Author Interviews
Nancy Wesson on ‘I Miss the Rain in Africa’
Modern History Press author Nancy Wesson won the 2022 Silver Nautilus Award for her book I Miss the Rain in Africa. Published in May 2021, Wesson’s book gives an autobiographical account of the author’s service and life as a Peace Corps Volunteer in post-war Northern Uganda.
“The journey through the social life of personal foibles and family wounds synchronizes with the inner journey of mystical experiences.” – NewsBlaze
Nancy Wesson tells RTS that her experience of living in Uganda had mystical moments in evenings that would be considered the ideal opportunity for soul searching.
How many years you lived in Uganda as a UN Peace Corps Volunteer?
A little over two years. The standard is 27 months, but I stayed longer to help a child I was sponsoring in school to get through his end-of-year exams.
What training you had to take to be able to serve there?
We received ten weeks of in-country training which included: culture, practical living adjustments for primitive living conditions, language training (Acholi, a tonal, Nilotic language), Economic Development Concepts, health, and personal safety.
What did you learn from living in Uganda and how was it helpful in your life back home?
My enduring takeaway remains living with gratitude and being fully present for life. Also, that every life experience (professional or otherwise) is contributive – nothing is wasted. Everything can be transformed into a different application and a shift in perspective.
When did you start writing the book and when did you complete it?
I guess I’d have to say the book started with the blog I kept during Peace Corps, but the actual creation of the book started in late 2019, and completed in the fall of 2020. Then the pandemic delayed the release a bit.
What is special about the rain in Africa to be mentioned in the book title?
It is the most thunderous, monsoon-type of rain, eclipsing all else – bringing life to a halt. Usually accompanied by the loss of electricity, being cocooned in a dark house lit only by candle light, and enveloped by the sound of the rain and thunder is a mystical experience. It prompted a lot of deep introspection and soul searching.
Does the book have any images or pictures from your Ugandan life?
The front cover is a compelling composite of a couple of photos I took in Uganda, but other than that and map of Uganda, there are no photos. But many appear on my website, https://nancywesson.com/, where the blog has been migrated.
