This much lauded by the literati work on the Ethiopian defeat of fascist Italy in the 1930s, through the lens of Ethiopian volunteer woman fighters, hThis much lauded by the literati work on the Ethiopian defeat of fascist Italy in the 1930s, through the lens of Ethiopian volunteer woman fighters, has a very good heart and tells a much neglected tale but fails on some key counts. I can see why it was Booker Prize shortlisted, because although written by an African woman it could be just as well be written by an old white male European with it's humanising of some of the Italian characters and heavily literary writing style. So what, I hear some exclaim? This was a pre meditated attack on the only sovereign African nation by a fascist European state, eff the daddy issues of an Italian photographer, I only want to read as much as possible of the story of the amazing women that were part of this extraordinary episode in African history, without a Euro-centric balancing act or focusing on Ethiopian woman vs woman battles like this book does in its first half. [image] I know that it is loosely based on oral history, but the story is/was those woman fighters and nothing more. For the literati this is probably a smashing read, for a reader wanting an entry into Ethiopian history it feels watered down to appease European book critics. Maybe I'm too harsh? Come visit my re-read review in a few years. The literature and Italian stories made this a boring read in my opinion, I was always wanting more and never getting it. For the engaging and absorbing historical context, the least this book can get from me is a Three Star, 7 out of 12. Haile Selaisse! (And there's little or no real mention of the UK, Russian and French support of the Ethiopians.) [image] 2023 read...more
Written in the first-person, this book started off as a captivating epic tale of a Sudanese boy's life, from Southern Sudan village life to genocide; Written in the first-person, this book started off as a captivating epic tale of a Sudanese boy's life, from Southern Sudan village life to genocide; from many hundred mile walks with others mostly boys, escaping for their lives; through to refugee status, through to resettlement in the US... with this very book's proceeds going to help people like him; a story told, by looking back as the narrator himself is robbed in his own home and tied up! Some of the Lost Boys of Sudan [image] However what started of as a compelling and painful look at what was happening in Sudan became an almost monotonous read which yet again on rereading was a bit of a struggle to get to the end of. It almost feels like the escape from Genocide is the story that I wanted to really dig deep into, and having a whole second story about life in a refugee camp although illuminating, took away a lot of the momentous first half of this book? Still very much a must read for people that want to know a little more about Southern Sudan and refugee camp life. 7 out of 12 [image] 2022 read; 2009 read...more
'Americanah' is a kind of snide term directed to, and sometimes at, Nigerians who have spent time living in America before returning, with an assumed 'Americanah' is a kind of snide term directed to, and sometimes at, Nigerians who have spent time living in America before returning, with an assumed superiority complex. The deeply passionate university sweethearts Ifemelu and her boyfriend Obinze, like many of their peers always had their eyes on migrating to the West, as they saw scant opportunity under the military ruled Nigeria. With alternate chapters but very much focusing on Ifemelu we follow their time in the West, she in the United States where she gets to feel 'Black' (= other) for the first time; and him in UK struggling to get papers so that he can stay and prosper legally. But frankly this book is all about Ifemelu for me, already one of my fave characters in fiction, so well realised, so awe inspiring yet so authentic feeling. [image] I love everything about this book as it tells the reader how middle class Africans (in this case Nigerians) see the world, how essentially different they are, or how different their condition is to African-Americans and Caribbean peoples. This is very splendidly written; includes multiple authentic characterisations of people from numerous backgrounds; has a super sound interpretation of even the minutiae in the United States, the UK and Nigeria; and as ever Adichie captures the intricacies of modern relationship dynamics so much better than most of her peers... but... [image] But what pushes this work in to the genius sphere is how it uses looking at race through the lens of a Nigerian in America, to really truly talk about race, really getting into it, and it's done so powerfully because it's around the culture shock of a Nigerian coming across systematic and widespread anti-Blackness for the first time...where for the first time in her life she could classify herself as 'Black'. [image] It is also has interesting and educational(!) snippets on Black hair, skin tones, American racial hierarchy and bi-racial relationships; as well as post 9-11 America, post-military rule capitalist Nigeria, the Liberal elite; diversity programmes, blogging and the coming of Obama; and if that wasn't enough the entire book is written around the idea of 'true love' and the compromises we make in life and/or with ourselves to deny it? In case you need me to spell it out, this is a Five Star Read - 10/12. Back-to-back Five Stars for Adichie - Review: Half of a Yellow Sun [image] 2022 read...more
Ugwu is a houseboy for his 'Master' intellectual Odenigbo who's dating upper middle-class Olanna. Olanna has a non-identical twin, the unstoppable KaiUgwu is a houseboy for his 'Master' intellectual Odenigbo who's dating upper middle-class Olanna. Olanna has a non-identical twin, the unstoppable Kainene, who is seeing an Englishman, Richard. This is the story of these five peoples' lives in 1960s Nigeria, from post-Colonial optimism through to the end of the Biafran war. And here's a spoiler... this book is brilliant! [image] Adichie perfectly captures post-Colonial Nigeria in the first third of the book, managing to cover not only Lagos, but Igbo-centric towns, the North, and the Westerners, and she does it delicately through the eyes and thoughts of her main characters. The beauty of this work, is that it is completely lived and breathed through these characters, what they felt, what they wanted, what they saw, whom they loved. A story of a people's hearts being bigger than their reality, a story of the utter wickedness of war on all sides, a story of friendships, the good and bad of love, and hope. [image] As someone who grew up in a Nigerian Yoruba household where Biafra was rarely, if ever mentioned, this book was a very personal journey for me too. This is one of the few times that I got a real sense of Nigeria, one that tallied with my own family's views and experiences. I also love at how the key fundamentals - the damage done by Colonialism and then by British and Russian 'intervention' are shared, as the clear case facts that they are, but without ramming it down the reader's throat, letting the characters just tell their reality. Exquisitely written; as soon as I started reading, I was like, this is going to be a Five Star read! Believe the hype, read Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, 10 out of 12, Five Star Read. :) 2020 read...more
Interesting little book, by one of the Congo's current top writers, that focuses on a young boy's day to day life in a small Congolese town. Almost quInteresting little book, by one of the Congo's current top writers, that focuses on a young boy's day to day life in a small Congolese town. Almost quaint, this is an interesting look at life in a small world-relative poor central African town, from the limited yet mostly innocent and earnest ground level viewpoint of a child. 6 out of 12. [image] 2013 read...more
Man Booker Prize 2011 shortlisted. Interesting modern historical thriller set amongst the German, and then Paris jazz scenes, as Hitler rose to power Man Booker Prize 2011 shortlisted. Interesting modern historical thriller set amongst the German, and then Paris jazz scenes, as Hitler rose to power and then went to war. Interesting looking at the Third Reich from the perspective of the small Black population in Germany; and in addition an intriguing story about a betrayal. 6 out of 12, Three Star read, after re-posting this review and re-reading it, I really have the urge to find a copy of this book again; intriguing much! [image] 2012...more
Femi Osewa very kindly sent me a copy of this, to which I promised to give a fair and honest review of, when read: ...Well, well, well, once again I aFemi Osewa very kindly sent me a copy of this, to which I promised to give a fair and honest review of, when read: ...Well, well, well, once again I am faced with a 21st century writer looking to create new fables and lo and behold Osewa does just that! Nigerian based Simi, returns from school, to which Osewa provides 'A Day In The Life' rundown of her evening, how she relates to her parents and the world in general, perfectly capturing the unbound, infectious and sometime annoying energy of a little girl from a loving home. Colour me impressed! [image] As laid out clearly in the blurb and the back cover, the second part of this book deals with a Folk Tale from Jalingo, where we get introduced to the brave, but selfishly stupid tortoise - Ijapa, and the talking animal kingdom he resides in, in an alternate reality African-like land mass. [image] For a fair and representative sense of early childhood in Nigeria for many, this book is a great blueprint, casting down in ink, the oral storytelling shared across generations for centuries. The least you can do, is share it with your children to show another side of Nigeria. 8 out of 12. Another fab 'Naija Read' :D...more
Holey moley, Sarah Ladipo Manyika* has done it to me again... blown me out of the water with her writing! Sometimes I finish a book, and feel like immHoley moley, Sarah Ladipo Manyika* has done it to me again... blown me out of the water with her writing! Sometimes I finish a book, and feel like immediately applauding, this is one of those books. [image] Starting in Nigeria but spreading its wings to England, and little bits of Senegal, France and the United States, In Dependence charts the life of 'middle class' Nigerian academic Tayo and his first-love English journalist Vanessa, whose father did post-Colonial service in Nigeria taking his family with him. The book charts some of Tayo's youth, their time in Oxford and then excerpts of their lives to the late 1990s. Manyika writes in the 3rd person from both Tayo and Vanessa's point of view. The story starts in the glow of African countries gaining independence, and the socio-economic and political story of Africa, especially Nigeria and of Black people in general forms an ongoing theme throughout the story - which Manika somehow still makes accessible and engaging, without preaching, and more essentially without making the book a history text book in disguise! The clue is in my Profile spiel... I love character driven storytelling and this book is a near perfect example of how do it well. Oh, and Goddaman, Manyika has utterly researched the Hell, out of this book. I kept on Googling people and places (OK, so maybe a little bit of a History lesson in disguise :)) [image] Similar to 'Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun', Manyika once again manages to create a multitude of different authentic voices for her diverse cast, a skill which so many writers lack or end up subconsciously stereotyping. As I came towards the end of this wonderful read, whilst still in the moment, I was trying to determine what makes this book so special - I wanted to capture that reason before I left Tayo and Vanessa's world. At times in the book I really thought little of Tayo's sincerity and respect for other people especially women, (coupled with his apparent lack of self awareness) but as I came to the end, I had to appreciate that Manyika writes her character so well, that they feel like real people - it made absolute sense to me, that somewhere out there Tayo, Vanessa, Kemi etc. all exist, they became so real to me. [image] Manyika writes cross-generational relationships so well, and also seems to understand the disparate voices of each generation. The conversation and interactions between parents and their kids is so on point, to use modern vernacular! See my genre label... yep... did I not mention that this is a romance! Similar to 'The Time Traveller's Wife' this book has personally startled me into realising that there are still innovative ways of writing a story about love. There's probably a deeper level of this book, with the title In Dependence not only referring to African Independence, but also what the legacy of Colonialism did, and maybe still continues to do to Africa's development, racial equality and race politics across the world - is Africa and its people truly independent or still in dependence? I'd really love to know anybody else's thoughts on the title... I know I've probably not fully understood it. A 10 out of 12, Five Star read. [image] 2020 read *Sarah Ladipo Manyika contacted me after reading my review of Like a Mule Bringing Ice Cream to the Sun and so very kindly sent me a copy of this book, which after reading, I'm even more grateful for....more
Not sure what McCall Smith's series did to pee me off so much back when I first read it in 2004, but I gave it and its subsequent volumes a measly TwoNot sure what McCall Smith's series did to pee me off so much back when I first read it in 2004, but I gave it and its subsequent volumes a measly Two Stars, but that's what I did. Looking back on this series I found it enlightening and interesting getting into the nitty gritty of life in a small-town Botswana; the life, the trials and the tribulations of a woman trying to set up and run her own detective agency. This instalment sees the main protagonist PI Precious Ramotswe investigating a missing American and juggling that with having unforeseen trouble at home! [image] The only thing I can think of is that the background was pretty good but the actual detective cases lacked imagination? 5 out of 12. [image] 2004 read...more
Dr. Morayo Da Silva is not a survivor... she is an adventurer! 74 years old and living in one of the hip areas of San Francisco with her books, her boDr. Morayo Da Silva is not a survivor... she is an adventurer! 74 years old and living in one of the hip areas of San Francisco with her books, her books, her books and her old Porsche, 'Buttercup.' Marayo, having been so well travelled often thinks of the past, questions her external ageing vs how she feels internally and dissects and analyses literature. We join her just going about her day... [image] This is pretty much a masterpiece, a clever understated look at ageing and how it impacts on who Dr. Marayo is and, and how she sees herself, and wants to be. The beauty of this novella is its deeply engaging look at a diverse group people in the first person with such real feeling and authenticity, as opposed to the 2nd or 3rd hand reporting that I feel comes across in a lot of Western and Eastern writing - that or learning about other cultures through the media, as opposed to living with / talking to them / getting to really know them. [image] I really felt like I got sniff of Nigeria, Brazil, Guyana, Italy, America etc when thus-heritaged )or born) characters came into the story. It felt like everyone, everybody counted, from the homeless through to Doc Marayo herself. That's what I got from this book - everyone's lens matters. The inner thoughts and feeling of the main (elderly) black female protagonist are blooming superb. No doubt! Not a cliché or stereotype to be found, Doc Marayo sounded and felt real, and Hell yeah, an older women will and still can think about sex! ...Methinks the world needs to learn and read more about Dr Marayo. [image] Whenever I read a book by a lesser known writer I ask myself if a famous writer wrote this what would people be saying? This is a masterclass in writing, in nuance, in characterisation and even reality building. Damn, I want to live in Ladipa Manyika's California. Five. Star. Read. 10 out of 12. [image] 2019 read...more
Who is Omolola 'Lola' Olufunke Olufunmilayo Ogunwole? In 1977, after being left by their mother years earlier, Lola and her brother are taken from LonWho is Omolola 'Lola' Olufunke Olufunmilayo Ogunwole? In 1977, after being left by their mother years earlier, Lola and her brother are taken from London, back to his homeland Nigeria… where he feels it takes a village to bring up a child, so promptly dumps with relatives in Nigerian villages. . Told by way of journal entries this wonderful and real-feeling narrator shares her life, and what it was like growing up in 1970s and 1980s Nigeria for almost orphan girl amongst people that don't care much for her. Sometimes harrowing, but often just 'real' a delightful creation by Adeniran. . Naija Lit! What! Thank you Sade: [image] . 8.5 out of 12....more
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