English professor Palmer publishes novel set in his native Sierra Leone

The lives of women in Africa are portrayed in Dr. Eustace Palmer’s latest published novel, “A Tale of Three Women.”  From Western Africa to Milledgeville, Ga., native of Sierra Leone, Palmer came to Georgia College as an English professor.

In the past, Dr. Palmer has published critical works on African novels. His latest novel, “A Tale of Three Women,” was published by Africa World Press.

“They are the leading publisher in the U.S. in African literary materials. I was very pleased when they accepted this one for publication and they did a beautiful job with the production,” Palmer said.

There are three leading characters, three women who meet at a sewing school, “and then their lives take different turns depending on the kinds of choices they make, the nature of their characters,” Palmer said. The sewing school was, “kind of a preparation for marriage life.”

The novel takes place in the early 20th century and it explores what is happening in Sierra Leone during this time.

“Many women in other African countries will identify themselves because it’s about women who are abused, who take advantage of other women and some women that are married against their will,” Palmer said.

Some friends and relatives have read the novel, as well as one colleague. Professor of mathematics Jason Stover expressed that his interest on Dr. Palmer’s background and culture drove him to read the novel.

“I was interested because I knew he (Palmer) must have drawn his experiences from there,” Stover said.

By reading the novel, Stover learned a lot about the culture of women in Africa and concluded that women (in this culture) existed at the mercy of the men around them and seem to take life as it is and that it wouldn’t be any different.

“The women don’t think of themselves as being victims of the world they live in and the conditions they’re in, but instead they just sort of try to fight each other for whatever little crumbs they can get from life,” Stover said.

As the name indicates, the novel is a fictional piece about women.

“Although in many ways fiction is based on real experiences. Most writers write about what they know, about things that they might have experienced,” Palmer said.

Palmer got his M.A. and Ph.D. at Edinburgh University in Scotland. Then, he went back to Sierra Leone to teach at Fourah Bay College, the university of Sierra Leone, which is about the oldest modern institution of higher learning in Africa, according to Palmer.

“I taught there for quite a few years rising through the runs to become chair of the English department and dean of the School of Arts and dean of Graduate Studies,” Palmer said.

Palmer came to Georgia College in 1994. He has traveled through an interesting journey. Before coming to Georgia College, he taught for a year at a women’s college in Virginia. Later he was planning on going back to Sierra Leone but was unable to because there was a civil war going on in his country. It was then that Palmer was offered a job as an English professor at Georgia College. Since then, this university has had the fortune of having such a valuable faculty member.

“He is really internationally known, he has an unsurpassed reputation as a scholar and I think as a teacher too,” English professor, Dr. Robert Viau said. “I’ve heard other colleagues say that they have gone to conferences like MLA (Modern Language Association)and so forth and they refer to Eustace Palmer as a faculty member here and they’ll say, ‘the Eustace Palmer?’”

Palmer has a remarkable reputation as a great scholar and teacher. English professor, writer of critical works and novels, Palmer does it all. His interesting background, talents and achievements have made him one of the most internationally recognized scholar and professor.