"As a person who grew up and lived in Africa for thirty years, and who has a deep love for the nature, beauty and sounds of Africa, I was greatly moved by Cristina Kessler’s novel Our Secret, Siri Aang. From the first chapter it was clear to me that Ms. Kessler had spent a great deal of time in Africa. She managed to capture the feel and sounds of the bush, the heat and the dust, the dangers and the beauty, as well as the culture and challenges of tradition vs. ‘progress’ in the pages of her beautifully written novel.

Ms. Kessler’s presentation on her novels was equally outstanding. She captured the attention and imagination of all our students with her wonderful pictures and personal stories. She brought the many faces of Africa to the fore and engaged the students with her tales and pictures that spanned from Swaziland in the south, to multiple countries and cultures in the north. I thank her for her work and for speaking up for the rich cultures and people of Africa."

Francois Nel
Language Arts Teacher
Ravenscroft School