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gardenvariety's review against another edition
5.0
I love her and I love this book--I know it's slow at first but so worth the time
chickensandmusic's review against another edition
4.0
This was a pretty solid book. It's depressing and the last few chapters of the story feel incredibly rushed to close compared to the rest of the book but overall a good read.
jaykoester's review against another edition
4.0
I dropped out on my first attempt. But a couple months later I came back to it. I’m glad I did.
thegracexu's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.5
I get why other people liked it but I thought it was too slow (particularly the middle dragged a lot) and some of the narrative voices really irked me.
curiousdaffodil's review against another edition
5.0
This book....wow, just, wow. I read it for the first time in my mid-twenties and remember what an epic story it was, how much history I learned from it, how I tried to identify with each of the daughters and the mother. The second time around, I read it after having had kids of my own. The experience of reading it as a mother was so much more personal. I saw the kids and their personalities so much differently, felt the loss of the youngest child as such a gut-punch. It's long, but so very worth it.
wjacksonata's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favourite books ever. Amazing story, strong female characters. Good way to learn about what happened in DRC during that time. Indictment of missionary work (well, missionary work gone wrong, anyway). I haven't met anyone who has read this and didn't totally love it.
petenewlove's review against another edition
5.0
An extended meditation/consideration of the extent to which we bear the sins of our fathers. Not really a spoiler, but.... I think the answer to the implied question given by Kingsolver is that yes, we can move beyond those sins, though the first step must be a serious reckoning with those sins. Thus, alas, we can move beyond our fathers' sins, though we must bear them along the way.
As a father myself, this feels heavy.
But then there are the broader implications of the extent to which we bear the sins of our father-country. And sometimes, I think that feels more bearable--like, there are things, perhaps, that I could do. But other times, the burden feels completely unbearable, insurmountable.
So much to think about after reading this book.
As a father myself, this feels heavy.
But then there are the broader implications of the extent to which we bear the sins of our father-country. And sometimes, I think that feels more bearable--like, there are things, perhaps, that I could do. But other times, the burden feels completely unbearable, insurmountable.
So much to think about after reading this book.
dlajoie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-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
4.5
karl_kai's review against another edition
4.0
Good book- none of the American characters are likable; the path of history is heartbreaking and anger inducing, even though you already know it is going to happen; but the description of how life is lived and seen through the eyes of the persons about whom history is usually described as happening "to" is well written and insightful. Long read, but highly recommended!