Padre!

*Padre!* radiates adventure on every page and makes you laugh out loud when you least expect it. What is Cote d’Ivoire? Cote d’Ivoire is a country that hands you an intense, pleasurable, and painful time you’ll never forget or regret because you learn so much more here than anywhere else on the planet. Take a dip into the world of identity from the Ivoirien point of view. How do Ivoiriens create color, class, sexuality, gender, and more? Raven’s two years in the Peace Corps clear a path for you to deeply understand so many things you’ve never heard of before. Hot off the presses, it’s a story that is sometimes intense, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes strange, but always enlightening and never a dull moment. Raven covers so much of Cote d’Ivoire but is never so proud as to claim to know it all and what you get in *Padre!* is more than enough to guide you on any new adventure abroad or at home. And, Raven don’t jive. She tells you like it is. Some people say it’s one of the greatest literary pieces of all time. It perfectly brings out the voice of a relatively quiet generation—Generation X. She explores the roles of women that are frightening and at the same time powerful. She explores the roles of men that are empowering but also destructive to humanity itself. *Padre!* opens up a global dialogue on all those piercing questions that get tucked away because they are taboo. No two of the sixty ethnicities in Cote d'Ivoire are the same. They do not often share the same food traditions, religious traditions, ways of celebration or mourning, rhythm of music, manner of clothes, or marriage values. They are short, tall, thick, thin, and all manner of facial features and skin tones. You can't imagine where you would fit in, but you'll enjoy the ride. -- Peace Corps is an organization started by President JFK in 1961 with over 200,000 people having volunteered in 139 countries since then. Every country we visit is different and no volunteer is ever the same once they’ve completed their service. Peace Corps is not really about Peace Corps. It’s about the amazing relationships you build and the unique experiences you have in a place that works under different rules and has a different way of seeing the world than you do. This is a journey that, once over, affects every action and every thought you make for the rest of your life. I’ll even put some Ivoirien foutou on it.