Bride Price

Sent to the tropical jungle of central Africa to teach villagers how to get clean drinking water, Ian Mathie lived for some time in a village deep in the forest. The village elders and witch doctor, together with the local political agent, persuaded him to foster Abélé, an orphan from the community who had been ostracized because her parents were considered sorcerers. In tribal societies such as the one where Ian was living, girls marry young and men are expected to pay a dowry, or bride price, for their wives. So when an undesirable suitor asked for Abélé as his wife, Ian faced a major dilemma. That this man was also a powerful and feared member of the ruling elite compounded the problem. How Ian eventually managed to solve this complex problem by negotiating his way through the minefield of local customs, taboos and traditions – with fierce intrigue and even cannibalistic violence – makes Bride Price a compelling tale from the recent past.