recruited child soldiers by forcing them to rape or kill their own parents before swearing allegiance to Mr Sankoh..... After one is raped and killed one's own mother, what boundaries are left to cross?
9. In many places there were no roads at all, and I would just take a canoe and paddle across the river to visit a village.
10. The hard truth is that a good number of these young former combatants - - our children, yes - are hardened criminals..... Theft and even armed robbery remain serious problems in Liberia, and these hardened former combatants are largely the source of it.
Verdict: Recommended
March 3, 2012
Sirleaf is the first female president of Liberia.
I haven't read many memoirs, so I don't have much to compare it to. In this case, Sirleaf's story reads more as a series of dry events that could be one long bulleted list. I wonder if this writing style is a reflection of her time spent in the business world, where that type of writing is more common than a sentimental style. Either way, as I reflect on all she has encountered, and what she has accomplished, it is apparent that she is quite the amazing human being. Here is a series of her passages that spoke to me, almost as tidbits of advice:
Still, once I took the position, I had stepped into a stream that would carry me along toward the future of my professional development. So often it is the small decisions in life that end up shaping our future the most. p 32
The learning here - pay attention to your small decisions as they may have bigger repercussions than you may originally anticipate.
All of this I said, but in the end, it was really one word - idiots - that got me into trouble. That was the word that did it. That was the word that they really, really did not like. p 123
The learning here - people may focus on one or two points and ignore the rest of your message. The theme of education, or lack there-of, is common when defining a gap for Liberians in this book. I wonder if this is why the word "idiot" offended so much - many of the regime did not have much of a formal education, and did not want to appear weak because of it.
Leadership has many challenges, and those challenges are serious. Too often people, in their eagerness to stand and shout 'Follow me!,' neglect to consider the downside. They do not, for example, consider the possibility of ostracism. But the truth is that if you want to lead and be hailed, you must also be prepared to be ostracized, because it surely will happen at some point in your career.
The learning here - there are ups and downs to any situation. Leaders may be glorified on one hand, but there will be people wanting to tear you down and you must be prepared for both aspects to move ahead.
On the challenges Sileaf faced as newly-elected president: "On that glorious day Liberians had not experienced government provided electric power for more than sixteen years... Pipe-borne water was nonexistent in the city center and parts beyond. Civil servants' salaries were in arrears and woefully inadequate at any rate. Our schools were in ruins, not just physically, but also in terms of the loss of trained teachers. Mortality rates among all sectors of our population were frighteningly high. Our hospitals lacked equipment, drugs, and most critically, doctors..." p 273
The learning here - it would be difficult enough becoming leader of a developed nation today, and yet knowing the state of Liberia and what she faced, Sirleaf fought for her election to bring change to these situations. Wow. What a strong, brave woman!
I haven't read many memoirs, so I don't have much to compare it to. In this case, Sirleaf's story reads more as a series of dry events that could be one long bulleted list. I wonder if this writing style is a reflection of her time spent in the business world, where that type of writing is more common than a sentimental style. Either way, as I reflect on all she has encountered, and what she has accomplished, it is apparent that she is quite the amazing human being. Here is a series of her passages that spoke to me, almost as tidbits of advice:
Still, once I took the position, I had stepped into a stream that would carry me along toward the future of my professional development. So often it is the small decisions in life that end up shaping our future the most. p 32
The learning here - pay attention to your small decisions as they may have bigger repercussions than you may originally anticipate.
All of this I said, but in the end, it was really one word - idiots - that got me into trouble. That was the word that did it. That was the word that they really, really did not like. p 123
The learning here - people may focus on one or two points and ignore the rest of your message. The theme of education, or lack there-of, is common when defining a gap for Liberians in this book. I wonder if this is why the word "idiot" offended so much - many of the regime did not have much of a formal education, and did not want to appear weak because of it.
Leadership has many challenges, and those challenges are serious. Too often people, in their eagerness to stand and shout 'Follow me!,' neglect to consider the downside. They do not, for example, consider the possibility of ostracism. But the truth is that if you want to lead and be hailed, you must also be prepared to be ostracized, because it surely will happen at some point in your career.
The learning here - there are ups and downs to any situation. Leaders may be glorified on one hand, but there will be people wanting to tear you down and you must be prepared for both aspects to move ahead.
On the challenges Sileaf faced as newly-elected president: "On that glorious day Liberians had not experienced government provided electric power for more than sixteen years... Pipe-borne water was nonexistent in the city center and parts beyond. Civil servants' salaries were in arrears and woefully inadequate at any rate. Our schools were in ruins, not just physically, but also in terms of the loss of trained teachers. Mortality rates among all sectors of our population were frighteningly high. Our hospitals lacked equipment, drugs, and most critically, doctors..." p 273
The learning here - it would be difficult enough becoming leader of a developed nation today, and yet knowing the state of Liberia and what she faced, Sirleaf fought for her election to bring change to these situations. Wow. What a strong, brave woman!
August 29, 2016
Centennial Book Club: 2/4/13: Teji
This book is both memoir and history lesson. While the writing is not great and is too repetitive in many spots, it is certainly a griping story. Sirleaf is definitely a strong-willed, formidable woman-- and a survivor. I do wish that she had waited until after her presidency to write this book--I think it will be interesting to contrast what she hoped to accomplish with what actually happens. I will follow the rest of her presidency (she recently won a second 6-year term) with interest.
I did experience one slight continuity problem where what she says happened doesn't match what she then describes happening:
" 'Tell them I will come, but, given my complexion, I need protection. They must send someone for me.' I don't know if Green ever delivered the message, but no one came. A few hours later my friend suggested that it was best that he escort me. / The streets were wild. As we drove through them, I held my breath. At one point the truck swerved into a gas station where a crowd was milling excitedly about. As the soldiers leapt out to fill the tank of the car, someone pounded on the roof and peered into the window, demanding, 'Who you got in there?' / I knew it was not an idle question, and I knew the soldiers would not necessarily protect me if the crowd wanted blood. One of the soldiers responded, 'Ellen Johnson Sirleaf! Taking her to see the man!' " p95.
So, here is my problem: if Doe never sent anyone for her, and her friend was the one her escorted her to the mansion…from where did those soldiers come?
Quotes:
This book is both memoir and history lesson. While the writing is not great and is too repetitive in many spots, it is certainly a griping story. Sirleaf is definitely a strong-willed, formidable woman-- and a survivor. I do wish that she had waited until after her presidency to write this book--I think it will be interesting to contrast what she hoped to accomplish with what actually happens. I will follow the rest of her presidency (she recently won a second 6-year term) with interest.
I did experience one slight continuity problem where what she says happened doesn't match what she then describes happening:
" 'Tell them I will come, but, given my complexion, I need protection. They must send someone for me.' I don't know if Green ever delivered the message, but no one came. A few hours later my friend suggested that it was best that he escort me. / The streets were wild. As we drove through them, I held my breath. At one point the truck swerved into a gas station where a crowd was milling excitedly about. As the soldiers leapt out to fill the tank of the car, someone pounded on the roof and peered into the window, demanding, 'Who you got in there?' / I knew it was not an idle question, and I knew the soldiers would not necessarily protect me if the crowd wanted blood. One of the soldiers responded, 'Ellen Johnson Sirleaf! Taking her to see the man!' " p95.
So, here is my problem: if Doe never sent anyone for her, and her friend was the one her escorted her to the mansion…from where did those soldiers come?
Quotes:
December 12, 2010
I first picked up been enjoying This Child Will be Great:Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President written by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for the World Party Reading Challenge. In the original format, the country for the month of June was Liberia. I began reading in June, but I did not complete the book until last night. Part of my slow reading progress is the density of the book and the other is that I had other reading commitments. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It is both President Sirleaf's personal story and the history of Liberia. I learned a lot about the history of the country. A few highlights are mentioned below.
I was struck by the positive light in which President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush were portrayed. Because of the work I do and my political standpoint, I am very often critical of the former president. I enjoyed reading an outsider's perspective on how the former president handled foreign relations. It was also interesting to read about Persident Sirleaf's interactions with former president Jimmy Carter. Those sections of the book illustrated how much of a difference there can be in international perception and domestic perception of presidents. I imagine that there is also a difference in how US leaders are perceived from region to region.
Another part of the book I really enjoyed was President Sirleaf's experience running for office. I have some interest in running for public office myself, so I enjoyed hearing her accounts of how she tried to run for office in a way that would allow her to build a coalition with her opponents. The ways in which she utilized knowledge and expertise from the international community was also insightful. The thought of campaigning in the United States is daunting enough for me. I could not imagine trying to campaign in a country where where the weather determines accessibility of many areas.
Finally, I also enjoyed President Sirleaf's reflection on how being a woman impacted her experience. I was especially intrigued by how President Sirleaf believed marriage and parenthood influenced her journey. She got married very young and has been unmarried for the duration of her professional career. One thing I noticed in the memoir is how few stories there were of her interactions with her children. In her inauguration speech, I found myself nodding vigorously at her promise to invest in the education of young woman.
I was struck by the positive light in which President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush were portrayed. Because of the work I do and my political standpoint, I am very often critical of the former president. I enjoyed reading an outsider's perspective on how the former president handled foreign relations. It was also interesting to read about Persident Sirleaf's interactions with former president Jimmy Carter. Those sections of the book illustrated how much of a difference there can be in international perception and domestic perception of presidents. I imagine that there is also a difference in how US leaders are perceived from region to region.
Another part of the book I really enjoyed was President Sirleaf's experience running for office. I have some interest in running for public office myself, so I enjoyed hearing her accounts of how she tried to run for office in a way that would allow her to build a coalition with her opponents. The ways in which she utilized knowledge and expertise from the international community was also insightful. The thought of campaigning in the United States is daunting enough for me. I could not imagine trying to campaign in a country where where the weather determines accessibility of many areas.
Finally, I also enjoyed President Sirleaf's reflection on how being a woman impacted her experience. I was especially intrigued by how President Sirleaf believed marriage and parenthood influenced her journey. She got married very young and has been unmarried for the duration of her professional career. One thing I noticed in the memoir is how few stories there were of her interactions with her children. In her inauguration speech, I found myself nodding vigorously at her promise to invest in the education of young woman.
September 16, 2016
The book was better than I feared, although maybe not quite what I wanted in ticking off the "memoir of a leader of a fragile state" on my "to read" list.
On the pro side, EJS is pretty candid about many difficult periods of her life, even eg the moment when her mother is dying and EJS is struck by a sudden need to "go to the bathroom" (euphemism, obvi) and thus misses her mother's last words. Her focus also reveals, subtly, things like the great influence of the US even though of course the country was largely indifferent to the Liberian civil war. e.g. when the US sent a few ships off the coast during one part of the civil war & she describes the reaction as exuberant (of course, people were let down, despite US spokespeople stating that the ships were only there for Americans). Also, even if it's a bit stylized, her descriptions of the chaotic emotions one feels when a coup happens were revealing.
Still, as one would expect from a politician & Nobel Peace Prize winner (or her ghostwriter) the book is a bit... kitschy at times. e.g. at the end of the book she describes her feelings as saying that she wanted to find a way to unite Liberians from the conflict but not make that so singular a focus that she forgets the everyday problems of everyday people. OK...? More policy detail (other than just getting a "fairer deal" from Firestone, "providing jobs") is really too much to ask I suppose, but the book would have been better for it. More details on the compromises of politics would have been very useful, too.
On the pro side, EJS is pretty candid about many difficult periods of her life, even eg the moment when her mother is dying and EJS is struck by a sudden need to "go to the bathroom" (euphemism, obvi) and thus misses her mother's last words. Her focus also reveals, subtly, things like the great influence of the US even though of course the country was largely indifferent to the Liberian civil war. e.g. when the US sent a few ships off the coast during one part of the civil war & she describes the reaction as exuberant (of course, people were let down, despite US spokespeople stating that the ships were only there for Americans). Also, even if it's a bit stylized, her descriptions of the chaotic emotions one feels when a coup happens were revealing.
Still, as one would expect from a politician & Nobel Peace Prize winner (or her ghostwriter) the book is a bit... kitschy at times. e.g. at the end of the book she describes her feelings as saying that she wanted to find a way to unite Liberians from the conflict but not make that so singular a focus that she forgets the everyday problems of everyday people. OK...? More policy detail (other than just getting a "fairer deal" from Firestone, "providing jobs") is really too much to ask I suppose, but the book would have been better for it. More details on the compromises of politics would have been very useful, too.
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