In 1957, the British colony of the Gold Coast broke free to become the
independent nation of Ghana. Margaret Laurence's first novel, This Side
Jordan, recreates that colour-drenched world: a place where men and
women struggle with self-betrayal, self-discovery, and the dawning of
political pride.
This Side Jordan transcends the traditional limits of the first novel.
Its powerful and compassionate characterizations and its themes of exile
and community anticipate the five later novels that make up Laurence's
acclaimed Manawaka series. A major work of lasting significance, This
Side Jordan creates echoes in the mind of the reader as resonant as the
drums of Ghana.