Becoming African: The First 3 Years

Book Synopsis: Penny Randell's memoir Becoming African – The First 3 Years is a memoir that can even serve as a travel guide to the continent. It's a true story that reads like an adventure novel, with plenty of intrigue, danger, and narrow escapes. She and her son successfully uncovered the well-kept secret to surviving and ultimately thriving in the land where nothing is as it seems, and what you don’t know can kill you. It was 1997 when Penny moved with her 12-year-old son to Uganda for a teaching position at the mission school of a Ugandan Presbyterian minister who was sponsored by a church in her hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. Despite a year of preparation, the move nearly killed Penny soon after their arrival. Once falling ill with malaria, she was hospitalized in critical condition, only to discover that her entire $7000 in cash reserve had been stolen, leaving her and her son alone with no means of survival. Soon after, the U. S. Embassy informed her the minister had paid to have her murdered. Ignoring advice on every hand to run, she outsmarted the charlatan and through sheer grit and determination, ended up a morning radio personality with the respect and admiration of all levels of Ugandans -- from high-level politicians to average folk. Becoming African is the story of how she pulled it off…and a guide for visitors to the continent to also succeed where many have failed. Penny's award-winning four-part radio series, "The War in Northern Uganda" sprang from a visit to the IDP camps near Gulu in 2005. With twelve return trips to Africa over the past 20 years, she and her son have explored Europe and much of the Middle East en route. Currently residing in Evergreen, Colorado, she writes regularly for a number of publications and is constantly expanding her social media presence along with her website, which includes book excerpts and published articles. She speaks frequently at the Chamber of Commerce and other Colorado nonprofits and community groups. She is always planning another visit to Uganda. Penny's Ugandan friends agree that Becoming African is by far the best title because that is exactly what she has attempted…and they can’t wait to read about it. “Africa loves you,” they tell her. She has amassed plenty of material for another two books, with a good start on a third after her recent trips.