Learn more about the history of Ghana (called the Gold Coast prior to 1957). What were the region and its peoples like before the colonization by Europeans in the 15th century? What were the conditions of colonization which characterized the Gold Coast until 1957? How has the nation changed since achieving independence as the Republic of Ghana in 1957?

Learn more about the cultural practices of Ghana and other African countries, in terms of the role of women in traditional African society. What traditions surround (or surrounded) courting, marriage, and family life in these regions?

Aidoo's work is preceded in the history of West African literature by Amos Tutuola, best known for his novel The Palm-Wine Drunkard (1952), and Chinua Achebe, for his novel Things Fall Apart (1958). Learn more about these authors and their fictional works. In what ways are their concerns similar to, or different from, those of Aidoo? What similarities do they share in literary style, and their connection to the oral tradition of storytelling in Africa?

The Republic of Ghana experienced various forms of national turmoil and social upheaval during the 1990s. Learn more about recent political events in Ghana. What types of conflicts have arisen within the nation, and how have these conflicts been resolved, or not?