Mission to Kala

I'm not sure what you mean by "stirring"? Mission to Kala is a comic novel that draws on several classic traditions: the coming- of-age story, the fish-out-of-water story, and the story of mistaken identities. Its hero, Jean Medza, is at the center of all these elements, and "victim" seems to be a better word than "center." Written in the first person, the novel creates a voice of subtle, slightly self-mocking irony for its protagonist. But underneath the humor and gentle satire, Beti shapes a compelling critique of the harm that Western education can do to an African mind, and the novel ends pessimistically, as Medza exiles himself from his family and the culture that is so attractive, but so alien, to him.