Growing Mangos in the Desert

<p><em>Growing Mangos in the Desert </em>transports readers to a profoundly different culture to leave a message about human experience and the deep inequalities that mark all of our lives.</p><p class=ql-align-justify>Having joined the Peace Corps in 1984 the author winds up in a Mauritanian village during a catastrophic drought. There she forms an unusual partnership with Mamadou a farmer from the slave caste who has emerged as the village leader. Together the two bring astonishing change -- most of which has little hope of lasting. Spanning four decades this vivid and poignant memoir is filled with humor unforgettable characters gripping narrative and political intrigue. Baird's superbly-crafted storytelling illuminates how the collective human experience is shaped by the unique features of place.</p><p><br></p>