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kirstyt's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
jen286's review
2.0
Africa39 was my book club read for this month. Normally I don't start my book club book until a day or two before book club. I read too much so if I read it early I don't have it fresh in my head by the time the discussion comes around. Well with Africa 39 I think that was my first mistake. I read this book in two days. Two. That is a lot of short stories and excerpts to get through. Everything started to just blend together unless it was really good or really bad. Instead of making notes on all the stories I think I will just highlight a few that stood out in a good way. As I said the rest kind of blended together and were just okay.
*Two Fragments of Love by Eileen Almeida Barbosa - This was really short, but absolutely beautiful. It was a heartbreaking love story and I would definitely read more by this author. The imagery, the language used, the story itself was just breathtaking. It is really amazing that this author was able to write such a story in so few pages.
*From Our Time of Sorrow by Jackee Budesta Batanda - This is a part of a larger work that I would really like to read. You get a snapshot of this religious cult which always interests me. The main character seems like a good person, but people will never let her forget she was born of sin so she is not pure.
*The Occupant, from Azotus, the Kingdom by Shadreck Chikoti - I really really want to read the rest of this story.
"For many years Kamoto had not thought of going outside. The world outside offered him nothing that he could not find within the confines of his own home."
It starts off with this guy who finally starts going outside at sunset, and a girl spies on him. The ideas behind it, how everyone has freedom, everyone could go outside, but no one does was really interesting. It was like well anyone can do anything, but since no one does when one person does is it then wrong? Should the person spying report this guy for going outside, even though he is allowed to? I really would like to finish this story and see what happens. This was one of my favorites from the entire book.
*Number 9 by Nadifa Mohmed - Kind of a sad story about a lady on her way to meet a date she met online. This is to be their first meeting and it was kind of sweet, but kind of sad at the same time. Another short story that the author did a very good job with. It felt like a complete story and made me feel the main characters emotions with her.
*From Harlot by Lola Shoneyin -
"I will never be ashamed of my life because I have lived the way only a few women can. I have lived like a man."
I LOVED this one. This was my other favorite from this book. I definitely want to read the rest of this story. I loved how open and unashamed the main character was. So what she has sex with a lot of men? She enjoys it so why shouldn't she? Guys can sleep with a lot of women and people don't care so why shouldn't she? I loved how she just didn't care what other thought. She had such a strong voice that I wanted to read a lot more. I am curious where the story goes.
*Migrant Labour by Zukiswa Wanner - One of the last stories, and a stand alone. This immigrant guy from Zimbabwe is working in South Africa and they won't give him a raise or let him out of his work contract. He could possibly find a better job, but it doesn't matter since he has to work at his job for 4 years, one year shy of the residency requirements. So since he cannot get out of his work contract he plans to marry a South African woman - problem solved. Things are going well, until they aren't. I loved where this story ended.
So those were my favorites of the bunch. 39 short stories or excerpts is a lot to read in two days. I probably would have enjoyed them more had I spaced it out some. Read one or two a day until I finished. The rest weren't bad, they just weren't as memorable.
*Two Fragments of Love by Eileen Almeida Barbosa - This was really short, but absolutely beautiful. It was a heartbreaking love story and I would definitely read more by this author. The imagery, the language used, the story itself was just breathtaking. It is really amazing that this author was able to write such a story in so few pages.
*From Our Time of Sorrow by Jackee Budesta Batanda - This is a part of a larger work that I would really like to read. You get a snapshot of this religious cult which always interests me. The main character seems like a good person, but people will never let her forget she was born of sin so she is not pure.
*The Occupant, from Azotus, the Kingdom by Shadreck Chikoti - I really really want to read the rest of this story.
"For many years Kamoto had not thought of going outside. The world outside offered him nothing that he could not find within the confines of his own home."
It starts off with this guy who finally starts going outside at sunset, and a girl spies on him. The ideas behind it, how everyone has freedom, everyone could go outside, but no one does was really interesting. It was like well anyone can do anything, but since no one does when one person does is it then wrong? Should the person spying report this guy for going outside, even though he is allowed to? I really would like to finish this story and see what happens. This was one of my favorites from the entire book.
*Number 9 by Nadifa Mohmed - Kind of a sad story about a lady on her way to meet a date she met online. This is to be their first meeting and it was kind of sweet, but kind of sad at the same time. Another short story that the author did a very good job with. It felt like a complete story and made me feel the main characters emotions with her.
*From Harlot by Lola Shoneyin -
"I will never be ashamed of my life because I have lived the way only a few women can. I have lived like a man."
I LOVED this one. This was my other favorite from this book. I definitely want to read the rest of this story. I loved how open and unashamed the main character was. So what she has sex with a lot of men? She enjoys it so why shouldn't she? Guys can sleep with a lot of women and people don't care so why shouldn't she? I loved how she just didn't care what other thought. She had such a strong voice that I wanted to read a lot more. I am curious where the story goes.
*Migrant Labour by Zukiswa Wanner - One of the last stories, and a stand alone. This immigrant guy from Zimbabwe is working in South Africa and they won't give him a raise or let him out of his work contract. He could possibly find a better job, but it doesn't matter since he has to work at his job for 4 years, one year shy of the residency requirements. So since he cannot get out of his work contract he plans to marry a South African woman - problem solved. Things are going well, until they aren't. I loved where this story ended.
So those were my favorites of the bunch. 39 short stories or excerpts is a lot to read in two days. I probably would have enjoyed them more had I spaced it out some. Read one or two a day until I finished. The rest weren't bad, they just weren't as memorable.
sonea_moon's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
dlberglund's review
3.0
I'll admit that I didn't actually read every single story in this book, but there was quite a variety of styles and countries represented. Some of them were excerpts from forthcoming novels, and sometimes they didn't have the same closure (and punch) that the true short stories did. But I enjoyed enough of them to make it worth the read. (No Kissing the Dolls..... was perhaps the most confusing story I've read in a long time. Murakami on acid, maybe. With too much caffeine.)
megannewsome's review
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
shonatiger's review
4.0
Delightful! Lots to read and enjoy, and many, many excerpts from wonderful books (some of which I've read and enjoyed before), so also a great way to get a taste of African literature. There were only a few pieces I didn't read because they weren't my kind of thing, but that didn't spoil the anthology for me at all.
liralen's review
4.0
The editor and judges of Africa 39 have pulled together 39 works of fiction by writers under 40 from sub-Saharan Africa. It's a fairly eclectic mix -- contemporary, historical, fantastical; some are standalone pieces and others parts of longer works. Many take place somewhere in Africa -- in the author's home country or elsewhere -- but a few take place in Europe or the United States. Some are stronger than others, but by and large they are tied together simply by being excellent, tightly woven stories.
As I would expect for an anthology, some of the stories worked better for me than others. A few I particularly enjoyed:
Mama's Future (Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond), in which Mama [Africa] is on her deathbed, trying to impart some last wisdom to her children, who have returned from the corners of the globe to attend to her. I wanted more out of this story, but conceptually I loved it.
The Professor (Edwige-Renée Dro), in which a woman must mourn the loss of a former professor with whom she had a not-quite relationship, but who also introduced her to a new way of looking at literature. Sweet and sad and delightfully understated.
This Is How I Remember It (Ukamaka Olisakwe), a story of an ill-fated love. Again left me wanting more, but in a way that makes me think it actually ended in the right place -- there's still a lot of story left at the end of it, but there are so many directions in which it could go.
The anthology is, though, very heavy on novel excerpts. Of 39 stories, 17 (if you go by the stories; 15 if you go by the table of contents. My copy is an ARC, though, and I assume this was corrected before publication) are parts of longer works. That's more than 40 percent, which seems far too high. This is not a criticism the writing itself, and in a number of cases I'd quite like to read the full novel (notably: Ebabma, Kinshasa-Makombo by Richard Ali Mutu; My New Home by Glayda Namukasa; Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi)...but, without question, I would have preferred a significantly higher proportion of standalone stories.
Definitely some writers to watch in here, though.
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
As I would expect for an anthology, some of the stories worked better for me than others. A few I particularly enjoyed:
Mama's Future (Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond), in which Mama [Africa] is on her deathbed, trying to impart some last wisdom to her children, who have returned from the corners of the globe to attend to her. I wanted more out of this story, but conceptually I loved it.
The Professor (Edwige-Renée Dro), in which a woman must mourn the loss of a former professor with whom she had a not-quite relationship, but who also introduced her to a new way of looking at literature. Sweet and sad and delightfully understated.
This Is How I Remember It (Ukamaka Olisakwe), a story of an ill-fated love. Again left me wanting more, but in a way that makes me think it actually ended in the right place -- there's still a lot of story left at the end of it, but there are so many directions in which it could go.
The anthology is, though, very heavy on novel excerpts. Of 39 stories, 17 (if you go by the stories; 15 if you go by the table of contents. My copy is an ARC, though, and I assume this was corrected before publication) are parts of longer works. That's more than 40 percent, which seems far too high. This is not a criticism the writing itself, and in a number of cases I'd quite like to read the full novel (notably: Ebabma, Kinshasa-Makombo by Richard Ali Mutu; My New Home by Glayda Namukasa; Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi)...but, without question, I would have preferred a significantly higher proportion of standalone stories.
Definitely some writers to watch in here, though.
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
anetq's review
1) “The Shivering”, by [a:Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie|19992417|Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1625749716p2/19992417.jpg] - From [b:The Thing Around Your Neck|5587960|The Thing Around Your Neck|Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1320413162l/5587960._SX50_.jpg|5759301] (which I had already read).
2) “The Banana Eater”, by [a:Monica Arac de Nyeko|689406|Monica Arac de Nyeko|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
- Chasing out loitering vendors from the back yard & losing a friend...
3) Excerpt from "The Tiger of the Mangroves", by [a:Rotimi Babatunde|9860605|Rotimi Babatunde|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]-
- Chief Koko meets the Consul (who meets the merchants).
4) “Two Fragments of Love”, by Eileen Almedia Barbosa
- The artists' muse and shipwrecked
5) “Why Radio DJs are Superstars in Lagos”, by [a:A. Igoni Barrett|6545303|A. Igoni Barrett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1389787756p2/6545303.jpg]
Excerpt from BlackAss - (I gave up on the book a few years ago)
6) Excerpt from Our Time of Sorrow, by [a:Jackee Budesta Batanda|8303282|Jackee Budesta Batanda|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]- the christian cult.
7) “Alu”, by [a:Recaredo Silebo Boturu|6245878|Recaredo Silebo Boturu|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] - and his mother's story.
8) “Mama’s Future”, by [a:Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond|3105925|Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1276550109p2/3105925.jpg] - Mama Africa (who's had a rough century) is on the deathbed and calling her children home to advise them on the future.
9) “The Occupant”, by [a:Shadreck Chikoti|14150766|Shadreck Chikoti|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] - Sci-fi: A watcher develops an interest in an occupant.
10) “The Professor”, by [a:Edwige-Renée Dro|14150767|Edwige-Renée Dro|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] - a story of love and literature.
11) Excerpt from New Mom, by [a:Tope Folarin|9860606|Tope Folarin|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] - would you want a new mom, if the old one went crazy?
12) “No Kissing the Dolls Unless Jimi Hendrix is Playing”, by [a:Clifton Gachagua|6575844|Clifton Gachagua|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
13) “Talking Money”, by [a:Stanley Gazemba|4168200|Stanley Gazemba|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
14) “Day and Night”, by [a:Mehul Gohil|14150768|Mehul Gohil|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
15) Excerpt from The Score, by [a:Hawa Jande Golakai|14150769|Hawa Jande Golakai|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
16) “The Pink Oysters”, by [a:Shafinaaz Hassim|3135638|Shafinaaz Hassim|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
17) “Echoes of Mirth”, by [a:Abubakar Adam Ibrahim|4289203|Abubakar Adam Ibrahim|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1527678094p2/4289203.jpg]
18) “The Old Man and the Pub”, by Stanley Onjezani Kenani
19) “Sometime Before Maulidi”, by [a:Ndinda Kioko|8388158|Ndinda Kioko|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
20) Excerpt from All Our Names, by [a:Dinaw Mengestu|135726|Dinaw Mengestu|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1392940247p2/135726.jpg]
21) “Number 9”, by [a:Nadifa Mohamed|3045585|Nadifa Mohamed|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1294679111p2/3045585.jpg]
22) Excerpt from Rusty Bell, by [a:Nthikeng Mohlele|3242711|Nthikeng Mohlele|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
23) “Cinema Demons”, by [a:Linda Musita|8388142|Linda Musita|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
24) Excerpt from Ebamba, Kinshasa-Makambo, by [a:Richard Ali A Mutu|14150771|Richard Ali A Mutu|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
25) “By the Tracks”, by [a:Sifiso Mzobe|4344945|Sifiso Mzobe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1317037868p2/4344945.jpg]
26) “My New Home”, by [a:Glaydah Namukasa|3497395|Glaydah Namukasa|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
27) “I’m Going to Make Changes to the Kitchen”, by [a:Ondjaki|884320|Ondjaki|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1313061144p2/884320.jpg]
28) “Rag Doll”, by [a:Okwiri Oduor|7453260|Okwiri Oduor|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
29) “The Is How I Remember It”, by [a:Ukamaka Olisakwe|5804474|Ukamaka Olisakwe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1582907952p2/5804474.jpg]
30) Excerpt from The Wayfarers, by [a:Chibundu Onuzo|5147513|Chibundu Onuzo|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1404941278p2/5147513.jpg]
31) Hope's Hunter [a:Mohamed Yunus Rafiq|14150772|Mohamed Yunus Rafiq|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
32) Excerpt from Ghana Must Go, by [a:Taiye Selasi|6463599|Taiye Selasi|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1612960780p2/6463599.jpg]
33) “The Sack”, by [a:Namwali Serpell|6895960|Namwali Serpell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534476832p2/6895960.jpg]
34) Excerpt from Harlot, by [a:Lola Shoneyin|3187323|Lola Shoneyin|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1288639059p2/3187323.jpg]
35) “Amoz Azucarado”, by [a:Nii Ayikwei Parkes|432788|Nii Ayikwei Parkes|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1294248640p2/432788.jpg]
36) Ex from work in progress [a:Novuyo Rosa Tshuma|5307695|Novuyo Rosa Tshuma|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1508017628p2/5307695.jpg]
37) Soham's Mulatto from Mood Indigo [a:Chika Unigwe|875189|Chika Unigwe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1425042538p2/875189.jpg]
38) Migrant Labour [a:Zukiswa Wanner|918413|Zukiswa Wanner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1512275300p2/918413.jpg]
39) Hiding in plain sight [a:Mary Watson|558061|Mary Watson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1585082791p2/558061.jpg]
2) “The Banana Eater”, by [a:Monica Arac de Nyeko|689406|Monica Arac de Nyeko|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
- Chasing out loitering vendors from the back yard & losing a friend...
3) Excerpt from "The Tiger of the Mangroves", by [a:Rotimi Babatunde|9860605|Rotimi Babatunde|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]-
- Chief Koko meets the Consul (who meets the merchants).
4) “Two Fragments of Love”, by Eileen Almedia Barbosa
- The artists' muse and shipwrecked
5) “Why Radio DJs are Superstars in Lagos”, by [a:A. Igoni Barrett|6545303|A. Igoni Barrett|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1389787756p2/6545303.jpg]
Excerpt from BlackAss - (I gave up on the book a few years ago)
6) Excerpt from Our Time of Sorrow, by [a:Jackee Budesta Batanda|8303282|Jackee Budesta Batanda|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]- the christian cult.
7) “Alu”, by [a:Recaredo Silebo Boturu|6245878|Recaredo Silebo Boturu|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] - and his mother's story.
8) “Mama’s Future”, by [a:Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond|3105925|Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1276550109p2/3105925.jpg] - Mama Africa (who's had a rough century) is on the deathbed and calling her children home to advise them on the future.
9) “The Occupant”, by [a:Shadreck Chikoti|14150766|Shadreck Chikoti|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] - Sci-fi: A watcher develops an interest in an occupant.
10) “The Professor”, by [a:Edwige-Renée Dro|14150767|Edwige-Renée Dro|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] - a story of love and literature.
11) Excerpt from New Mom, by [a:Tope Folarin|9860606|Tope Folarin|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] - would you want a new mom, if the old one went crazy?
12) “No Kissing the Dolls Unless Jimi Hendrix is Playing”, by [a:Clifton Gachagua|6575844|Clifton Gachagua|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
13) “Talking Money”, by [a:Stanley Gazemba|4168200|Stanley Gazemba|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
14) “Day and Night”, by [a:Mehul Gohil|14150768|Mehul Gohil|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
15) Excerpt from The Score, by [a:Hawa Jande Golakai|14150769|Hawa Jande Golakai|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
16) “The Pink Oysters”, by [a:Shafinaaz Hassim|3135638|Shafinaaz Hassim|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
17) “Echoes of Mirth”, by [a:Abubakar Adam Ibrahim|4289203|Abubakar Adam Ibrahim|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1527678094p2/4289203.jpg]
18) “The Old Man and the Pub”, by Stanley Onjezani Kenani
19) “Sometime Before Maulidi”, by [a:Ndinda Kioko|8388158|Ndinda Kioko|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
20) Excerpt from All Our Names, by [a:Dinaw Mengestu|135726|Dinaw Mengestu|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1392940247p2/135726.jpg]
21) “Number 9”, by [a:Nadifa Mohamed|3045585|Nadifa Mohamed|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1294679111p2/3045585.jpg]
22) Excerpt from Rusty Bell, by [a:Nthikeng Mohlele|3242711|Nthikeng Mohlele|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
23) “Cinema Demons”, by [a:Linda Musita|8388142|Linda Musita|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
24) Excerpt from Ebamba, Kinshasa-Makambo, by [a:Richard Ali A Mutu|14150771|Richard Ali A Mutu|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
25) “By the Tracks”, by [a:Sifiso Mzobe|4344945|Sifiso Mzobe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1317037868p2/4344945.jpg]
26) “My New Home”, by [a:Glaydah Namukasa|3497395|Glaydah Namukasa|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
27) “I’m Going to Make Changes to the Kitchen”, by [a:Ondjaki|884320|Ondjaki|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1313061144p2/884320.jpg]
28) “Rag Doll”, by [a:Okwiri Oduor|7453260|Okwiri Oduor|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
29) “The Is How I Remember It”, by [a:Ukamaka Olisakwe|5804474|Ukamaka Olisakwe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1582907952p2/5804474.jpg]
30) Excerpt from The Wayfarers, by [a:Chibundu Onuzo|5147513|Chibundu Onuzo|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1404941278p2/5147513.jpg]
31) Hope's Hunter [a:Mohamed Yunus Rafiq|14150772|Mohamed Yunus Rafiq|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png]
32) Excerpt from Ghana Must Go, by [a:Taiye Selasi|6463599|Taiye Selasi|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1612960780p2/6463599.jpg]
33) “The Sack”, by [a:Namwali Serpell|6895960|Namwali Serpell|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534476832p2/6895960.jpg]
34) Excerpt from Harlot, by [a:Lola Shoneyin|3187323|Lola Shoneyin|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1288639059p2/3187323.jpg]
35) “Amoz Azucarado”, by [a:Nii Ayikwei Parkes|432788|Nii Ayikwei Parkes|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1294248640p2/432788.jpg]
36) Ex from work in progress [a:Novuyo Rosa Tshuma|5307695|Novuyo Rosa Tshuma|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1508017628p2/5307695.jpg]
37) Soham's Mulatto from Mood Indigo [a:Chika Unigwe|875189|Chika Unigwe|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1425042538p2/875189.jpg]
38) Migrant Labour [a:Zukiswa Wanner|918413|Zukiswa Wanner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1512275300p2/918413.jpg]
39) Hiding in plain sight [a:Mary Watson|558061|Mary Watson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1585082791p2/558061.jpg]
not_alicen's review against another edition
1.0
2.5
Some short stories I really enjoyed (Hiding in Plain Sight - Mary Watson and I’m Going to Make Changes to the Kitchen - Ondjaki being two of them) but the majority were a bit eh. A lot of them were extracts from larger novels so I found they didn’t translate well to a shorter form.
It took me so long to read this and the only reason I pushed to finish it is because it’s the end of the year and I figured I may as well.
Some short stories I really enjoyed (Hiding in Plain Sight - Mary Watson and I’m Going to Make Changes to the Kitchen - Ondjaki being two of them) but the majority were a bit eh. A lot of them were extracts from larger novels so I found they didn’t translate well to a shorter form.
It took me so long to read this and the only reason I pushed to finish it is because it’s the end of the year and I figured I may as well.