Jambo, Mama

To cope with painful family circumstances following her mother’s death, Melinda Atwood did the only sensible thing: she ran away from home. Choosing as distant a destination as possible, Atwood landed in Kenya. She planned to spend a year, but stayed for six, attempting to build a new life out of the wreckage of the old. Isolated and alone, she struggled with financial deprivation, a disastrous love affair, and raising her son, Jake, on her own. But as each challenge was met, there came a gratifying sense of “Yes, I can!” She built a house and ran a small carpet business, slowly conquered her fears, and discovered new strength and resourcefulness. Melinda was becoming the kind of woman she had always admired.Among the tales of the wonders of Africa, larger-than-life characters, and daily occurrences, is woven the heartwarming story of Mildred Nzike. With little in common but sons the same age, these two women, one black and one white, built a unique connection. Drawn together by mutual respect and dependence, they formed a friendship that broke all the colonial rules about relationships between the races. Told with refreshing honesty and incisive wit, Melinda Atwood’s is an inspirational story of determination, hope, and courage

MELINDA ATWOOD, a native of New Jersey, was a dancer and award-winning choreographer as well as a producer and director of musical theater before turning her multitalented hand to writing. A graduate of Wheaton College, in Norton, Massachusetts, Ms. Atwood has served on the boards of the Juggernaut Theater Company, the Self Family Arts Center, and the Elizabeth Foundation. Mother of a grown son, Atwood is married to Jean-Francois Hautemulle. Now living in New York City and producing a new project with the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation, Atwood has traveled all over the world. Her six-year-long sojourn in Africa provided the inspiration for JAMBO, MAMA.