Over The Lip of the World is a FICTIONAL account based on the author's subjective experiences in Madagascar. It is not a recount of Malagasy folklore but rather a history of McElroy's search for her own identity as she looked for it on an island on the other side of the world. Persons interested in Malagasy studies should NOT buy this book; people interested in a black woman's personal history might find it more palatable than I did.

Yes, I fully agree with the previous reviewer from Louisiana. This is not a book for those who want to get to know Madagascar and Malagasy culture or history. At the most, in that direction, it provides some 'atmosphere' of Africa for those who have never been there. The book is indeed a personal account of the reader's feelings, as she rediscovered herself during her trip to that wonderful Indian Ocean island. Yet, this is a good subject, and the book is well-written, filled with thrill. I liked it. As long as it is presented as what it is and not something else, I recommend it to those interested in the former.