Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021--San Antonio, TX 

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi is a fascinating story.  It covers several generations of the members of the royal families of two African tribes from the late 1700s to the present with an emphasis on certain descendants of two sisters.  It deals with colonialism, slave trading, tribal wars, arranged marriage, skin coloration, beliefs, desires, etc., following the lines of descendants in both Ghana and America.  There are often parallels that are easy to see between political situations and family life of the times throughout that long period and today here in America.  I gave the book 4 stars out of 5.

Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi

Saturday, Sept. 15, 2021--San Antonio

I quit reading Peaces by Helen Oyeyemi after getting through 20% of it.  I could follow the story, but it just didn't interest me.  It involved magical realism which I have never much appreciated.  The ratings for the book cover the whole range fairly evenly distributed between 1 star and 5 stars.  I rated it 2 stars out of 5 since I could follow the story easily but because I just wasn't interested in continuing it. 

The Promise by Damon Galgut

 Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021--San Antonio

The Promise by Damon Galgut received great reviews by BBC, The Observer, and The Times.  Set in South Africa, it is the story of the members of an Africaans farming family and the members of the family of their Black servan.  It covers approximately a 50-year period of time from when apartheid existed to recently.  It reveals the changes that take place in South Africa related to race relations, economics, religion, and politics.  It is well written and worth reading.  I give it 4 stars out of 5.