‘The Children of House No. D13 South Suntresu Kumasi’ – Ahwoi & Adu-Gyamfi siblings unveil collective biography

The Ahwoi and Adu-Gyamfi siblings have officially outdoored their collective biography titled ‘The Children of House No. D13 South Suntresu Kumasi’. The book was unveiled at the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences in Accra with several business leaders and politicians in attendance.

The Children of House Number D13, South Suntresu, Kumasi, is a collective biography of the life stories of the eight children of Madam Maye Charlotte Hudson, also known as Esi Tutuwa but known to some people as Esi Nkwagye and to the people of South Suntresu, Kumasi as Mrs. Ahwoi.

The ‘Ahwois’ principally is the collective name of three brothers – Ato, Kwesi and Kwamena – who have played prominent roles in Ghana’s recent history, but the siblings also include five girls, Ama, Adoma, Efua, Naana and Sister Aggie, who also played their part in these thrilling stories in their own unique ways.

Reviewing the book, Ex-Chairperson of the National Media Commission (NMC), Nana Kwasi Gyan-Apenteng lauded efforts of the late Mrs. Ahwoi, nee Maye Charlotte Hudson,the person whose presence permeates the story. “Indeed, the matriarch is effectively the ninth subject of the eight children’s biographies,” he said.

The book achieves the purpose of showing the “remarkable togetherness and the mutual support system that enabled the children of House No. D13, South Suntresu, Kumasi, to overcome the many hurdles along their individual paths in life as being due to their mother, Madam Maye Charlotte Hudson (Mrs. Ahwoi).

To make such a collective recollection of personal histories work, all parties involved must be willing to take the effort seriously; equally crucial is the necessity to respect everyone’s personal history as meaningful, which this book has done. It would be right to describe it as an exercise in literary democracy!

Not every book project results in a good book, but this one did because the project’s heart is a fantastic story. And at the center of that excellent story is the life of these eight people, who represent human development against all odds.

Dramatis personae in order of appearance- from the womb- Ato Ahwoi, Kwesi Ahwoi, Mrs. Ama Twum, Kwamena Ahwoi, Mrs. Ama Adoma Bartels-Kodwo, Mrs. Efua Bram-Larbi, Theodora Naana Adu Gyamfi and Mrs. Agnes Appiagyei-Dankah. Theodora Naana Adu-Gyamfi passed away at the age of 28 and so her role ends early except in passing references.

However, it is worth recalling that before she died, and in an act that exemplifies the major theme of this book, Naana secretely transferred all the money in her own bank account into that of her six-year-old niece, Abena Tutuwa Ahwoi, the daughter of her brother, Kwamena.

The structure of the narrative, which makes it possible to flow, is simply to follow the fortunes of these siblings sequentially in turn through the main phases of their development. The person whose presence permeates the story is the matriarch – Mrs. Ahwoi, nee Maye Charlotte Hudson.

There were readings of favorite excerpts from the book by Mrs. Agnes Appiagyei-Dankah (nee Adu- Gyamfi); Mrs. Efua Bram-Larbi (nee Ahwoi); Mrs. Ama Adoma Bartels-Kodwo (nee Ahwoi); Kwamena Ahwoi; Mrs. Ama Twum (nee Ahwoi); Kwesi Ahwoi; and Ato Ahwoi.

The event was chaired by Professor Dora Edu-Buandoh, Immediate past Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC); with the keynote address delivered by Professor Kwesi Botchwey, Former Minister of Finance; and the formal book launch performed by Dr. Joseph SIaw Agyepong, Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies.
The book ‘The Children of House No. D13 South Suntresu Kumasi’ was published by DigiBooks Ghana Ltd.