Waking Up in Africa

"Today was the most wonderful day of my life," he says. "Today, my life stopped being hard." That's it. I hang up and cry.

When Gila Svirsky moves to Uganda to follow her wife's new job, she is drawn into the lives of a group of mostly parentless teens—hungry to stay in school, desperate to carve out a future. As her plan to provide them with support takes shape, they slowly become her extended family, opening their hearts and lives to her. But she carries a dangerous secret: she is married to the woman posing as her sister. In Uganda, being gay is a felony, and even knowing but failing to report a gay person carries a harsh prison sentence.

From the front lines of peace activism in Israel to the uncertain paths of Uganda's rural teenagers, this is a memoir of reinvention by PEN Prize winner Gila Svirsky. It's a story of seeking purpose in unfamiliar places, of risking the consequences of discovery, and of the unexpected ways resilience, trust, and quiet determination reshape all their lives.

"Svirsky's story is a testament to the grace of lives lived with commitment, empathy, and purpose. Thanks to her engaging literary voice and endearing humour, this inspiring memoir comes to vibrant life on the page."

- Letty Cottin Pogrebin, author and founding editor of Ms. Magazine

"This brilliant memoir is a tribute to what is possible, to the idea that all of us—regardless of faith, race, nationality, gender, economics, or sexual orientation—can participate in the much-needed work of making this a better world."

- Ruth Messinger, former Manhattan Borough President
and past president of the American Jewish World Service

"This is an engaging and powerful memoir—a travelogue equal parts hilarious and inspiring. It is the account of a woman who, while changing the lives of a group of Ugandan teenagers, transforms her own. A testament to the power of quiet activism and enduring connection."

- Jessie Montell, former Executive Director, Hamoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual,
and recipient of France's National Order of Merit