by Kari Jones
Over the next weeks, there were a lot of soldiers in the streets, some of whom were violent toward civilians, and many of the women working in the markets were harassed or even beaten because they were accused of “hoarding” goods. Many of the wealthy businessmen were sent to jail, also because they were thought to be hoarders. This was a difficult time for Ghanaians.
Rawlings ruled Ghana (with only a few short breaks) until 2001. When I was doing research for this book, I found that many Ghanaians were happy with Rawlings as a ruler, but just about as many were not. Today, Ghana has a democratically elected leader.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A book like this cannot be completed without help from other people who remember more (and more accurately) than I do. First, I’d like to thank my mum for never, ever being like the mother in this story (even when she learned of the snake’s nest in the garden). My dad remained calm under stress and always answered my questions, and my brother, Bruce, always knew how to have fun. Their combined memories helped me shape this book.
The unflagging support of the Wildwood writers, most particularly Laurie Elmquist, who is unflinching in telling me the truth about my writing, is most certainly the reason I’m still a writer today. I shudder to think what this book would have looked like without the guidance of Sarah Harvey, my editor at Orca. And lastly, for their ability to love me even when I’m deep in a story, I thank my husband, Michael Pardy, and my son, Rowan Jones-Pardy. Where would I be in life without the two of you?
KARI JONES spent her youth traveling around the world. She was fortunate enough to spend some years in Ghana when she was in her early teens. Kari now lives and writes in Victoria, British Columbia. For more information, visit www.karijones.ca.
