Love, Africa

A Memoir of Romance, War, and Survival

By: Jeffrey Gettleman

Narrated by: Charlie Thurston

From Jeffrey Gettleman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times journalist, comes a passionate, revealing story about finding love and finding a calling, set against one of the most turbulent regions in the world.

A seasoned war correspondent, Jeffrey Gettleman has covered every major conflict over the past twenty years, from Afghanistan to Iraq to the Congo. For the past decade, he has served as the East Africa bureau chief for the New York Times, fulfilling his teenage dream of living in Africa. Love, Africa is the story of how he got there—and of his difficult, winding path toward becoming a good reporter and a better man.

At nineteen, Gettleman fell in love, twice. On a community service trip in college, he went to Africa—a terrifying, exciting, dreamlike continent in the throes of change that imprinted itself on his imagination and heart. One day, he vowed, he would return there to stay. But around the same time he also fell in love with Courtenay, a fellow Cornell student—the brightest, fiercest, kindest woman he’d ever met.

Courtenay became a lawyer in America, and all Gettleman wanted was to be with her. But he also hungered to be in Africa. For the next decade he would waver between these two abiding passions. Finally, after a great deal of growing up, he learned to be honest with himself about what he wanted—a realization that ultimately fulfilled both of his deepest desires.

A beautifully rendered coming-of-age story in the tradition of Barbarian Days, Love, Africa is a tale of passion, professional rivalries, tortuous long-distance relationships, marital strife, forgiveness, parenthood, and happiness that explores the power of finding yourself in the most unexpected of places.

How to do what you love with someone you love.

Work/life balance is a difficult thing, especially when your work is your passion. This book covers decades of an individual life and describes some of the inherent tension in pursuing a lifelong passion.

Love and loathing in Africa

Where does Love, Africa rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In the middle

What did you like best about this story?

Aspects of wars and people who live in Africa. Their unique stories. Villains and saints, but all very human and fragile.

What three words best describe Charlie Thurston’s voice?

too soft, unconvincing,

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

Overall, it is the memoir of a self absorbed, compassionate and singularly driven human who happens to be a writer, and is surrounded by people who care about him. Pretty interesting.

This is how a memoir is written

Funny, detailed & describing with such love & care some of the toughest, life changing experiences a person could have in life.

Great story that teaches so much!

This story talks about a college student who longs to travel to Africa. In a similar situation, I was able to connect deeply. This book taught me a lot about Africa including culture and politics. Highly recommend!

Fantastic book!

One of the best books I recently listened to. Enjoyed every moment of it and will probably read it again.