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amberinpieces's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Medical content, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, War, Cancer, Death of parent, Grief, Car accident, Body shaming, and Sexism
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Bullying, Islamophobia, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Blood, Miscarriage, and Sexual content
beckyjc's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I discovered the Jhalak Prize this year, and The First Woman won its adult award for 2021. I also saw Makumbi speak at Cheltenham Literature Festival alongside Sophie Mackintosh in 2020 and her charisma encouraged me to try her writing.
This looked to be another absorbing family saga set against an historical and cultural backdrop I know little about - and I have enjoyed a few of those this year. This one started a bit slowly for me and it took a while for it to grip me, but I did enjoy it more as the story progressed. I think part of this is because there was a magical realism element, which I'm usually quite sceptical of. Kirabo 'flies' out of her body, particularly at times of emotional stress, and I still wasn't convinced about this by the end of the book.Was this really happening? If not, what was going on and what did it represent? Nsutta discusses this with her as if it's real and links it to the original state of woman, but I couldn't quite buy into it somehow.
The conversations that Kirabo has with village 'witch' Nsutta about womanhood and her discoveries of motherhood in all its incarnations are the parts I enjoyed the most. They are touching, wise and imbued with a wry humour. This is a novel defined by the relationships between the female characters; friends, mothers and daughters, aunts and nieces, grandmothers and granddaughters. All are drawn in their full complexity and humanity. The mythology around the 'first woman' is an undercurrent that resurfaces at various points of the narrative, and I always find it interesting to read about origin myths and national stories or worldviews from other countries and cultures. Part of Kirabo's journey is about testing the boundaries of these myths and exploring how well they stand up and can provide teachings in a fast changing world.
I learned more about Ugandan tradition, the impact of Idi Amin's regime, and the societal upheavals brought about by British colonialism and the arrival of Christianity. The contrasting definitions of wealth, family and power according to views of the villagers, Kampala residents and the West are explored. But it's the definition of what makes a woman and a mother that drives the novel.
Lively and profound.
This looked to be another absorbing family saga set against an historical and cultural backdrop I know little about - and I have enjoyed a few of those this year. This one started a bit slowly for me and it took a while for it to grip me, but I did enjoy it more as the story progressed. I think part of this is because there was a magical realism element, which I'm usually quite sceptical of. Kirabo 'flies' out of her body, particularly at times of emotional stress, and I still wasn't convinced about this by the end of the book.
The conversations that Kirabo has with village 'witch' Nsutta about womanhood and her discoveries of motherhood in all its incarnations are the parts I enjoyed the most. They are touching, wise and imbued with a wry humour. This is a novel defined by the relationships between the female characters; friends, mothers and daughters, aunts and nieces, grandmothers and granddaughters. All are drawn in their full complexity and humanity. The mythology around the 'first woman' is an undercurrent that resurfaces at various points of the narrative, and I always find it interesting to read about origin myths and national stories or worldviews from other countries and cultures. Part of Kirabo's journey is about testing the boundaries of these myths and exploring how well they stand up and can provide teachings in a fast changing world.
I learned more about Ugandan tradition, the impact of Idi Amin's regime, and the societal upheavals brought about by British colonialism and the arrival of Christianity. The contrasting definitions of wealth, family and power according to views of the villagers, Kampala residents and the West are explored. But it's the definition of what makes a woman and a mother that drives the novel.
Lively and profound.
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Slavery, Violence, and War
sarahholliday's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.25
I really loved this book.
What started as a tightly wound story unfolded into a stunning, complex epic covering the multifaceted nature of feminism, colonialism, authoritarianism, education, love, friendships, rumors, self-preservation, family dynamics and more.
If I have any criticism it's that I think the work as a whole would've benefitted from a bit more editing. But overall, I think Makumbi has created something truly great.
What started as a tightly wound story unfolded into a stunning, complex epic covering the multifaceted nature of feminism, colonialism, authoritarianism, education, love, friendships, rumors, self-preservation, family dynamics and more.
If I have any criticism it's that I think the work as a whole would've benefitted from a bit more editing. But overall, I think Makumbi has created something truly great.
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Medical content, Misogyny, Sexual content, and Slavery
Moderate: Miscarriage
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