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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
This is a fairly straightforward coming-of-age novel set in the early years after Rhodesia's whites declared the country to be independent from Britain and ruled by whites only.
The historical setting is mentioned only rarely even though the stress of the situation is plainly felt by one of the main characters. For me, it would have helped to have at least a scene or two that made the dynamic more obvious.
We get the story entirely from the point-of-view of a 14-year-old girl who is given the chance to escape poverty by a wealthy uncle. Her experience in leaving her family behind, and changing attitudes towards their situation and her own, are the main focus of the book. Her story is complex and nuanced, and is consistently very engaging and well-written.
The historical setting is mentioned only rarely even though the stress of the situation is plainly felt by one of the main characters. For me, it would have helped to have at least a scene or two that made the dynamic more obvious.
We get the story entirely from the point-of-view of a 14-year-old girl who is given the chance to escape poverty by a wealthy uncle. Her experience in leaving her family behind, and changing attitudes towards their situation and her own, are the main focus of the book. Her story is complex and nuanced, and is consistently very engaging and well-written.
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Read for class but it was a really good read. It’s a semi-true story as the author drew inspiration from her own life.
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Ik heb dit boek echt opgesmikkeld. De stijl is heel toegankelijk en daarmee wordt het ogenschijnlijk simpele verhaal van meisje dat zich door onderwijs probeert de ontworstelen van armoede, tot een keiharde kritiek op kolonialisme, discriminatie en institutionele ongelijkheid. Zoveel sterke karakters: de hoogopgeleide tante die ondanks haar intelligentie en harde werk ondergeschikt aan haar man blijft, het sterke idealistische nichtje dat tegen zoveel systemen moet vechten dat het haar toch teveel wordt, de moeder die bang is ook haar dochter te verliezen aan 'Engelsheid', en natuurlijk Tambu zelf, die haar kansen grijpt maar daardoor ook steeds scherper ziet wat ze met haar emancipatie verliest. Kan niet wachten de volgende delen te lezen.
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
A look at rural life in pre independence Zimbabwe through the eyes of a 14 year old girl. The story is a simple one but the themes are complex and include patriarchy, racism, colonialism which created its own structures of wealth and poverty, and questions of identity. What I enjoyed about reading this book is that these themes did not take over the book. Tambu’s 14 year old voice was never lost. I look forward to reading the sequel.
good start to the reading for second year @uni, glad i got to read smth like this which tackles postcolonial identity and gender issues in a way that is not heavy-handed but instead refreshing
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Despite the heavy nature of its contents, I breezed right through this book. I was geniunely fascinated and I'm still processing all the things that the author highlighted.
Will return with a better review when I've chewed through my own thoughts. Safe to say, it's amazing though.
Will return with a better review when I've chewed through my own thoughts. Safe to say, it's amazing though.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes