Africa’s Embrace is Mark Wentling’s first novel, a work of magical realism that tells of the adventures of a young man named David from Kansas who travels to Africa to follow his destiny and becomes caught up in a mystical adventure.
“In many ways, my book is a thinly-veiled autobiography of my early years is Africa, living and working as a Peace Corps volunteer in a rural village,” explains Wentling ’70/70/70. “Through my book, I hope people become ‘embraced’ as I have been for so very long. I believe all those connected to WSU will enjoy reading my book.”
Wentling’s first stint of service in the Peace Corps was in Honduras from 1967-69. Then after finishing his bachelor’s degree in political science at Wichita State, he re-joined the Peace Corps, training in the Virgin Islands before going to Togo.
In 1975, he was transferred to Gabon and in 1976 assigned to Niger. A year later he took a job with USAID/Niger as manager of a rural development project. “I’ve been in Africa ever since,” he says. “For me, my Peace Corps adventure has never ended. I also had a full career with USAID and now work as Plan International’s country director in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.”
Wentling, whose travels in Africa have covered 54 nations, has completed a sequel to Africa’s Embrace, Africa’s Redemption, and is working on a third book. His writing, he says, is done from the perspective of someone “born in Kansas but made in Africa.”
