Scan barcode
madmart17's review against another edition
Oof. This was hard. I was looking forward to some sort of epic family convergence story, but the structure of the book made it all feel very disconnected and heartless to me. If you’re going to have section dedicated to each character, I would rather have the story be told exclusively from their perspective. I was unmotivated to finish and confused when I did pick it up.
reiding's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
lellowgreen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ktaylorhurley's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know how to rate this book. It was ambitious-- both in the writing and in the reading. It was, at times, bizarre. But it was also a glimpse into a country and people I know nothing about. I want to seek out interviews she's done. I want to understand it better.
marshal_ray's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
booksbakesbikes's review against another edition
4.0
Loved reading this book as I was in Zambia, seeing many of the places mentioned (and also being woken up by a rooster who thought street lights were the sun). Really loved the many ways the different characters' lives were revealed to be interwoven. After such a beautiful story, the ending left something to be desired, but I still enjoyed the journey.
dancinrio's review against another edition
5.0
I do love a sweeping, multi-generational epic and this one is magnificent with Zambia taking as big a role as the human characters. There is so much depth here it is just a pleasure to immerse oneself in.
eegah's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
a fascinating journey that charts the history of Zambia, specifically Lusaka, from the colonial period to the near future. contains the trappings of magical realism, historical literary fiction, and a little bit of science fiction as well.
the jumping off point for the novel is brilliant in its simplicity, allowing us to see distinctly different narratives all throughout the book. I especially liked that the women were front and center in this exploration of Zambian history.
I got a lot more mileage out of this after recently reading King Leopold's Ghost, so I would say some prior knowledge about African history did help me digest this.
the jumping off point for the novel is brilliant in its simplicity, allowing us to see distinctly different narratives all throughout the book. I especially liked that the women were front and center in this exploration of Zambian history.
I got a lot more mileage out of this after recently reading King Leopold's Ghost, so I would say some prior knowledge about African history did help me digest this.
alexandramina's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
robl's review against another edition
2.0
There were some sections of great writing, but on the whole it felt drawn out with (for me, at least) a confusing payoff.