This is the new Oprah pick in Sept. 2009, and as another group talked about it, I decided to read it even though I am not a fan of short stories or of Oprah picks.
All 5 stories in the book were written in the voice of a child in the story. In some of the stories, the vernacular speech was very hard to follow.
I found the first story very sad; a family trying to stay together. The mother, pick-pocket father, the 12 year old sister who turns to prostitution to help send her younger brother to school, and a few other siblings and their lot in life.
The second, third and fourth depend on your interest in the subject of violence against children in Africa and how much you may have already read about this -- These three weren't as compelling as the first and last stories for me.
The last story, "My Parent's Bedroom", about the violence between the Tutsi and Hutu, was extremely horrifying and sad.
I don't really know whether to recommend this book or not. I don't think the writing is exactly top-notch, but on the other hand, the writing in some of the stories is quite good. The book is sad and horrifying at turns - to some it could be very depressing, to others very educational. It is an emotional book to read.
This is the new Oprah pick in Sept. 2009, and as another group talked about it, I decided to read it even though I am not a fan of short stories or of Oprah picks.
All 5 stories in the book were written in the voice of a child in the story. In some of the stories, the vernacular speech was very hard to follow.
I found the first story very sad; a family trying to stay together. The mother, pick-pocket father, the 12 year old sister who turns to prostitution to help send her younger brother to school, and a few other siblings and their lot in life.
The second, third and fourth depend on your interest in the subject of violence against children in Africa and how much you may have already read about this -- These three weren't as compelling as the first and last stories for me.
The last story, "My Parent's Bedroom", about the violence between the Tutsi and Hutu, was extremely horrifying and sad.
I don't really know whether to recommend this book or not. I don't think the writing is exactly top-notch, but on the other hand, the writing in some of the stories is quite good. The book is sad and horrifying at turns - to some it could be very depressing, to others very educational. It is an emotional book to read.