What if you woke up one morning to discover that you were royalty and your destiny had changed overnight?

“King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village (Doubleday, $25.95)” chronicles the astonishing journey of Peggielene Bartels, who suddenly finds herself king of a town of 7,000 souls on Ghana’s central coast, half a world away. Upon arriving for her crowning ceremony in beautiful Otuam, she discovers the dire reality: There’s no running water, no doctor, no high school, and many of the village elders are stealing the town’s funds. To make matters worse, her uncle (the late king) sits in a morgue awaiting a proper funeral in the royal palace, which is in ruins. The longer she waits to bury him, the more she risks incurring the wrath of her ancestors. Bartels’ first two years as king of Otuam unfold in a way that is stranger than fiction.

Now known as “Nana” (a title reserved for royalty), the new king embarks on a new life mission: She sets up a bank account for the town; empowers local women by creating a new borehole for village water; buys a new ambulance and creates a new library. In essence, this is a true-life modern-day Cinderella story. Bartels was born in Ghana in 1953 and moved to Washington, D.C. in her early twenties to work at Ghana’s embassy. Her initial intention was to stay in America for a year or two and then return to Ghana. Instead, she married and became an American citizen in 1997. In 2008, when she was chosen to be king of Otuam, a Ghanaian village of 7,000 people on the west coast of Africa, she decided to become a commuter king. Today, Bartels lives in Silver Spring, Md., still works at the embassy, and spends several weeks each year in Ghana.

In the end, a deeply traditional African town has been uplifted by the ambitions of its headstrong, decidedly modern female king. And in changing Otuam, Bartels is herself transformed, from an ordinary secretary to the heart and hope of her community.

“King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village” is available at major bookstores and online at Amazon.com.

Contact staff writer Bobbi Booker at (215) 893-5749 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .