This exuberant book captivated me from the moment I saw and touched it despite my aversion to spiral and Japanese bindings. The silk-screened cover image continues to bring joy and exemplifies the fun Sanlé Sory found with photography and portraiture. These studio portraits were made during the first decades of independence for Burkina Faso; they provide a substantial contrast to our current difficult times. The lightness and joy here is to be treasured; it is enhanced by risograph printing and beautiful book design.

Fred Cray is a Guggenheim Fellow who lives in works in Brooklyn, New York. www.fredcray.com