Scan barcode
A review by bookofcinz
Call and Response by Gothataone Moeng
2.0
Bustling with life, energy, we meet fresh characters from contemporary Botswana teaching us about love, loss, family, rejection and redemption.
Gothataone Moeng’s Call and Response is a debut collection of nine short stories that explores life in contemporary Botswana. We meet very ordinary Botswanans who are navigating loss, love, family life, society’s expectation and what it means to be a part of a community.
Moeng writing is inviting, vivid and very engaging. There is a bit of mystery that she starts with for each story that you can’t help but want to solve and be a part of. Majority of the protagonist are women reinventing themselves or trying to not break under tradition and society’s expectation.
Of the nine stories there are a few that stood out to me, A GOOD GIRL who tries to be the good girl for her family, hides all the things she thinks is bad while her brother is doing the opposite. In Botalaote we meet a very young widow who is breaking under the pressure of observing tradition to make sure her husband death is honoured. SMALL WONDERS we find out the meaning of community and desires.
Honestly, this is what I would call a very solid collection of short stories. The author flexes her writing muscles but not too much, she tries, but not too hard and we are transported to Gaborone in Botswana where we meet a colorful, unforgettable cast. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.
Gothataone Moeng’s Call and Response is a debut collection of nine short stories that explores life in contemporary Botswana. We meet very ordinary Botswanans who are navigating loss, love, family life, society’s expectation and what it means to be a part of a community.
Moeng writing is inviting, vivid and very engaging. There is a bit of mystery that she starts with for each story that you can’t help but want to solve and be a part of. Majority of the protagonist are women reinventing themselves or trying to not break under tradition and society’s expectation.
Of the nine stories there are a few that stood out to me, A GOOD GIRL who tries to be the good girl for her family, hides all the things she thinks is bad while her brother is doing the opposite. In Botalaote we meet a very young widow who is breaking under the pressure of observing tradition to make sure her husband death is honoured. SMALL WONDERS we find out the meaning of community and desires.
Honestly, this is what I would call a very solid collection of short stories. The author flexes her writing muscles but not too much, she tries, but not too hard and we are transported to Gaborone in Botswana where we meet a colorful, unforgettable cast. I cannot wait to see what she writes next.