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vagrantheather's review against another edition
3.0
The best aspect of this book is that it's so heavy with culture and custom. I think it's vital for the target age range (probably 10-14 yrs old) to realize that other cultures' belief structures vary quite a bit from American culture. The main character of this book is from a traditional Shona village in northern Mozambique; her people believe in animism (every creature has a spirit with its own whims), sacrificing animals (such as when a family member dies), the influence of ancestral spirits on everyday life, polygamy, witchcraft (which is considered wicked), respecting elders, "totem animals" (IE Disaster is of the lion totem, because that's her father's totem, and it would be incest for her to marry someone of the lion totem. Also, eating the animal of one's totem is thought to curse you.), and myriad other folklore items. One of the most crucial aspects of the book is how Disaster views Christianity. A few other critiques have stated that this was offensive, but I think it's imperative that Christians are exposed to why other cultures don't convert. Nancy Farmer's young adult novel does this splendidly, showcasing what Disaster grew up believing and how it effected her interpretation of Jesus.
I'm not really certain why other rankers called this book "slow"... I guess it just depends how fascinated you are with other cultures. Personally, I found this book to be a page-turner, but I'm a known cultureaholic ;].
I'm not really certain why other rankers called this book "slow"... I guess it just depends how fascinated you are with other cultures. Personally, I found this book to be a page-turner, but I'm a known cultureaholic ;].
k_lee_reads_it's review against another edition
3.0
"A GIRL NAMED DISASTER is the humorous and heartwrenching story of young girl who discovers her own courage and strength when she makes the dangerous journey from Mozambique to Zimbabwe. Nhamo is a Shona girl living in a traditional village in Mozambique in 1981. When her family tries to force her into a marriage with a cruel man, she flees. What was supposed to have been a short boat trip across the border into Zimbabwe, where she hoped to find her father, turns into an adventure filled with challenges and danger that lasts a year."
Reading it felt like it took a year. It is worth reading, but you could die in all the details.
Reading it felt like it took a year. It is worth reading, but you could die in all the details.
drkappitan's review against another edition
3.0
I hesitated over whether to give this 3 or 4 stars. The protagonist is sympathetic and much of the story interesting, but I wonder how much this tale of an African girl is inflected by the gaze of the white woman who wrote it.
thomcat's review against another edition
4.0
Coming of age story in a well researched setting with a very strong female main character. Africa (Mozambique and Zimbabwe) and the spirits of Shona tribesmen play a strong role in this solid adventure story.
The basic plot is a girl whose parents are both gone, made to labor for her family in a traditional Shona village. When the story of her father killing a man comes out, some other villagers believe the victim's restless spirit curses the village. Their solution is to marry little Nhamo off to the victim's brother, who is described as diseased and ugly. Her grandmother, one of the few characters that is good to her, encourages her to run away to her father's family in Zimbabwe. Of course, a simple few days travel turns into many months adventure when things don't go the way she plans.
Nhamo is a strong character, and the spirits she interacts with help her in the adventure. When anxious or bored, she tells stories - many of them Shona folk tales. This works well, creating many stories within the main tale.
Read this book aloud with my daughter, and my only regret is a decent pronunciation guide. The book contains maps, a list of characters, and a glossary for unfamiliar terms. It concludes with a history of Shona and Mozambique culture and politics, along with a solid bibliography. I concur with my daughter's rating of 4 stars, and enjoyed this few weeks.
The basic plot is a girl whose parents are both gone, made to labor for her family in a traditional Shona village. When the story of her father killing a man comes out, some other villagers believe the victim's restless spirit curses the village. Their solution is to marry little Nhamo off to the victim's brother, who is described as diseased and ugly. Her grandmother, one of the few characters that is good to her, encourages her to run away to her father's family in Zimbabwe. Of course, a simple few days travel turns into many months adventure when things don't go the way she plans.
Nhamo is a strong character, and the spirits she interacts with help her in the adventure. When anxious or bored, she tells stories - many of them Shona folk tales. This works well, creating many stories within the main tale.
Read this book aloud with my daughter, and my only regret is a decent pronunciation guide. The book contains maps, a list of characters, and a glossary for unfamiliar terms. It concludes with a history of Shona and Mozambique culture and politics, along with a solid bibliography. I concur with my daughter's rating of 4 stars, and enjoyed this few weeks.
amberacks12's review against another edition
3.0
This book is about a girl who grew up in a poverty-stricken tribe in Mozambique, Africa. She is a misfit in her family, her name, Nhamo, means disaster in the Shona language. Her mother was killed by a leopard and her father deserted her when she was young. The only love she knew was from her grandmother. But when Grandmother's life is threatened, Nhamo has no more protection from her supersticious relatives. They try to marry her off to a horrible man with three wives already. Her Grandmother secretly helps Nhamo escape by giving her some gold nuggets and telling her where to find her Father's family. Nhamo heads off into the wild and lives for years among the crocodiles, Hippos, Baboons, and other wild African animals. Eventually she makes it to a place where she is loved and cared for. I add this book alongside Julie of the Wolves, Island of the Blue Dolphins and Zia. A book about survival and an opening of the mind to new and wild experiences. It also has shown me a different culture and another of millions of different ways to live in this world.
hannahilea's review against another edition
3.0
A particularly well-written girl-adventure-coming-of-age-and-finding-self wilderness book.
mischiefmanaged's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
bookstuff's review
4.0
I loved it. It's about a girl who flees from Mozambique to Zimbabwe in the early 80s. One of the things I love about it is the way the local beliefs are seen through the character's eyes. I think it made the beliefs very real.
queendomreads's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book when I was younger, but I was really confused about the meaning, or the whole book really. And I after I read it again, I thought about it and I realized Nancy Farmer is not talking about the Strength we can have if we put our minds to it, she's talking about how wherever Nhamo went, she was looking for a home. When she was in her village, on Nhamo's Island, in Mtoronga (not sure if I spelled that correctly), but she found a home in the most unlikely place, in Efifi.