I have debated with myself how to rate this book. At first, it was really slow and I wanted to abandon it. The writing was stilted as if the author diI have debated with myself how to rate this book. At first, it was really slow and I wanted to abandon it. The writing was stilted as if the author didn't want to bother writing proper sentences. The random bible paragraphs annoyed me. But since I wanted to read something about Ethiopia, I persevered and definitely do not regret it. The story is what ultimately drew me in.
The narrative centres around the life of Yetemegnu, the author's grandmother. Born in Ethiopia in the 1920s, she was married off at the age of eight to a priest. He turned out to be controlling and abusive, but the couple had their tender moments as well. As regimes fall and other regimes take over, the events of the tumultuous 20th century affects Yetemegnu's life in myriad ways. The book follows her life in the context of history and provides both a micro and macro views of Ethiopia in the last century. It is Yetemegnu's eldest son, Edemariam, who migrated to Canada and had a daughter, Aida, who wrote this memoir.
There were many places in the book where I was confused. The author's writing style was deliberately obfuscating. There were many places where a single sentence could have given the context that readers not familiar with Ethiopia or Yetemegnu may lack. Events change in the blink of an eyelid and I had to keep turning back pages to check what happened - not that it helped! I ultimately resorted to Google to help clarify the wider context in which the events were taking place.
The addition of biblical phrases added nothing for me. At first, I read them diligently but eventually realised I simply had no context to make any connections and started skipping them. This made me feel I was losing out on something that was supposed to enhance my reading experience. Yetemegnu's dreams and her predictions are depicted as real (at least in the first half), which left me wondering if this was fact or fiction.
But, despite all the irritants, I fell in love with Ethiopia through this book. It felt like I was sitting in my balcony and visiting another country over a period of time. Somehow, despite all the irritants I have enumerated above, The Wife's Tale held me spellbound once I got going properly. I may want to read this again in a few years to see if I can make sense of what I missed this time. But the very fact that I am thinking this is testament to the author's ability to evoke a place and time to such a high degree. Glad I read this!...more
A collection of five stories by Uwem Akpan, a Nigerian pastor, Say You're One of Them is a hard-hitting social commentary on the plight of African chiA collection of five stories by Uwem Akpan, a Nigerian pastor, Say You're One of Them is a hard-hitting social commentary on the plight of African children. The stories are set in different African countries, each one depicting its own problems. Akpan has lived in different African countries, so this was probably a good choice.
The Ex-Mas Feast - 3 stars
Maisha, a twelve year old kid from the slums of Nairobi, has already taken to street walking to provide for her family and to send her young brother, Jigana, to school. The poverty-stricken parents behave worse than animals, but what better could be expected of people reduced to such circumstances? There is also a sexism angle to the story - neither Maisha nor her sister, Naema, are expected to go to school. Only Jigana. And you think, if Jigana were the elder, would he make these sacrifices to send his sister to school? I should think not!
The dialect made the scenes more real but they ended up being distracting. I lost track of the story in places and wasn't interested enough to go back and try to figure it out.
Fattening for Gabon - 1 star
Ten year old Kotchikpa and five year old Yewa have lost their parents recently to AIDS, and are now living with their uncle, Fofo Kpee. He is planning to sell them off in Gabon to pay off his debts. The rest of the story is a lengthy and convoluted mess. Akpan used dialect to good effect in the first story but gets carried away in this one. Half the time I simply did not understand what people were saying. The story was hard to read and too long, which spoilt the effect and I no longer cared by the end. Sadly, this ought to have been the most horrifying one because child trafficking is evil.
What Language Is That? - 5 stars
This story is set in Ethiopia during the Christian - Muslim conflict. Two young girls, one Christian and the other Muslim, suddenly find themselves separated. But friendship finds a way and the two girls soon find another way to communicate, unknown to anyone else.
This was a poignant look at faith clashes because you just know that these two girls will never be able to be really best friends. But it is also a hopeful look at the future - the religious divide has not divided these youngsters. This was the only story in the book with a positive ending, so it had to have the five stars. Also, two cute girls!
Luxurious Hearses - 4 stars
This was the story that had the most impact on me. Jubril, a sixteen year old Muslim youth, finds himself at the receiving end of the religious clashes in northern Nigeria. He flees, taking a bus to the south, hoping for a more stable atmosphere in Christian Nigeria. But is Christian Nigeria really any more tolerant?
The entire story took place inside a bus with a few flashbacks. Jubril is just the kind of person most people would dislike. Fanatical, misogynist, violent, and stupid. But inherently human and a product of his environment. The fact that Akpan managed to connect me to this boy really impressed me. I knew how it was going to end, but I was still interested.
Akpan took the three religious elements of Nigeria - Islam, Christianity, and the traditional religion, and played around with their different problems. The military and the government are other players who are responsible for the mess. I think Akpan managed to write a deeper and more analytical story here because he too is Nigerian and understands his country very well.
My Parents' Bedroom - 3 stars
Set in Rwanda during the civil war, this story is about a young girl with a Tutsi mother and a Hutu father. Her life suddenly overturns and she is simply unable to understand why. A sad story and very typical of mixed marriages during the time.
A great effort for a first-time book. I would not hesitate to pick up another Akpan book if he ever writes again. Especially if he chooses to set it in his home country, Nigeria....more
Dervla Murphy started her travelling career in 1965, travelling from Ireland to India on a cycle. After this, she travelled to many different places aDervla Murphy started her travelling career in 1965, travelling from Ireland to India on a cycle. After this, she travelled to many different places and is now one of the renowned travelogue writers. In Ethiopia with a Mule is her fourth book in which she visits Ethiopia and takes a trek through the largely rural areas of the country. With her is Jock, a mule she picks up at the start of her journey.
Murphy travels through the mostly underpopulated areas of the country and depends on the hospitality of the locals to survive through her journey. She faces physical hardships, indifferent hosts, and outright theft. Despite this, her love for the country and its inhabitants seemed to conquer all.
The book mostly covers Murphy's trip and is chock full of descriptions of the scenery and its beauty. She also describes in detail her reception at every single settlement where she rests on her way forward. Unfortunately, after the first time, it begins to bore. If you have heard of the beauty of blue gum trees and the hardships faced by her once, it's more than enough. Murphy, though, believes in lengthy descriptions of every single moment of her trip, which is often neither enlightening nor entertaining. It does not help that Murphy's writing style is dry and unemotional.
There are some interesting moments in the book. I specifically enjoyed the celebrations of Jesus' baptism, the story about the rogue priest, and the brief history of Ethiopia. But mostly, the book was just the same thing with mild variations of the same theme told in different words. I think I infinitely prefer travel books where the writer is actually staying in a particular place for a while, getting to know some of the local people and gets a better understanding of the local culture. I am beginning to find 'ships that pass in the night' style of travelogue extremely wearing.
Of course, this book is very well written, with wonderful prose and excellent descriptions. It is bound to give a lot of people a good return for their time. But not me. Ultimately, it depends on why you read a travel book: some read it for the adventure, some for the eloquent descriptions of the scenery, and others (like me) to enjoy learning about a different culture. The latter style should mandatorily involve at least a few local characters in a key role in the narrative. If it's just about the author, it's not really worth my time.
I do want to read a couple of other books by Murphy, specifically the one set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. I don't think that can be made boring. Or can it? I'll have to see. I also want to read about her experience in India, if only to see what her experiences in my country were like. But her Ethiopian journey has been very boring....more
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