Contending with Life as a Widow in Contemporary Africa

African communities live in families. There are practices, beliefs and taboos that ensure harmonious relations within a family and the community. There are gender segregation that bestow different roles to women, men and children. In the event that a man dies, there are social economic consequences that beset the widow at a family and community level. Gertrude happened to be one of the African women who was widowed at an early age. She tells her story that cuts across the African societies to portray the challenges of being a woman in the Banyankore peoples of South-Western. The Book gives a good case study of how someone can successfully raise their children in a paternalistic community to ensure the children bear the identity of the deceased father. She brings out the social weaknesses of leaving behind the children in the process of bereaving and argues that there is a need to ensure they get some counseling services as well so that they can cope up with their grief.