First-Class Citizen of a Third-World Country is an autobiography describing the roots and first thirty years of the author's life. It is a story of the humble beginnings every African born outside royal bloodlines faces. While it is telling Sam's story, the book often zooms out from the person of Sam to share Africa's rich culture by describing events, places, and native practices in detail to shed light on life in Africa, Malawi.
Sam's story offers a different vantage point from the stereotypical narrative in which Africa is depicted as a hopeless land of struggle, constant conflict, and abject poverty. His story unveils a new perspective of Africa. He shares his universally relatable socioeconomic struggles; his relationships with family, friends, and lovers; his encounters with oppression and privilege; and so much more. Not cowering from controversy, he also shares his views on economics, politics, and religion, most of which deviate from conventional thinking.
Oftentimes, Africa is only seen as a place; the story this book shares will unearth the human side of Africa. It will show the world that people in Africa have hopes, dreams, ambitions, and goals; that they love and hurt; they have relationships with one another and with the transcendent; and that ultimately, everyone just wants to attain inner contentment by bettering their lives. A central theme of the book is Sam's spiritual journey which he believes to be the key to achieving maximum human satisfaction. It is his hope that by sharing the wisdom he has collected in his first thirty years, you will arrive at the same conclusion.
