About
The making of Rasharasha: To Africa for a Rose:
In 2016, Jeannine Cook, née Wright, the surviving member of the book’s protagonists, invited historian and author Emma Ellis to join her in exploring the voluminous archives and symbolic items of nostalgic interest left by the family, so as to weave their fascinating 20th-century-long story into a coherent, reflective tale for both historians and the general public. Jeannine and Emma have worked side by side in the library of Jeannine’s grandparents, Frank and Honor Anderson, in a home on the Spanish island of Mallorca that was the last residence and place of refuge for the whole family after leaving East Africa.
The book’s creators:
Tanzanian by birth, European by heritage, British-American by nationality, Jeannine Cook is one of a small number of artists worldwide who specialize in metalpoint drawing, a shimmering medium dating from nearly 2000 years ago that uses silver, gold or other styli to make marks. Jeannine now lives on Mallorca. She has gained recognition for her art and unique style in Australia, Japan, the United States and Europe, with her work widely exhibited and held in many public and private collections: www.jeanninecook.com
To read more about her passion and see a film about how her family’s farm, Rasharasha, and her East African childhood influenced her art, please visit: www.jeanninecook.com/biography
Emma Ellis completed a bachelors degree in politics in 1992 and then sailed to many parts of the world, including Africa, South America, New Zealand, Greenland and Antarctica, before undertaking a masters degree in maritime history in 2001. She is a co-author of the work of historical non-fiction: Resolution - Two Brothers, a Nation in Crisis, a World at War, (Head of Zeus, 2017).
During the course of research for this book, Emma has read literally thousands of family letters and other documents which she has used to piece together the story, combining them with Jeannine’s memories. She has also travelled to East Africa to find Rasharasha.
Emma and Jeannine chose to create Rasharasha: To Africa for a Rose using the vision of Patricia, Jeannine’s mother:
“The book, Wild Swans, has given me an idea. Jung Chang wrote of three generations of women passing through a traumatic age in one country. Would you ever consider writing of the varied lives of three women in the 20th century in what basically could comprise Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe and finally America? Give it some thought, it might be fun to try as you have the long view looking back. With the experience you have gained, I think you could embark on something of your own, and time is on your side. It would take you several years, quite a bit of research and be utterly absorbing. Think about it.”
Honor, Patricia and Jeannine - one of their last times in East Africa together, early 1970s