2015 Winter Read Progress (WRP)

Even though, this is not the first time I use seasons to classify my posts, I am sure more than one person have asked why do I use European climate changes to classify my (African) readings. It is because I live in Barcelona, and weather temperature determines our everyday activity. Unlike in Nigeria, where we only have two major seasons; rainy and dry seasons. Luckily, the weather here isn't as harsh (that is below 0ºC in winter or above 40ºC in summer) as in some cities, towns or villages in the inland of the Peninsula, except for the humidity. You see, the weather means a lot to us living on this side of the world. For instance, when asked about a particular event, generally, the date would come last. When we were planning our wedding, we were like:

yes... after summer, in autumn, hopefully, it won't be too cold, it's a pity we can't honeymoon in Europe, it's autumn and it is not hot enough to wear our swim suit neither can we swim, the sea will be freezing cold. Let's not talk about sunbathing.. well.. then we have to travel to the South Hemisphere..., perhaps a tropical country? Well, it depends on where.....and....how much? What are the requirements? Vaccination.., prophylaxis.., 

That said, below is what I read Winter of 2015, or first trimester of 2015

   

      

                                     

1. Dew in the Morning by Shimmer Chinodya (Zimbabwe) AWS, fiction
2. Mating Birds by (late) Lewis Nkosi (South Africa) Apartheid, fiction
3. A Month and A Day by (late) Ken Saro Wiwa (Nigeria) Niger- Delta, environmental degradation, non-fiction
4. To My Children's Children, Sindiwe Magona (South Africa) Apartheid, non-fiction
5. The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer (Malawi) non-fiction
6. The Purple Violet of Oshaantu by Neshani Andreas (Namibia), domestic violence, fiction, AWS
7. Don't let's go to the Dogs Tonight, Alexandra Fuller (Zimbabwe) non-fiction

I read a total of around 1500 pages, 7 books, 4 of which are non-fiction (Truth is stranger than fiction). All of the books are set in the Southern part of the African continent, except #3 set in Nigeria. As you can also see, there are 2 addition to my AWS reading challenge.

How was your reading this Winter? or first trimester of the year 2015? What do you plan on reading in Spring (second trimester 2015)? Any reading challenges? Have you read any of the books mentioned above? Do you plan on reading them?

Happy Reads!

The Purple Violet of Oshaantu, 2001, Neshani Andreas ****

The story of Kauna known as The Purple Violet of Oshaantu,  whose story was narrated through the voice of her best friend Mee Ali.

We called her the purple violet of Oshaantu. She was so delicate and she came when these flowers were in bloom.

Kauna's husband, Shange, is hot tempered and an abuser, he punches his wife like a punchbag and once punched their unborn child out of her womb. More than once he almost sent her to her grave. Upon that he has a mistress down town that the whole villagers were aware of.

This is a novel that I really enjoyed, I like the fact that voice was given to women living in a remote village in Namibia. Also, while reading, I kept on asking myself why anybody would want to stay with a person who uses them as their punchbag? Then I realised that it is a universal problem. Even in the country where I live, according to statistics, around the average of three women per month die in the hands of their partner. Sometimes, it is just PRESSURE, pressure to stay married. SHAME, shame of what people might say (as if your life was their business), shame to be branded a failure, shame to be stigmatised. LACK OF SUPPORT, which could be from family, community, to economic support.

Furthermore, it also annoyed me how some women blamed and slammed Kauna for her husband's behaviour. She was harshly criticised by her fellow women. Even her own mother did not want her to leave her marital home, alleging that she will tarnish the family's reputation. Her father once told her:

Child, don't wait until it is too late, I know your mother wants your marriage to work. But I have seen women who have died in this thing called marriage, or have done things you don't want to hear about. I don't want it to get to this. Don't think of me, or my work. You must do what you think is best for you.

Also, instead of leaving her husband, she started wishing her best friend Mee Ali (the narrator) harm, because she simply thinks that she too supposed to be punched by her husband (isn't that silly?) I love what Mee Ali told her:

Michael (Mee Ali's husband) is a good man, but this has nothing to do with me.... Shange was the man he was and again it had nothing to do with you. Don't take it personally. He would have treated any woman he married in the same way. ... he would have treated me like that too, but not just for so long.... (I would have left him) I want to be a wife, not a punching bag.

This is a novel that has been in my TBR list for a long time, I have so much looked forward to reading it. Nevertheless, I cannot say it was an amazing read (though, I would have loved to), some passages simply did not keep me on the edge of my seat. However, I must say it is an interesting read and I really like it. My first read from Namibia. I highly recommend.

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, 2009, WIlliam Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer ****

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is one fine book that I strongly recommend. It is the story of William Kamkwamba, born into a rural family that depends absolutely on farming to remain alive. They survived the most devastating Malawian food crisis ever. However, he had to drop out from school, primarily due to lack of food and lack of resources too. In the throes of dearth, William, at the very tender age of fourteen longing to be educated, frequented the village library. From a photograph and a text book he built an electricity producing windmill with recyclable materials and spare parts, most of which he collected from the pile of garbage in his village. Few years later, as luck would have it, through the Malawian Newspaper he was featured in the blogosphere through which he caught the attention of TEDGlobal. And, hence, he gained international fame.

This is one book everyone should read, it is encouraging and inspiring, it should be in the library of very school and should be translated into as many languages as possible. Nothing is impossible, you just have to try. Kudos to Bryan Mealer for doing a wonderful job in reference to the writing of the book. 

I have to admit that I am late in the reading of this non-fiction since its publishing in 2009. It was a phenomenon of a book. A lot has been published about William Kamkwamba, below are some official links.

• The blog where he was first published Hactivate by Mike McKay
• He was featured on the Daily Times: School dropout with a streak genius
• His first appearance on TED: How I built a windmill
• A documentary was made: William and the Windmill
• William's blog: William Kamkwamba

This book won the German Corine Literature Prize. As I have already said, I highly recommend. Thank you to the MS/HS Library for lending me this book, now I can kindly take it back after having it for so long.

Another inspirational non-fiction from Malawi is I Will Try by Legson Kariya

To My Children's Children, 1990, Sindiwe Magona ***

To My Children's Children is Sindiwe Magona's autobiography that narrates on her growing up and coming of age in South Africa during apartheid. Written as if she is, precisely, narrating her life story to her children's children. Hence, the title. The book started with:

I was born in the Union of South Africa before Great Britain handed over our land to the Afrikaner;..... Then, we were called Natives by polite white people, and kaffirs by the not polite ones, basking in the impunity they enjoyed before the law

Born in rural South Africa life flowed easily, until death interrupted the rhythm. Curiously, at the same time, the Afrikaners came into power bringing along with them their apartheid government that lasted from 1948 to 1994. In the township, where she