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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
emotional
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:
No
A story of growing up in Zimbabwe, seen through the eyes of a child.
I thought it was both chilling and fascinating how the author managed to present issues in Zimbabwe, such as teen pregnancy, sexual assault, AIDS, civil war, colonialism and poverty, without explicitly describing any of them. We see the consequences of these issues through the eyes of a little girl who does not understand their causes and thus approaches them with casual curiosity. The heavy subject matter is juxtaposed against the child-like, easy going tone of the book.
At it's core it's a book about growing up, about identity, immigration, family and roots written in a truly unique way.
I thought it was both chilling and fascinating how the author managed to present issues in Zimbabwe, such as teen pregnancy, sexual assault, AIDS, civil war, colonialism and poverty, without explicitly describing any of them. We see the consequences of these issues through the eyes of a little girl who does not understand their causes and thus approaches them with casual curiosity. The heavy subject matter is juxtaposed against the child-like, easy going tone of the book.
At it's core it's a book about growing up, about identity, immigration, family and roots written in a truly unique way.
Book on my Nook which took me a while to get through. It was quite a different type of story told from a child's point of view in a country which is never explicitly names, but is Zimbabwe, and then their move to America. Didn't really enjoy it, but it was interesting.
I was kinda underwhelmed and I don't know if the second half was a bit disjointed or whether I stopped paying attention
An interesting addition to the "leaving Africa behind" genre. Pulls no punches, and I'm still trying to figure out the disturbing ending, but belongs on anyone's shelf who is interested in the muddle that invariably follows when switching cultures.
I'm not sure it's a complete success--it can be disjointed, and the parts don't always fit together. Some stories seem incomplete or just dropped in, as if this were separate short stories just crammed together. This is not a mellifluous, nostalgic memoir but a brutal look at broken nation, the people who manage to survive, and the cost.
Others have commented on how the story doesn't seem to go anywhere; there's not much of a character arc for Darling. I suspect that is the point: she is trapped between two near-impossible situations. I was more bothered by the novel's sense of checking off all the troubles that are Africa, reveling in poverty-porn: childhood malnutrion? Check! Childhood pregnancies? Check! Civil wars? Check! AIDS? Check! Yet there is no overall purpose for this or sense of catharsis in this (in the Aristotelian sense).
Having said all that, still definitely worth a read, but more of a 3 1/2 stars than a solid 4.
I'm not sure it's a complete success--it can be disjointed, and the parts don't always fit together. Some stories seem incomplete or just dropped in, as if this were separate short stories just crammed together. This is not a mellifluous, nostalgic memoir but a brutal look at broken nation, the people who manage to survive, and the cost.
Others have commented on how the story doesn't seem to go anywhere; there's not much of a character arc for Darling. I suspect that is the point: she is trapped between two near-impossible situations. I was more bothered by the novel's sense of checking off all the troubles that are Africa, reveling in poverty-porn: childhood malnutrion? Check! Childhood pregnancies? Check! Civil wars? Check! AIDS? Check! Yet there is no overall purpose for this or sense of catharsis in this (in the Aristotelian sense).
Having said all that, still definitely worth a read, but more of a 3 1/2 stars than a solid 4.
At times beautifully written, at others it felt cliched. This is a lovely collection of vignettes, but it never really comes together as a coherent whole.
This is one of those books you wish had come into your life earlier. It's just honest and lovely and terrifying. I wish my teenage self could have read this book.
Jag förstår vad hon försökte göra, men hon misslyckades totalt. Enda gången hon lyckades var i ett kapitel... av typ 20
Devastating portrayal of life in Zimbabwe and in "Destroyed", Michigan.
in my quest to read more diverse african books, i picked this up and i’m not disappointed at all. i enjoyed reading this and the author’s writing is so good, i caught myself laughing way too many times. i absolutely enjoyed it and i totally recommend.