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A review by irishcoda
To Fill a Yellow House by Sussie Anie
3.0
I saw To Fill A Yellow House by Sussie Anie on a display table when I walked into the library to pick up a book I’d requested. I was intrigued by the cover, a young boy stretching up on tiptoe with a thin paintbrush. The rest of the cover was yellow with orange lettering. I read the reviews on the back cover and decided to check it out.
I enjoyed the book although there were some issues that remained unclear to me, and perhaps that was intentional.
Kwasi was the little boy on the cover. When he’s first introduced, he’s seven years old and living in a large house on the outskirts of London. He has a very busy household: parents, two aunts, and many “aunties” that come and go. That was the first puzzle to unravel. Who were all these “aunties?”
Kwasi, a sensitive child, loves to draw. One day on an outing, he sees a quaint little shop and is intrigued by it. He sketches it but is gathered up by his aunties before he can go into it. His parents and aunties are very protective of him and he’s almost never out of their sight. He’s not allowed out but one day sneaks out and goes back to the shop.
The door is open, but no one is there. The shop is filled with a variety of curious knick-knacks, lamps, fabrics, toys, and furniture. He sits down behind the till and makes a drawing of everything he sees, filling in the details. A noise scares him and he bolts for the door.
The shopkeeper comes up from the basement but isn’t able to catch Kwasi. The shopkeeper’s name is Rupert. He is still grieving the loss of his wife, Jada. This curiosity shop was their dream. Much of the money they make from the secondhand donations to the shop are made to a charity. The shopkeeper has an addiction to something that is “perfectly legal” and can be brewed into a tea or coffee. Another puzzle.
There is a larger than life presence in the neighborhood: Councilman Obi. He has a son Kwasi’s age, Jericho. Here is another puzzle: is King Obi a good guy or not? He seems to be, but he also seems to be feared by residents in the neighborhood because he’s pushing for progress.
After the introductory chapters, Kwasi ages to about 15. There have been many changes and a few answers to puzzles. His parents are Ghanian immigrants and all the extra “aunties” that come and go seem to be refugees from war-torn places. Kwasi’s father has moved semi-permanently back to Ghana, working on a years-long project.
Kwasi is still helicoptered by his mother and aunties. He is alternately bullied and invited to join Jericho and his gang of friends. They seem to be involved in some nefarious doings which Kwasi wants no part of.
Instead, Kwasi has been secretly visiting Rupert at his shop. Rupert found Kwasi’s drawing left behind, liked it and framed it. When he realizes that his new visitor is the artist, he befriends Kwasi and encourages him.
It’s a tale told sensitively of love, grief, self-acceptance, and friendship. There is more to the story than I’m sharing but I don’t want to give it all away. I liked it very much and would rate it higher except for some of the ambiguous puzzles I haven’t been able to work out completely.
I enjoyed the book although there were some issues that remained unclear to me, and perhaps that was intentional.
Kwasi was the little boy on the cover. When he’s first introduced, he’s seven years old and living in a large house on the outskirts of London. He has a very busy household: parents, two aunts, and many “aunties” that come and go. That was the first puzzle to unravel. Who were all these “aunties?”
Kwasi, a sensitive child, loves to draw. One day on an outing, he sees a quaint little shop and is intrigued by it. He sketches it but is gathered up by his aunties before he can go into it. His parents and aunties are very protective of him and he’s almost never out of their sight. He’s not allowed out but one day sneaks out and goes back to the shop.
The door is open, but no one is there. The shop is filled with a variety of curious knick-knacks, lamps, fabrics, toys, and furniture. He sits down behind the till and makes a drawing of everything he sees, filling in the details. A noise scares him and he bolts for the door.
The shopkeeper comes up from the basement but isn’t able to catch Kwasi. The shopkeeper’s name is Rupert. He is still grieving the loss of his wife, Jada. This curiosity shop was their dream. Much of the money they make from the secondhand donations to the shop are made to a charity. The shopkeeper has an addiction to something that is “perfectly legal” and can be brewed into a tea or coffee. Another puzzle.
There is a larger than life presence in the neighborhood: Councilman Obi. He has a son Kwasi’s age, Jericho. Here is another puzzle: is King Obi a good guy or not? He seems to be, but he also seems to be feared by residents in the neighborhood because he’s pushing for progress.
After the introductory chapters, Kwasi ages to about 15. There have been many changes and a few answers to puzzles. His parents are Ghanian immigrants and all the extra “aunties” that come and go seem to be refugees from war-torn places. Kwasi’s father has moved semi-permanently back to Ghana, working on a years-long project.
Kwasi is still helicoptered by his mother and aunties. He is alternately bullied and invited to join Jericho and his gang of friends. They seem to be involved in some nefarious doings which Kwasi wants no part of.
Instead, Kwasi has been secretly visiting Rupert at his shop. Rupert found Kwasi’s drawing left behind, liked it and framed it. When he realizes that his new visitor is the artist, he befriends Kwasi and encourages him.
It’s a tale told sensitively of love, grief, self-acceptance, and friendship. There is more to the story than I’m sharing but I don’t want to give it all away. I liked it very much and would rate it higher except for some of the ambiguous puzzles I haven’t been able to work out completely.