An eyewitness account of a West African country's recent history unfolds through Marjolijn Aalders Grool's experiences in Dahomey, which she visited in March 1975 and left as the “People’s Republic of Benin” 30 months later. During her stay, she collected 37 mythological Voodoo stories, with her scholarly findings published in 2013 and 2014. In her third book, she recounts her fieldwork, the warm receptions in villages, and the oppressive political climate under a Marxist-Leninist regime that targeted the Voodoo religion. She also reflects on the social isolation faced by the few foreigners living there and their coping mechanisms. In 2014 and 2015, she returned to Benin to return the cultural heritage of the Voodoo stories to the people. She explores the changes that occurred, how Voodoo survived the oppressive environment, and whether the art of storytelling remains vibrant. Her research, initially documented in a Dutch diary to avoid censorship, is now translated into English, complemented by contemporary photographs, creating a compelling narrative of the region's history. The author’s previous works include “Vodun Stories of the Fon (Benin)” and “Verbal Art of the Fon (Benin).”
