The Sun Sister is the sixth installment in The Seven Sisters series, and showcases Electra D’Apliese’s story. Electra is the youngest of the D’AplièseThe Sun Sister is the sixth installment in The Seven Sisters series, and showcases Electra D’Apliese’s story. Electra is the youngest of the D’Aplièse sisters, all adopted by Pa Salt from different parts of the world and brought up on a beautiful island in Switzerland. After their father’s death they are given clues to their true heritage to find out who they really are. Electra is twenty six, one of the world's most famous models, and a woman of high privilege and power who doesn’t know how to use and control it.
I had a hard time warming up to Electra. She was such a brat. It was clear that Electra had always felt slightly out of place in her family. Eventually I came around to thinking she was mostly misunderstood, confused and lacked a connection to anyone. I saw Electra’s substance abuse, alcoholism and multiple relationships as a big call for help.
Each one of these novels has a historical fiction backstory that provides information on how each sister was born and where they lived. I really enjoyed the backstory in this book. I think it was my favorite of them all. It begins in 1939 when Cecily Huntley-Morgan's godmother asks her to come and spend some time in Kenya with her. She's recently been dumped by her fiance for another woman and is happy to leave. I found the Kenyan setting interesting and the contrast between the wealthy Europeans and the poverty stricken local population was just awful.
If you've read the other books in the series you are sure to enjoy this one and even more eager to see what happens in the seventh one, The Missing Sister, which will hopefully provide answers to some of the mysteries and questions that have been hanging on in the prior books....more
When the Lion Feeds interweaves fictional characters with the history of South Africa in a way that will intrigue you at the same time it repels you. When the Lion Feeds interweaves fictional characters with the history of South Africa in a way that will intrigue you at the same time it repels you. In this first book of the 16 volume Courtney series, we are introduced to twins, Sean and Garrick Courtney.
The book is divided into three parts and the first one describes the twins' early lives and the genesis if their hatred for one other. The next two parts are focused on Sean, who pretty much takes over the rest of the book. Sean is the more dominant twin, an adventurer who epitomized a "man's man" during the time this book was written.
I was surprised to find out this was the first book written by Wilbur Smith. His characters were written with complex personalities. The portrayal of Sean's relationship with his friend and partner, Duff Charleywood, was so well written, at at times, quite poignant. This book was written in 1964 so there is going to be reprehensible behavior towards the natives, as well as lots of hunting and killing, especially elephants. That was considered a great way to make a living in the 1880s, but it is jarring to read today. It's typical of family sagas in that much of the story is predictable and the ending is foreshadowed fairly early.
if you enjoy adventure stories set in Africa, learning about the Boers, Afrikaans, the Anglo-Zulu war, and the early stages of finding gold in South Africa you are sure to enjoy this. Remember, this is just the first book of a sixteem volume family saga so there will be some lingering threads that will be picked up in future books. I had no intention of reading further but I am interested enough to pick up the second book, Sound of Thunder....more
In The Missing American, author Kwei Quartey introduces readers to Emma Djan, the daughter of a homicide detective who wants to follow in her dad’s foIn The Missing American, author Kwei Quartey introduces readers to Emma Djan, the daughter of a homicide detective who wants to follow in her dad’s footsteps. After joining the police department, she is placed in Commercial Crimes. She interviews for a job in Homicide but loses hope when the police commissioner attempts to assault her.
She knows she can't stay with the Ghana police. A former colleague sets her up for an interview with the Sowah Detective Agency, a private investigation firm and she can't wait to begin her new job. Her opportunity comes when Derek Tilson hires the agency to find his missing dad.
Middle-aged American, Gordon Tilson, has traveled to Ghana to track down whoever swindled him out of $4,000 in an Internet scam. The widower, who married his Ghanaian wife years earlier while in the Peace Corps, had been lured into a romance with a nonexistent woman, the creation of “sakawa boys,” Internet scammers. Now he is missing.
After a slow start and a series of mysterious coincidences, the nature of these scams and the corruption preventing exposure are interlinked with the search for the missing American. As in the Darko Dawson series, Quartey provides authentic flavor through Ghana’s food, colorful clothing, and its distinctive landscape.
I listened to the audio version, narrated by Robin Miles, which was very atmospheric, with people speaking mostly colloquial English, but also pidgin English and local dialects. I really liked Emma Djan, who has a compelling backstory, but I didn't quite feel like I got to know her because there were just so many characters. I definitely plan to get Sleep Well, My Lady, the next Emma Djan mystery, published earlier this year....more
Korede is at home one night when she get a phone call from her younger sister Ayoola, who has killed her boyfriend Femi and claims it was in self-defeKorede is at home one night when she get a phone call from her younger sister Ayoola, who has killed her boyfriend Femi and claims it was in self-defence. This is the third time one of Ayoola’s boyfriends has died in suspicious circumstances. Having been told by her mother to always take care of her sister, Korede goes to Femi’s apartment to clean up the crime scene and help dispose of his body.
Korede is a nurse and has a secret crush on Tade, one of the doctors at the hospital. One day Ayoola comes to see Korede, Tade sees her, and they begin a relationship. Korde is afraid he will fall victim to Ayoola's "bad luck".
I had a problem being sympathetic to Korede, who continued to cover up for Ayoola during the course of the book. In her own way, she could be as ruthless a her sister. The only character I was drawn to was Muhtar, the comatose man Korede shares her secrets with as she cares for him as his nurse.
This is a well written book that explores themes such as friendship, sisterhood, family ties, love, and abuse. I enjoyed the depiction of Nigerian culture. The flashbacks to the sisters past relationship with their father provides a better understanding of their motivations. Overall, I enjoyed the book and my glimpse into the lives of the twisted sisters....more
Nathan Price is a Baptist missionary moving to the Congo along with his wife and daughters.
The Price family's story is set against the political backdNathan Price is a Baptist missionary moving to the Congo along with his wife and daughters.
The Price family's story is set against the political backdrop of a country gaining its independence from Belgium. Nathan’s religious fervor moves to such a level of fanaticism that he refuses to move his family back to America and vows to stay in the Congo until he believes God’s work there is done.
Orleanna and her four daughters are the narrators, and each infuses her own personality and point of view into her narration. Each of the voices was distinctive because all four girls had different perspectives.
This intricately layered story explores themes of politics, European colonialism in Africa, religion, and culture. I really enjoyed the first half but once the family left Africa I lost some of my interest.
I felt the story became repetitive in both structure and content. It could have been edited into a much tighter story and been better. Nevertheless, it was a fascinating look at Africa during this time period....more
Cutting for Stone is the story of twin boys, Marion and Shiva Stone, born joined at the head in a mission hospital in Addis Ababa over fifty years agoCutting for Stone is the story of twin boys, Marion and Shiva Stone, born joined at the head in a mission hospital in Addis Ababa over fifty years ago. Their mother, an Indian nun, had kept her pregnancy secret and died during the births. Their father, a surgeon named Thomas Stone, abandons them at birth. The boys are adopted by two doctors, their new mother, the obstetrician who delivered them, and their father, a general practitioner who becomes a surgeon after their father, the only surgeon, immediately runs off.
The book is narrated by Marion, and describes growing up in the Ethiopia of the Emperor Haile Selassie. This is not a feel good book. Each of the characters are touched by multiple tragedies. I was heartbroken to read about the living conditions in Ethiopia. The author is a doctor himself, and there are some fairly long passages describing female genital mutilation, as well as some fairly detailed and gruesome surgeries.
I have not been able to stop thinking about this book. Although breathtakingly sad in some places, there is an underlying story of love and devotion. I'll admit to skimming through many of the medical procedure sections. As long as I knew what the disease was I didn't need to know that much about the surgery. I don't think everyone will love this book but I believe it is one of the most powerful books that I have ever read....more
Sibylla Spencer doesn't want the lifestyle that's meant for British women of the 1800's. She marries a man who works for the family's shipping companySibylla Spencer doesn't want the lifestyle that's meant for British women of the 1800's. She marries a man who works for the family's shipping company and convinces her father that her husband is the right man to head up the operation in Morocco.
Sibylla is a well developed character, and it was interesting to read about her life in Morocco. Although the story begins in England, most of it is set in Mogador, Morocco, where Sibylla is sometimes called “The Lioness” because of her mane of golden hair.
The novel is set in a tumultuous time, so there are plenty of plot twists, and the story occurs over a twenty five years. There are detailed descriptions of Moroccan history and culture, as well as mystery and romance elements. There were many dramatic twists in the book, but also quite a few places where plot was quite predictable, especially the "surprise" twist that I could see a mile away.
The authors did a great job of researching and demonstrated an appreciation of Arabic and Berber culture. I had no expectation when I picked up this book and found it enjoyable, despite the predictable ending....more
The Memory of Love is set in the aftermath of Sierra Leone's long civil war (March of 1991 through January of 2002)and where now many of the survivorsThe Memory of Love is set in the aftermath of Sierra Leone's long civil war (March of 1991 through January of 2002)and where now many of the survivors are suffering from various conditions of post traumatic stress. The story opens with the first person narrative of Elias Cole, an elderly academic who is telling his story to psychiatric, Adrian Lockheart. Lockheart is a British psychiatrist who has come to the city convinced he can be of help. He meets Kai Mansaray, an orthopedic surgeon born and raised in Sierra Leone. Kai has always dreamed of leaving the country as have most of his friends and relatives.
I can honestly say that when I began the book I had little interest in it, other than reading something set in Sierra Leone. I thought the author did a wonderful job of drawing me into the narrative of the three men. Elias' story is mostly told from the past and I found it the most compelling in the beginning. Before long long, both Adam and Kai's story became just as fascinating. I wasn't sure how their stories tied together until the last third of the book, but I was certain from the beginning they would connect in some way.
I have never read anything by Aminatta Forna but I would definitely do so again. She had a beautiful way of writing and her story wove together an intricate tapestry of betrayal, tragedy and loss. The Memory of Love looks hard at the scars that civil wars leaves behind. It's an ambitious novel, but one that richly rewards the reader with complexity and depth in storytelling....more
This is the story of a wealthy Nigerian family headed by Eugene, a religious father who was brought up by Catholic missionaries. He's perceived by hisThis is the story of a wealthy Nigerian family headed by Eugene, a religious father who was brought up by Catholic missionaries. He's perceived by his community as a generous and charitable man who is also publisher of an outspoken newspaper critical of the current repressive regime. Fifteen-year-old Kambili is the narrator of the story where we soon learn the shiny exterior hides a different reality for Kambili, her mother and her brother Jaja. The family is being destroyed by domestic violence, a father who has an uncontrollable temper and a family that can't live up to his impossible standards. He has even cut his his own father from his life for holding on to his ancient religion, only allowing his children to see him once a year for ten minutes.
Against his better judgment, Eugene allows his sister to take his children to spend a few days in her home. Kambili and Jaja are completely out of place in their aunt's home. She's an open-hearted person who lives in a messy, crowded apartment. It's a complete contrast to their own rigid orderly home. Jaja begins to adapt to the new environment, but Kambili, anticipating her father's disapproval, fights against adapting.
There are many complex characters in this novel. Adiche is a wonderful writer who creates characters that you can't help but be drawn to. The themes of domestic violence, colonialism, and Nigerian politics was interesting and made me want to know more about the time period. It's a beautiful and sad story, but well worth adding to your TBR list....more
This is the tenth book in the Amelia Peabody historical mystery series. The entire family, including Amelia, her husband Professor Emerson, their son This is the tenth book in the Amelia Peabody historical mystery series. The entire family, including Amelia, her husband Professor Emerson, their son Ramses, and adopted daughter Nefret, are preparing to return to Egypt. They have had some bad luck trying to secure a choice excavation site in the Valley of the Kings, primarily due to Emerson's combative nature. Nevertheless, Amelia is determined to be back in her beloved Egypt.
Once they arrive, the three youngest members of the team, Ramses, Nefret, and Ramses best friend, David, disguise themselves and head into one of the most dangerous parts of Cairo. They purchase a copy of The Book of the Dead, an ancient collection of prayers and spells that will help guide the deceased through the underworld. The mystery surrounding this book will soon find Amelia dealing with the usual assortment of criminals and grave robbers.
I found this book to be enjoyable, but not quite as good as the previous books in the series. Most of the action was done by the three younger characters, but I did enjoy seeing Ramses, Nefret and David becoming more important parts of the story. I particularly found the parts dealing with the Emerson's realization of their prejudice to be quite interesting and well done. I enjoyed the audio version of the series, narrated by Barbara Rosenblat, and will continue to check in periodically on the Emerson clan....more
Beer in the Snooker Club was written in 1964, and is narrated by Ram, a reluctant member of the privileged class living in post-Farouk Egypt. He likesBeer in the Snooker Club was written in 1964, and is narrated by Ram, a reluctant member of the privileged class living in post-Farouk Egypt. He likes to joke and gamble, and is constantly trying to get someone else to pay for his lifestyle. He is a Christian Copt and the woman he loves is a slightly older Jewish woman, Edna. His best friend is Font and Ram gets him a job at the snooker club to keep him from getting involved in any political activity. Eventually, Edna pays for Ram and Font to go the England where they can freely drink Bass and seduce women.
Ram lives in a changing Egypt but acknowledges he still has more opportunities than the less privileged Egyptians. He embraces socialism, but still takes advantage of his entitlements, while complaining that the government is corrupt. He spends his days drinking liquor paid for by other people. Somehow he is able to come off as both idealistic and cynical.
This is a short, but interesting book, set in a time of national turbulence, but doesn't feel the need to get into the deeper, more complicated questions of politics. Through Ram's adventures, the subjects are dealt with in a humorous way. I wouldn't read this for a real look into that time period, but a sort of 1950s feel that could be compared to Salinger....more
You are always in for a rip roaring adventure when you read one of the books in The Oregon Files series. The fourth book, Skeleton Coast, starts out wYou are always in for a rip roaring adventure when you read one of the books in The Oregon Files series. The fourth book, Skeleton Coast, starts out with an interesting prologue set in 1896 where four Englishmen are fleeing across the Kalahari Desert with stolen diamonds. They reach the HMS Rove just as the Herero warriors reach them, and what happens next is anyone's guess. Coming forward to present time, we meet the intrepid crew of the Oregon, a high tech ship disguised as a decrepit tramp steamer. They have been on a mission to deliver tagged weapons to Congolese rebels so the CIA can track them. When they hear about the kidnapping of Geoffrey Merrick, a famous industrialist, they decide to stick around for awhile.
If you've never read an Oregon Files book, let me briefly explain that the crew is a “corporation” that takes high paying jobs while disguising their intelligence gathering resources. Ex CIA agent, Juan Cabrillo, and his crew do anything and everything they can to complete their mission. Each and every character is interesting, especially Juan, and this book focuses a lot on him and some of the things that have happened to him in his past.
This series is like going to an action movie. There are multiple plots including environments terrorism, global warming and stolen diamonds. I thought it was an entertaining story with non stop action, maybe too much for some people. ...more
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