Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

11 reviews

bookwormcat's review

emotional funny informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Infidelity, Body shaming, Cancer, Bullying, Abandonment, Grief, Terminal illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content

amarreth's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Told through the lens of a 12-year-old girl, the story is about what it is to grow up and be a woman in the 1970s in Uganda as it is shifting from what was before to what is a colonized country. We see how the culture both rejects colonization and is forced to embrace it, we see what that means for a child who is also trying to understand her place in her family, without her mother, with a mostly absent father, and adoring, though firm, grandparents. The vestiges of the clan system, and the xenophobia that can bring as well as colorism that she, who is very dark, faces, and also that she herself applies to others. The story is simple, and that it is about a girl growing up. But everybody knows that growing up is never actually that simple and this story shows that very well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Religious bigotry, and Classism

Moderate: Death of parent and Grief

Minor: Miscarriage, War, Infertility, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Infidelity

The racism is mostly colorism, but that is not a tag. Additionally, the kidnapping is actually abduction of an adult minor character.

amberinpieces's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Medical content, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, War, Cancer, Death of parent, Grief, Car accident, Body shaming, and Sexism

Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Bullying, Islamophobia, Toxic friendship, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Blood, Miscarriage, and Sexual content

wordsofclover's review

emotional informative 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

3.5

Kirabo is a young girl growing up in a small Ugandan village with her grandparents when she starts first asking questions about the absence of her mother, as well as her own status as a good girl. As she gets to know the local village witch, Nsuuta, Kirabo learns what it means to have a wilder self inside of her and learns the history of Nsuuta and Kirabo's grandmother. As she grows older and moves away for school, Kirabo also comes into her own independence and beauty and must decide for herself where her future lies.

I listened to this on audiobook and the narrator did a beautiful job bringing the many Uganda folklore tales to life with her words, and in terms of a lyrical, lovely book to listen to, this was certainly the one. I will say I think it took me a while to understand where we were going at first because there was so much talk about Kirabo's 'second self' I couldn't help but wonder if this was going to go down some kind of magical realism route or stay strictly historical fiction.

I enjoyed the middle part of the book a lot as Kirabo grows a bit older and goes to the city to live with her father and his family, and onward to school where she is protected from the Uganda–Tanzania War that happens during this time.

The emphasis on what it means to be a woman in this book from a woman with sexual needs and looks that can bring men to her feet but also as a sister, daughter and friend is explored thoroughly and we see that Kirabo also has a slightly unusual upbringing in many ways as her father and grandfather are very proud to educate her fully and want her to succeed in a third-level education and career rather than becoming a homemaker. I loved Kirabo's relationship with her grandfather which was very sweet.

There were some elements to the story that felt a bit unfinished or not explored enough for me - Kirabo's feelings about her absentee mother is something that is very big at the start, disappears in the middle and comes back in a not so nice way at the end and the way this all worked out was kind of sad to read. I think there were strong themes in this book and I loved learning more about Ugandan culture, history and politics but there were parts of Kirabo's story that I just wanted more on - her friendships and school life more so than her relationship with a local boy for example.

I did like the author's way of writing though, and I think I will eventually read her other book which I think is a kind of companion novel to this one (or vice versa). 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Kidnapping, Miscarriage, and War

mikaclapson's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Colonisation, Body shaming, Miscarriage, War, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Kidnapping, and Trafficking

zara89's review

emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Infidelity, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Miscarriage

Minor: Infertility and War

my_plant_library's review

adventurous challenging emotional reflective slow-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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, and Misogyny

Moderate: Infidelity and Miscarriage

Minor: Rape

hayleyholliday's review

slow-paced

4.0

I really enjoyed this book although it has taken me a long time to read. I found the characters really loveable. The book being separated into different sections worked well and helped me to keep going. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent and Miscarriage

swansea_casserole's review

emotional inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abortion, Cancer, Car accident, and Miscarriage

achingallover's review

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body shaming, Cancer, Car accident, Colonisation, Death of parent, Grief, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Racism, Police brutality, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, War, and Violence