As a result of the turmoil that has engulfed the former Portuguese territories of Angola and Mozambique, both prior to and following independence, and the recent efforts to forge a major bond that would include Portugal and Brazil among them, scholarly interest in Lusophone Africa has heightened over the last decade. Phyllis Peres's work underscores this recent trend and adds to the emerging literature of the area.

Centered primarily on four Angolan literary giants of the 1960's-1990's--Luandino Vieira, Uanhenga Xitu, Pepetela (Artur Mauricio Carlos Pestana dos Santos), and Manuel Rui--this work brings into focus the tradition of resistance to colonialism among the most distinguished Angolan humanists, and their ideas (or "imaginations") regarding what liberated and independent Angola ought to have been socially, culturally, and politically. The underlying theme shared by the four was their hope that Angola would emerge democratic, free of strife, and capable of creating a unique identity. Peres states, "Writers ... who emerged from the nationalist struggle in Angola produced both poetry and fiction that did indeed negate colonial identity, but more relevant to this study, they also participated in the textualization of an Angolan nation, or perhaps more aptly phrased, Angolan nationness" (p.vii).

As such, therefore, this work is a political and social history of Angola during the last three decades as viewed and expressed by some of the most important Angolan writers. Yet, the enthusiastic "imagining" of a peaceful, proud, democratic, and culturally unique Angola was flawed with ethnic misunderstandings, poisoned by contradictory theoretical underpinnings and practical realities (e.g., Marxism versus capitalism), and retarded by the personal ambitions of the country's leaders. As a result, this uneven national panorama led to dispute and civil war, undemocratic governance, and despair--the nemesis of the nationalistic hope of most Angolan poets and fiction writers.

In spite of its clearly market-driven deceiving title (which gives the impression that the focus is Lusophone Africa when, in fact, it is narrowly Angolan--comparable to a drop of water in the sea of Lusophone African literary creation), Peres's work nonetheless is outstanding as it attests to the author's penetrating insights and her superb analytical skills regarding the Angolan literary movement. Indeed, Peres succeeds in placing the four Angolan writers squarely in the context of the Angolan nationalist movement.

I hope Professor Peres will continue her work along these lines and venture into comparative studies of Lusophone African literature to discern either a common or a diverse but unique thread within the textualized aspirations of the pre- and post-nationalist independence movements in Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde, and Sao Tome e Principe. As it stands, the work at hand is of great importance to those scholars interested in understanding the nature of the former Portuguese colonies and the obstacles they faced during their journey toward liberation and nationhood.

Mario J. Azevedo
African-American and African Studies
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte