<P><B>THE DRAMATIC CONCLUSION TO THE AYA SERIES</B><BR><I><BR>Aya: Love in Yop City </I>comprises the final three chapters of the <I>Aya </I>story, episodes never before seen in English. <I>Aya </I>is a lighthearted story about life in the Ivory Coast during the 1970s, a particularly thriving and wealthy time in the country’s history.<BR><BR>While the stories found in <I>Aya: Love in Yop City </I>maintain their familiar tone, quick pace, and joyfulness, we see Aya and her friends beginning to make serious decisions about their future. When a professor tries to take advantage of Aya, her plans to become a doctor are seriously shaken, and she vows to take revenge on the lecherous man. With a little help from the tight-knit community of Yopougon though, Aya comes through these trials stronger than ever.<BR><BR>This second volume of the complete <I>Aya </I>includes unique appendices—recipes, guides to understanding Ivorian slang, street sketches, and concluding remarks from Marguerite Abouet explaining history and social milieu. Inspired by Abouet’s childhood, the series has received praise for offering relief from the disaster-struck focus of most stories set in Africa. <I>Aya </I>is the winner of the Best First Album Award at the Angoulême International Comics Festival; was nominated for the YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels list; and was included on “best of” lists from <I>The Washington Post</I>, <I>Booklist</I>, <I>Publishers Weekly</I>, and <I>School Library Journal</I>.</P>