A discussion of the book American Spy, by Lauren Wilkinson
Our revolution will be worthwhile only if, in looking back, in looking around, in looking ahead, we can say that the Burkinabé are, thanks to the revolution, a little happier. Happier because they have clean water to drink, because they have abundant, sufficient food, because they’re in excellent health, because they have education, because they have decent housing, because they are better dressed, because they have the right to leisure, because they have enjoyed more freedom, more democracy, more dignity.
– Thomas Sankara
Lauren Wilkinson cleverly designs this novel as a letter written to the protagonist’s twin sons to explain a sequence of wild events as the young boys suburban Connecticut life is suddenly uprooted after their mother killed a home intruder and subsequently fled the country together to a quiet island life in their grandmother’s home. This novel captivates the reader from the beginning and pulls you in when Marie Mitchell, not knowing if she will live or die, writes to her boys about her life, her story, her version of events, and most importantly, of their father. Marie describes her childhood and family life, her drive to become an FBI agent, and finally the job she accepted that led her to her current position.
Though it is a book of international intrigue, it takes place in the USA, Martinique, and Burkina Faso at the beginning of the end of the Cold War, it is also pertinent to national current affairs and speaks on racial discrimination. After being nominated for numerous prizes and earning a place on Obama’s 2019 reading list, the book is no stranger to being reviewed. Therefore, as part of the 60 Africa Books Reading Challenge, the discussion will stay with Burkina Faso, and how Marie feels as an American in the country.
“These journals are a huge departure for me; I have never told anyone as much about myself as I’ve told you here. I hope you understand how much I love you, how because of that I think you deserve to know the truth about me.”
– Marie Mitchell, from American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
As Marie weaves a tale, across decades and countries, of different characters who appear throughout her life and the novel it pieces together the puzzle of who the boys’ father is. In an “everything happens for a reason” type fashion, the events leading up to her trip to Burkina Faso plotted the course for the boys’ existence and she takes us along on her search for self and search for truth.
Marie first meets the President of Burkina Faso, Thomas Sankara, in New York City. She describes him to us succinctly in this passage:
“Thomas Sankara renamed the country Burkina Faso – the Land of Incorruptible People – and wrote the national anthem. He’d been young when he’d come to power – just thirty-three years old. He was charismatic, an excellent public speaker who played guitar in a jazz band, and sped around Ouaga on a motorcycle. And troublingly, he considered himself a Marxist revolutionary.”
– Marie Mitchell, from American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
After a string of corrupt leaders in the poverty stricken country, Sankara emerged as a leader with a vision for his country. He implemented structural and cultural reforms in his four short years in power. From 1983 to 1987 he accomplished some incredible initiatives including:
– Organizing the planting of millions of trees to fight desertification
– Building road and rail networks with the help of the population instead of foreign aid to connect the country
– Reducing minister’s salaries and exchanging fleets of Mercedes for economical vehicles
– Promoting women’s rights and equality
But in the end, Sankara was a controversial revolutionary, the fight between East and West had Africa in its crosshairs, and Sankara became a casualty of the same corrupt power struggle that brought him to the lead. Perhaps he could have done more for his impoverished nation if not for the betrayal of his closest friend and the intermingling of foreign powers.
To fact check the above and learn more, watch the video Thomas Sankara: The Upright Man
“It is humbling to have your social fluency, your sense of yourself as a competent, independent person, upended by a foreign city.”
– Marie Mitchell, from American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
Marie then travels to Burkina Faso to “bump into” President Sankara while on a cover assignment, but first she must navigate the streets of the capital city and some chaos ensues. Marie finds many of the streets are not paved and the commercial storefronts are not recognizable to her. Being in a place completely foreign has made her feel uncomfortable and out of her element. At the same time, it has opened her eyes to what she is capable of and also to seeing her story in a different light.
As Marie grows closer to Sankara, she reflects on his values, and what that means about her own values. Having values also means standing up for them, and thereby standing up for yourself. We can have individual values, national values, or human values and there are situations in life that make us reflect on and prioritize these values and how we align ourselves in the world. Thomas Sankara was warned before his death of an impending assassination and refused to arrest the alleged perpetrator, he was prepared to die for what he believed in, and he did. As Marie let down her unscrupulous new boss and fled the country she herself became the next target, because she knew too much and changed her alliances.
“I was tense and quiet as we rode south, thinking about him, the way he used his power to pursue freedom for others. That was love for him. For me, that is goodness. Either way, I hope that you will share those values.”
– Marie Mitchell, from American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson
Discussion Questions
- What values do you stand for every day?
- Would you be prepared to die for the values you believe in?
- What other themes of the book stuck out most to you?
More Information
Visit the author Lauren Wilkinson’s website
Check out Lonely Planet’s travel info for Burkina Faso
Learn more about Thomas Sankara
Read our country profile on Burkina Faso
