Antonia Saw The Oryx First - Softcover

“A complex, deeply written and finely wrought double portrait of two women, one black, one white, picking their way through the debris of a shattered colonialism, discovering unexpected treasures buried in the rubble.”—Margaret Atwood
 
“Impressive.”—Vogue
 
“Sharp, surprising images of Africa.”—ELLE
 
“Exquisite. The year’s best novel.”—USA Today
 
Though American, Dr. Antonia Redmond is African-born and has lived in East Africa for almost her entire life. With the end of colonialism, like all whites, she faces exile. Only the intercession of an influential lover preserves her visa, but should she leave, she will not be allowed to return. As the inevitable reckoning comes and the white population dwindles, she clings to the land to which she feels a deep connection. Antonia Saw the Oryx First is a profound exploration of personal and cultural identity, love and leave-taking.
 

Maria Thomas wrote three books: Antonia Saw the Oryx First (1987), Come to Africa and Save Your Marriage (1987), and African Visas (1991), all originally published by Soho Press. She died in a plane crash in Ethiopia in 1989 while accompanying a Texas congressman on a mission to a refugee camp.