akinyiakinyi's reviews
48 reviews

The first half of the book introduces numerous themes and characters, so meticulous note-taking is crucial to avoid confusion.

Set during the Scramble for Africa, the novel vividly portrays the struggles of Africans as they fought to defend their land against colonization and were forced to participate in wars they barely understood.

It was fascinating to observe the early manifestations of 'Ujamaa' within the traditional African context. Examples include Amur Biashara and his son establishing enterprises and entities that improved their livelihoods, and the community offering comfort and solace to strangers.

The novel also poignantly highlights the prevalence of patriarchy, with men arbitrarily dictating the fates of women, as tragically exemplified by Bi Asha.

Overall, this was an engaging read with a compelling narrative flow.

Hannah, Shola, Dami, and Segun's struggles with self-identity and race are well-highlighted in the book. Their stories depict the typical struggles faced by Africans and people of African descent on a daily basis.

While I enjoyed the love story between Lawrence and Hannah, I expected more passion, explicit sex scenes, and plot twists that would have kept me on the edge of my seat. Instead, I found the romance to be rather flat and typical of young adult fiction.

To understand the dialect in the book, I recommend watching the movie first. While the book explores many themes, the portrayal of patriarchy and sexual abuse is particularly striking. It's painful to read how someone can experience sexual abuse and blame themselves for it. For the longest time, women have faced numerous social injustices at the hands of men who are supposed to protect them. I loved seeing how Celie eventually found love with Shug and her happy ending of reuniting with her family. Definitely a book worth rereading.

"Our society—still too primitively agrarian, patriarchal, and polygamous—turns the woman into an object of exploitation for her labor power and of consumption for her biological reproductive capacity." (Thomas Sankara)
Africans lost a true revolutionary, a true son of the soil, and a pan-Africanist hero. I wonder where Burkina Faso would be if he were still alive.
This book beautifully highlights Sankara's journey from his early life to the last day before his death. Throughout his journey, one thing I've noted was his resilience, his teachings, and his love for Burkina Faso.
Way before we knew what environmental conservation meant, Sankara tried to educate his citizens on the importance of planting trees and conserving the environment.
It's safe to identify him as a feminist for how he continually and publicly defended women's rights in Burkina Faso. He saw the need for equality for women in workplaces, education, salaries, and in their existence. Not only did he talk about it and let things unfold magically, but he also appointed women to high public offices, something that was unheard of in Burkina Faso.
African leaders are well-known for plundering their country's resources while their citizens languish in poverty. It's admirable to see how he only wanted the best and significant economic growth for his country.
There's so much I can say about Sankara, but that would require me writing a book! 😂
His teachings and values still live within us. May the present and future generations learn something from Sankara's way of life.

Dennis did an excellent job with this literary work. He beautifully and engagingly narrated these stories, which intertwined effortlessly. Each story had me on the edge of my seat, eager to know what would happen next.
The theme of love was captured beautifully, particularly in the first and last stories. It's heartbreaking to see how the grandmother and granddaughter missed out on true love due to self-doubt, sabotage, and fear of the unknown.
It's safe to say that this is a book worth investing in. A great read!

I'm not one to give up on a book, but this one has been a huge struggle for me. The stories and word usage were not captivating for me. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't finish this book. It's my first DNF.

This is the second Biko book I've read, and I'm utterly disappointed. The lack of effort in the sentence and paragraph structure is evident. I won't even delve into his problematic portrayal of women.
However, the novel does succeed in highlighting the devastating impact of alcoholism on loved ones. It poignantly captures the painful process of watching someone slip away.
Ultimately, this isn't a book I'd recommend.

As a keen follower of Ethiopia's history and culture, especially the monarchy, I've noticed that, like in any other monarchy, there is always a power struggle where the ruthless, smart, and cunning person always wins. We see this with the Emperor who wisely ascended the power chain.

I believe the Emperor genuinely had a vision to elevate Ethiopia. This can be seen by the various changes he brought to his country, such as education, law development, and industrialization. However, old age, pride, and a monarchial mindset prevented him from seeing the changing mindset and cries for change from his people. His lack of action during famine, acquisition of Eritrea, and call for reforms led to his downfall.

It's sad to see how this great man was murdered and buried without any recognition.

Truly inspiring. Prof Wangari beautifully highlights challenges experienced by women while navigating societal expectations. A woman who speaks up  to question and call out violations is often viewed as a rot in society. As she states, men will want an educated woman but still expect her to act traditionally while men still retain their westernized mindset and way of life.

Her fight for democracy and respect for human rights specifically environmental rights, is a fight that should be continued for generations to come. Slowly, environmental degradation has continued to cause havoc on the planet.

The Nobel Peace Prize award was truly an award well deserved to a powerhouse, courageous and beautiful soul. May she continue resting in peace. As the current generation we must seek to emulate her.

Trevor's storytelling is both engaging and humorous. I particularly enjoyed the comical anecdotes, such as the newspaper and poop incidents.

 Many women, unfortunately, can relate to the challenges faced by Trevor's mother. We often hope for the best in people and strive to help them improve. However, it's disheartening to witness the prevalence of patriarchal attitudes in African society, particularly in cases of gender-based violence. A crucial lesson for women is that the first instance of physical abuse, whether a slap, kick, or punch, is often a precursor to more severe violence and potentially fatal consequences. It's essential to prioritize one's safety and walk away from abusive situations.