How Beautiful We Were

Synopsis: In October of 1980, in the fictional African village of Kosawa, representatives of an American oil company called Pexton have come to meet with the locals, whose children are dying. Nearby, the company’s oil pipelines and drilling sites have left the fields fallow and the water poisoned. The residents of Kosawa want the company gone and the land restored to what it was before Pexton showed up decades ago. The company’s representatives say they’re doing everything they can, though the villagers know this is a lie. Pexton has the support of the village head as well as the country’s dictator, and with it, impunity. As the meeting concludes, the village madman Konga has another idea: hold the Pexton men prisoner until they get what they want. So launches a David and Goliath story within a setting of modern colonialism.

Review: Imbolo Mbue has done a masterful job of creating a place and a people that are alive and completely believable. There is no consensus among the villagers about what to do—whether to free the Pexton hostages, to lie to the soldiers, to take the oilmen’s money, or to take up arms. The story plays out over a number of years, and the central conflict is whether to trust Pexton to do what’s right (no), to trust that American activists can bring clout to your struggle (possibly, but with it’s own cost), or whether there is even much of a difference between those options. The story is told in alternating, multiple POV, with the primary protagonist of Thula, a young village girl who eventually becomes the chief of Kosawa’s resistance movement. The narrative arc spans decades, and that for me is what made it so compelling. The transition from youthful idealism to wistful nostalgia is universally understood, for those of us at a certain age.

Rating: 5/5

Recipe: I love a good meatball! Cooking the Books has enjoyed Italian meatballs, Swedish meatballs, and now, North African Meatballs courtesy of David Tanis and the New York Times .

FOR THE SAFFRON TOMATO SAUCE

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups finely diced onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 inch piece cinnamon stick

large pinch of saffron, crumbled

3 cups chicken broth

FOR THE MEATBALLS

1 1/2 cups cubed day old firm white bread

1 cup milk

1 pound ground beef or lamb

1 large egg, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons finely chopped scallion

all-purpose flour, for dusting

olive oil, or vegetable oil

FOR THE COUSCOUS (OPTIONAL)

1 cup giant couscous

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup golden raisins, soaked in hot water, then drained

PREPARATION

1) Make the sauce. Heat the oil over medium high heat. Add onion and cook without browning for 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, cinnamon and saffron and stir well to incorporate. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add broth and simmer gently for 5 minutes. May be made in advance.

2) Make the meatballs. Put bread cubes and milk in a small bowl. Leave bread to soak until softened, about 5 minutes, then squeeze dry.

3) In a mixing bowl, put squeezed out dry bread, ground meat and egg. Add slat, pepper, garlic, cayenne, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, paprika, cloves, coriander and cumin. Mix well. Add 2 tablespoon each of parsley, cilantro, and scallion and knead for a minute.

4) Roll meat mixture into small balls about the size of a quarter. Dust lightly with flour. Fry meatballs in oil until barely browned, about 2 minutes per side. Drain and blot on paper towels. Simmer meatballs in saffron-tomato sauce, covered, over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

5) Make the couscous. Cook according to package directions, fluff gently, and stir in butter and raisins. Season with salt and cinnamon, and toss well.

6). Garnish meatballs with remaining parsley, cilantro, and scallion. Serve with couscous.