Truth be told, and ignorant as it may seem, I thought Guinea was in South America. I had never given much, though. I had never thought much about the life and beliefs of different African villages. The only familiarity I have with this topic is the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Likewise, Things Fall Apart has a coming-of-age story; something I'm starting to believe is very important to several African villages. In the United States, there is no set age at which we become men. We grow facial hair, we finish school, we get jobs, but I would argue that a “man” in the United States doesn't truly become a man on the scale and maturity of Camara Laye until he hits his 30s. I'm not saying this applies to everyone, but I would say that on average we in the United States refuse to grow up. We want to be treated like adults and we want freedom and to do things, but we still want to be able to go home if we need help, something that, I don't think, Laye would consider