Warrior Princess: My Quest to Become the First Female Maasai Warrior
Memoir is tricky enough for seasoned writers to pull off with finesse, let alone a first-time author like Budgor. But she sure knows how to pick an intriguing premise: how she became the first female Maasai warrior. If her motivation is slightly suspect and her Jewish American Princess–out-of-water persona a touch exaggerated, that has less to do with Budgor and more to do with the demands of the genre. Because it was written so shortly after the unique experiences she chronicles, there’s little reflection, but from that immediacy a delectable freshness is born. Whether practicing spear tossing or analyzing cow dung, Budgor is an undeniably entertaining guide into the world of the Maasai, who, to her credit, she presents as flesh-and-blood fellow humans, treating their culture and rituals with respect along with a dash of self-deprecating humor. In one particularly lovely scene, Budgor becomes one with her warrior tutors as they sing and dance around the evening campfire. In that moment, it doesn’t matter why she’s on the journey, just that she brought the rest of us along for the ride. --Patty Wetli