Since 1979, Peggielene Bartels had been living a quiet, productive life in Washington, D.C., as a secretary to the ambassador of Ghana. In 2008, however, she received an early morning phone call pronouncing her king of the sleepy fishing village of Otuam. Though born in Ghana, Bartels had not lived in the country since graduating from college and becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen; she hadn't even seen her uncle--the previous king--since the death of her mother in 1997. Her memories of Otuam were of a friendly village known for its kindness and harmony. After much deliberation, Peggy accepted the title, though she kept her job in D.C. since she knew the king of an impoverished fishing village would not receive a salary.
The town elders had intentionally chosen a woman living in the U.S. as their next ruler under the assumption that she would rule in absentia and kowtow to the elderly male council. Little did they know Peggy would embrace her role enthusiastically. Within two years, she'd orchestrated the development of two new sources of water (called "bores") and a future high school.
King Peggy is wildly entertaining and thoroughly engaging, and Peggy is a true modern hero as she battles her council of elders who try to maintain their old lifestyles of privilege and greed. King Peggy reminds readers that the truth is often stranger than fiction; King Peggy herself does not disappoint, neither as a ruler nor a storyteller. --Kristen Galles from Book Club Classics