Dust from Our Eyes: An unblinkered look at Africa, Second Edition
Joan Baxter
April 2010
438 pages | ISBN 978-1-894987-47-9
**Finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize**
Part memoir, part adventure tale, part political thriller – a compelling read that dissolves stereotypes and exposes paradoxes about Africa.
Joan Baxter draws on more than two decades of living in and reporting from Africa to reveal that there is more to the continent than poverty and suffering, and far more to Western involvement than benevolent charity. Alternately funny, chilling, moving and disturbing, Dust from Our Eyes is a fast-paced, passionate narrative told with journalistic accuracy and anthropological acumen.
Reviews
Dust from our Eyes (themeasles.org, 04/06/2010).
“The book begins with some background on Africa, and I expected that anytime soon the background would end and Baxter would delve into what she believes to be 'good' aid work … [instead,] she leaves to the reader the task of parsing from her experience what 'good' work is really about, mostly through her examples of western exploitation and the “non-profit” work that often ties in with it.”
Review (Judy Kennedy, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Monitor, 08/01/2009).
“Before we blame Africans for the corruption, chaos, and anarchy that are rampant across their continent, we should determine who are the corrupters, how they corrupt, and why they are permitted to continue. A course in Exploitation 101 might well prescribe Dust from Our Eyes as its text.”
Torrents of Vitriol (Blake Lambert, Literary Review of Canada, 04/01/2009).
“Although Baxter, a Canadian, is not the first western journalist to delve into Mali’s history of empire, her perspective is sharper, because she spent six years living in the country, reporting for the BBC and other media outlets.”
Canadian rails at injustice in Africa (Adelia Neufeld Wiens, Winnipeg Free Press, 12/28/2008).
"Dust from our Eyes is one Canadian's attempt to understand why Africa continues to experience injustice and exploitation in what some call the age of neo-colonialism ... [Joan Baxter's] deep respect for and keen interest in all things African makes this book both a labour of love and a lament for lost hopes."
Compelling look at Africa (Joseph Howse, Chronicle Herald, 11/23/2008).
"Even while tackling so many politically charged issues, Dust from our Eyes remains a deeply human book, with a narrative and a set of interviews running through every chapter. This is a compelling work that could change your perspective on Africa and the West's impact there."
Interviews
"An Unblinkered" look at Africa (Marco Werman, PRI's The World, 12/24/2009).
Videos
Author Joan Baxter discusses her book on Western influence in Africa, Dust from Our Eyes: An unblinkered look at Africa, first edition (Wolsak and Wynn, 2008).
About the Author
Joan Baxter is a Canadian journalist, award-winning author and anthropologist. In 2002, she was one of the first journalists to gain entry to the rebel-held Côte d'Ivoire to report on the civil war. She reported for many years for the BBC World Service, The Associated Press, and has contributed various features to a variety of CBC programs.
