The Ghanaian Literature Week is back! Kinna of Kinna Reads
will be hosting the 3rd rendition. The purpose of this week is to discover or
rediscover works by Ghanaian writers. This year’s event is scheduled
for Monday, November 11th – Sunday,
November 17th so head over to Kinna's blog to see what's going on.
I first learned about Tuesday’s Child by Mary Ashun from Reading Pleasure who reviewed the book. Thanks, Celestine for hooking me up to this book and the Ghanaian Literature Week.
Blurb
Mary Ashun's Tuesday's Child is the story of a
girl born in the small West African country of Ghana. She has big dreams, a
large boisterous, extended family and a tendency towards asking questions that
children, especially girls aren't supposed to ask. Boarding school days,
interminable church services and a famine that leaves her thin enough to be an
'80's model are all narrated with such candid humor that it's hard to believe
there were any scars. Now older, wiser, with a family of her own and living in
North America, she embarks on a journey back to Ghana. The mission: to make
peace. Who with? The answer might surprise you and this is why this is balanced
African storytelling at its best!
My
Review
Tuesday’s
Child is a memoir about her life in Ghana and the UK. I found it to be engaging
and real. Throughout the book I chuckled at the antics of the
girl Ms. Ashun once was. Don’t get me started on how funny I found the
grandmother who sounded like a wonderful, fearless, woman. Reading about her made me wish I could
have known her.
Ms.
Ashun’s writing is clear, direct and entertaining. Although I tend to be a
reader of fiction, this memoir caught and kept my attention and heart. She shows us what Ghana was in her experience
and I love her honesty.
There
were a few scenes which made me angry such as the one that included the toilet and another with the male teachers. A couple of her memories made me tear up, such as the airport scene,
because I could so easily relate. Mary was an intelligent, innovative, funny
child. How could she be any different from her grandmother when “the child of a
lion is a lion.” I love that line.
My
only complaint is that I wanted to read more about Ms. Ashun’s life, she
skipped from college to being an adult. I would have liked to read more about
those years.
I
give Tuesday’s Child five out of five bars of Ghana's Golden Tree chocolate bars.
I
purchased this book from Amazon.com
Happy
reading.
