Reviews

À fleur de peau by Tsitsi Dangarembga

sincerelymendacious's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

withywoods's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book is so rich, so complex. I'm not sure I'll be able to shake it for a long time. Not that I would want to. Just thinking about Nyasha makes me want to sob.

gh0stp's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

luciepzt's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

carrie_bize's review against another edition

3.0

Ich war etwas zwiegespalten bei diesem Buch. Ich fand die Geschichte unglaublich horizonterweiternd.
Es geht um das Leben eines jungen Mädchens in Simbabwe, welches den patriarchalen Strukturen ihrer Kultur und gleichzeitig den Auswirkungen des Kolonialismus ausgesetzt ist und ihren Platz in der Welt finden will. Zwischendrin gab es einige Passagen, die ich etwas langatmig fand und musste mich dann etwas durchkämpfen. Da es aber kein sehr dickes Buch ist, bin ich trotzdem gut durchgekommen und fühle mich sehr bereichert um ein paar Blickwinkel.

zoejoy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

wumings's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense

4.0

this book is both deeply engaging and extremely difficult to read - it's difficult for me to read about women so trapped in their roles by society and the men who rage and lord over them, women who have to fight tooth and nail and give up self-respect just to survive and live a decent life.

the way i connected on so many levels with these african women living in colonized zimbabwe (rhodesia back then) in the late 1960s showed me that the struggles of women really do transcend borders and time. but i also appreciated the look into african culture at the time of colonization, particularly the bonds between women living in a severely patriarchal society where the patriarch of the family would be likened to a god.

i liked seeing our protagonist, tambudzai, fighting against expectations to get an education and got frustrated when she succumbed to traditions along the way (even though i completely understood her). there's this running theme of being torn between tradition and progress that speaks to a lot of us from the global south - this urge to tear out the ugly, backward, misogynist aspects of your culture and at the same time, wanting to preserve your culture and customs in the face of colonization. wanting to be proud of where you come from and wanting to grab at any chance of a better life. it's a difficult story with an uneasy, tense atmosphere and no answers at all. but i'm so glad it exists. 

sarah_grace04's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective

3.0

jillian_mon's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

Great book! My only problem, nothing to do with the plot or the way Ms.D writes, but rather there are some parts which are so densely packed with information that I (as someone who is out of practice with reading) must hold these huge paragraphs of information in my mind as I read. For those who may not understand I am also reading Dune at the same time which contain sentences of bits of information which I can retain easier it’s just quite hard for me with Nervous Conditions. I loved Nyasha and Tambudzai and Lucia!!😩🙏✨

caitlin_waddick's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Great writing. I liked seeing her country life. 
Smash the . 
Decolonize. 
Educational institutions must disclose and divest.