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coco1922's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
hanntastic's review against another edition
4.0
Global Read Challenge 95: Guinea-Bissau
I was apprehensive about reading this because of the title. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I wasn't constantly bracing myself for tragedy. There was plenty of tragedy but it was not all encompassing. Some of the other reviewers disliked the segmented nature, and that it skipped a lot of Ndani's life, but I felt it worked. It was more like a series of vignettes.
I was apprehensive about reading this because of the title. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I wasn't constantly bracing myself for tragedy. There was plenty of tragedy but it was not all encompassing. Some of the other reviewers disliked the segmented nature, and that it skipped a lot of Ndani's life, but I felt it worked. It was more like a series of vignettes.
krtlszlv's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
jenmat1197's review against another edition
4.0
I read the English Version
This book takes place during the Portugese rule of Guinea-Bissau. It starts with a young girl named Ndani who is looking for work as a maid. She is going house to house until a couple finally decides to take her in. The head of the house- Dona Deolinda - thinks Ndani's sole needs saving through religious intervention. She treats Ndani more like a slave than a house maid.
Ndani leaves the service of this house when she becomes the wife of a village chief. He is wealthy and he built a mansion and a school to impressed the Portugese administrators. The village chief leaves Ndani when he finds out she isn't a virgin, and she falls in love with one of the teachers at the school. What happens next is a series of problems that happen only because of the teacher's skin color.
This is a good book. It is short, but I felt that it had enough time for character developement. There is definitely a lot of political and racial undertones in the book that ALMOST overshadow the story. But I do think they were necessary to reflect the feelings of the people in this area during the time the Portugese were there.
I definitely recommend giving it a read. I am glad I found this one.
This book takes place during the Portugese rule of Guinea-Bissau. It starts with a young girl named Ndani who is looking for work as a maid. She is going house to house until a couple finally decides to take her in. The head of the house- Dona Deolinda - thinks Ndani's sole needs saving through religious intervention. She treats Ndani more like a slave than a house maid.
Ndani leaves the service of this house when she becomes the wife of a village chief. He is wealthy and he built a mansion and a school to impressed the Portugese administrators. The village chief leaves Ndani when he finds out she isn't a virgin, and she falls in love with one of the teachers at the school. What happens next is a series of problems that happen only because of the teacher's skin color.
This is a good book. It is short, but I felt that it had enough time for character developement. There is definitely a lot of political and racial undertones in the book that ALMOST overshadow the story. But I do think they were necessary to reflect the feelings of the people in this area during the time the Portugese were there.
I definitely recommend giving it a read. I am glad I found this one.
scienceworks's review against another edition
challenging
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
yuukat's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
amyjo25's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5