King Peggy Notes
This is the autobiography of a government secretary who was proclaimed king of her village, Otuam, in Ghana after her uncle died.
Things I learned:
- Kings in Ghana are tribal leaders who are selected by ritual and not necessarily by direct lineage.
- Kings can be male or female.
- Queen mothers are likewise selected by ritual and aren't necessarily the mother of the king.
- Quite a bit about Ghanian culture and beliefs.
Peggy is an impressive woman. After becoming king, she continued to live and work in Washington DC, and used vacation time to travel to Ghana and perform her royal duties. Despite corrupt advisors stealing from the village coffers, Peggy had to come up with resources to repair the dilapidated palace, hold a proper funeral for the former king, provide running water for the village, and provide healthcare and education to her people.
As a woman, things were even tougher because her male advisors fully expected her to defer to them and ignore their blatant theft. I had to admire Peggy. She scrimped and saved her own secretarial salary, took out loans, and found donors to fund the work the village needed. She used sheer force of will and character to put a stop to the corruption.