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2treads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Listen, I will always have a good time with Condé's characters. Not only are they vibrant on the page but they are also complex beings with flaws and ambition and in Celanire's case, a need for revenge.
Here we are introduced to the mysterious yet clever Celanire in the Ivory Coast. She has come with a mission it seems to educate and elevate the state of women in this colonial village. However this comes with certain behavioral changes in the women that the men aren't too comfortable with. There are inexplicable yet plausible deaths linked to her, rumors of dark spirits using her for their own, and the belief that she is from the devil. As Celanire moves from Africa to Guadeloupe and finally to Peru, pieces of her missing story are slowly revealed and the mission that she is on to pay back her attempted sacrifice comes to light.
Condé is especially aware of the intricacies of each place wherein she sets her stories and they are readily consumed and understood. The racial and communal structures, the misogyny and perceptions of women, as well as the effects of colonialism.
Here we are introduced to the mysterious yet clever Celanire in the Ivory Coast. She has come with a mission it seems to educate and elevate the state of women in this colonial village. However this comes with certain behavioral changes in the women that the men aren't too comfortable with. There are inexplicable yet plausible deaths linked to her, rumors of dark spirits using her for their own, and the belief that she is from the devil. As Celanire moves from Africa to Guadeloupe and finally to Peru, pieces of her missing story are slowly revealed and the mission that she is on to pay back her attempted sacrifice comes to light.
Condé is especially aware of the intricacies of each place wherein she sets her stories and they are readily consumed and understood. The racial and communal structures, the misogyny and perceptions of women, as well as the effects of colonialism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Child death
Minor: Pregnancy, Slavery, Incest, Lesbophobia, Racial slurs, Alcoholism, Abortion, Addiction, Colonisation, Homophobia, Murder, Outing, and Physical abuse
liketheday's review
4.0
Basically what happens in this book is that there's a missionary called Celanire who shows up at a village in Africa conveniently soon (practically immediately after) the death of the man she was meant to work for, so she gets his job of running a home for "half-castes" — basically biracial children whose parent(s) don't want that transgression running around underfoot.
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minnieb's review
3.0
I related to Celanire on a personal level so I guess that is proof I am evil at worst, chaotic at best. It’s fine
julessand's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
lalanier's review against another edition
4.0
I don't read much magic realism, but this book has more going for it than that. It's a tale woven with past secrets and suspicious presents centering around Celanire and all who come in contact with her. It exposes the reader to histories of cultures one isn't likely to come across in a world history class, and leaves very few topics unaddressed no matter how "taboo" in their time or ours.
Through all the literal muck and "wickedness," Condé can still make the reader laugh or smile. At least I did, but maybe that had something to do with translation. It was a great introduction. I only regret it's a work later in her bibliography, but I know I'll be reading more.
Through all the literal muck and "wickedness," Condé can still make the reader laugh or smile. At least I did, but maybe that had something to do with translation. It was a great introduction. I only regret it's a work later in her bibliography, but I know I'll be reading more.
raulbime's review
4.0
This remarkable story has come to an end, and I leave it and the people in it sadder at its end, happier after reading it and I’d like to think more knowledgeable than I had been before I started it. Where to begin with this exquisite terrifying tale? It starts off on the coasts of modern day Cote D’Ivoire during French Colonization. Celanire, the protagonist of this tale is the most well written villain I’ve read in a while. So well written and so complex and mystifying that it is still difficult to say just how she is evil. An orphan from Guadeloupe, she grows up and studies under the care of nuns and is sent to oversee a home for biracial children abandoned by their white colonial fathers, where destruction and death follows this mysterious figure wherever she goes.
Going from the coasts of West Africa, to the islands of the Caribbean and northern South America, we’re led with brilliant words that give such a vivid picture of the various settings this story takes place in as we trace the origins of Celanire and the history that gave rise to this formidable character. Reading this story I’ve come to know more about maroon communities, traditions shared between the different communities of the African diaspora and generally about the history and geography of the multicultural regions the book is set in.
The most fascinating bit of this story for me was how a story, an incident, narrative, history takes a life of its own as it passes from individual to individual and through time. The story of Celanire, told through different characters gains form from the different individuals, each side enriching the story and driving the tantalizing and equally frightening and macabre story forward. Celanire was such a fascinating character, her motives and their reasons become clearer as the narrative progresses but her character remains just as elusive till the end. The second book to have read by this author, I've really enjoyed it and borrowed some more by her from the library that I can't wait to read.
Going from the coasts of West Africa, to the islands of the Caribbean and northern South America, we’re led with brilliant words that give such a vivid picture of the various settings this story takes place in as we trace the origins of Celanire and the history that gave rise to this formidable character. Reading this story I’ve come to know more about maroon communities, traditions shared between the different communities of the African diaspora and generally about the history and geography of the multicultural regions the book is set in.
The most fascinating bit of this story for me was how a story, an incident, narrative, history takes a life of its own as it passes from individual to individual and through time. The story of Celanire, told through different characters gains form from the different individuals, each side enriching the story and driving the tantalizing and equally frightening and macabre story forward. Celanire was such a fascinating character, her motives and their reasons become clearer as the narrative progresses but her character remains just as elusive till the end. The second book to have read by this author, I've really enjoyed it and borrowed some more by her from the library that I can't wait to read.
diesmali's review against another edition
3.0
A vibrant portrait of life in Guadeloupe in colonial times and a mystery of a crime/origin to keep the reader going.
brianareads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.0