Aya is a graphic novel with the story by ivorian Marguerite Abouet and artwork by Clément Oubrerie. It is based on the author's childhood in Abidjan in the 1970s. This was a golden era of stability in Ivory coast. This book centers around 19 year old Aya and her friends Adjoua and Bintou and all the hijinks they get up to with their meddling families and neighbours. It's culturally rich description of ivorian culture mixed with french influences and deals with a whole host of themes such as coming of age, pregnancies, class differences and family life. Ivory Coast is located in the west African coast. In medieval times it was an important part of regional trade networks the linked empires such as Malian Empire.

 

Ivory Coast which gained independence from the French in 1960 is the world’s largest cocoa producer. It also has the largest church in the world The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace locates in the capital city Yamoussoukro