Peggielene Bartals: A Summary

Would you answer a call from a stranger at four in the morning? What if that stranger told you that you were african royalty? Peggielene Bartels became a U.S. citizen and a secretary at the Ghanaian Embassy in Washington. She’s the most unlikely person to get a phone call at four in the morning from an uncle she never met, telling her that she is now the king of Otuam, a fishing village in Ghana. She has to adjust to a whole new lifestyle while mixing both cultures to improve Otuam and maintain her identity. This book has a storyline that should be shared in any season and would make a great summer reading requirement. King Peggy allows its reader to experience another culture through Peggielene’s shoes by captivating, humoring, and educating
She has experienced both worlds and makes the reader feel as though they have also. The reader gets to know Peggy’s family and culture. “Growing in Ghana, Peggy never imagined she would leave the country forever,” Peggie was “ born to Joseph Ankomah Foster and Mary Vormoah in Cape Coast.” This description of Peggielene’s origin prepares the readers for a cultural experience by making the reader feel as though they are having a conversation.This begins the page turner that is King Peggy. Some may not enjoy this type of book because it could be hard to understand at times, and there are a lot of cultural items that need to be looked up in order to understand the book. This makes the book more enjoyable because the reader can learn more about Ghanaian culture and Peggy’s life, making it a great requirement. Many of the books read in Advance Placement classes have material that needs to be looked up to increase the reader’s understanding of the book, so King Peggy can prepare students for researching further information about books. Aside from its ability to captivate the reader's mind with conversation, King Peggy is also beautifully written and progresses at the perfect rate with great details and descriptions. For instance, Peggy’s internal conflict when deciding to accept the crown were so vivid, that it made the reader ponder the question. Her outweighing the pros and cons could be felt by the reader through her description and details. “Was this the face of a king? She ran her fingers over her smooth golden brown skin.” The amount of detail put into the second sentence allows the reader to visualize Peggy’s appearance, while the first sentence resonates with the reader as her internal conflict begins. Because of its simplicity, the question catches the reader’s eye and sticks in the reader’s mind. Details and descriptions such as these make this book a good choice for summer reading.