The New Muslim's Field Guide — A Review
Written by Papatia Feauxzar
The New Muslim's Field Guide by Theresa Corbin and Kaighla Um Dayo is a compelling self-help book of about 218 non-illustrated pages. For a start, it's more than a new Muslim's field guide. It navigates the intricacies of the many shades of Islam due to the plethora of cultural and school of thoughts of its adherents. And hands down, it's a great start to guide the new Muslims understand Islam. Besides, I have always felt like there wasn't enough out there or done to help new Muslims with salat and other accommodations such as decent support systems.
Having said all that, The Field Guide will also help people who plan in getting married outside the scope of their race and culture. I say this because had I read such a book seven years ago, many things I learned the hard way could have been avoided. All is not lost though, there is always a reason for our trials and a lesson to be learned. The Field Guide book will definitely help others perusing the thought of intra-cultural marriage.
May Allah also make this guide sadaqah juwayriyah for the authors, aameen.
To continue, the book spans over eighteen insightful chapters covering sensitive topics from reliable Islamic sources, cultural Islam, the real Islam, love, sex, marriage to Islamophobia amongst other subjects. The authors also share some ludicrous anecdotes to help the readers relate and keep them tuned in. It's truly an easy read because Corbin and Um Dayo have a certain humorous pluck even when dealing with delicate and controversial topics in the ummah.
This is the look of my personal copy depicted below... If I tell you all about it, you won't need to purchase it for the people around you who need it *laughs*.
I highly recommend The New Muslim's Field Guide to new Muslims, single & searching folks, and any born Muslim who wants to reconnect with the faith.
Rating: 4.5/5
You can purchase it on paperback format at Amazon or at our e-Store. The book is also available in Kindle format on Amazon.
Bio: A blogger and a barista amongst other hats, Feauxzar enjoys reading and drinking soothing tea. Check her out at https://www.fofkys.com/blog.
Dukyarian Rectangle – An Interview With the Author
Hayati Magazine: Today, we have a very special guest; Author Babs Soares. Soares is a former high-ranking government official. He also has an extensive international experience, having worked in an international organization for approximately twenty years. As a professor of public administration, he taught at leading universities. He holds a B. A. (Hons) Admin., M.A. (Econ) and doctorate degrees from reputable British universities. He has published widely in his field of specialization. The blurb of his book we will be discussing today goes as this:
The year is 2085. The world has reached the end of the evolutionary continuum. In this post-evolutionary world, truth and conscience are expendable. In the atheist-dominated world, right and wrong are dictated not by God or His holy books, but by an overreaching World Government Organization. The WGO, as it is popularly known, soon meets its match in, of all places, Dukyaria, a heavily-indebted third-world country, a country brought to heel by corruption and ethno-religious antagonism. Dealing with its Nemesis in Dukyaria of course demands that the WGO play four characters against one another—the moderate Muslim cleric (Salim Kamil), the terrorist Homo Haram leader (Abu Danja Mamba), the Catholic Reverend Father (Basil Okoye), and the business-savvy head of the Abounding Grace Ministries (Pastor Emmanuel Kalu). It is up to Kamil and Okoye to get the four points of the Dukyarian rectangle to stop antagonizing each other and, instead, team up to upend the WGO’s plans. The question is how?
Author Babs Soares, welcome to Hayati Magazine! How long have you been writing fiction and non-fiction?
BS: You could say I chose writing as a vocation the day I embarked on an academic career. I could not have risen to the status of university professor of public and international affairs without publishing articles in peer-reviewed journals and authoring full-length textbooks in the field. Of course, that warranted interrogating real-life, non-fictional, mostly, concrete, but perplexing, challenges. I am a late-comer to fiction. I tried my hand at creative writing in 2014. This was in an attempt at liberating myself from the constraints of robotic thinking, the kind imposed by contemporary science’s theory and methodology of knowledge.
HM: How long did it take you to write Dukyarian Rectangle formerly known as Disvolution?
BS: It took me ten years. This is what you get when you combine a new passion with ongoing commitments!
HM: Impressive! Dukyarian Rectangle is a long story but the dark humor skillfully weaved throughout the plot kept us turning pages or should we say swiping the pages from right to left on our reading device. So this brings us to the next question. Do you outline your stories or do you just go with the flow?
BS: Writing a story is like building a house from the ground up. You have to start with a sketch of sorts. You need an architectural drawing. But that is probably where the analogy ends—at least, in my own case. I keep changing the drawing as I move along. I may find myself in a super market where a person’s appearance, comportment or utterance rings a bell. What I generally do in such circumstances is to note how that might move my story along. Many writers get inspired at night. My own inspiration comes early in the morning. I have lost count of the number of times I woke up at dawn to capture an overnight inspiration. I also learn a lot from conflict and tension, more so, as both help me challenge my own assumptions and modify my architectural drawings!
HM: Right. Inspiration is all around us, and writers are anthropologists of some sorts. While the writing muses often strike at night for most writers like you said, it often happens at other specific times during the day. Good stuff, masha’Allah. Now, when will the new edition of your book, Dukyarian Rectangle, officially launch? Readers, you can read a brief review here.
BS: Insha’Allah, in May 2018.
HM: Insha’Allah. African countries had their own names before the colonialists swung into action there. After independence, many African countries reverted to old names or picked names befitting in the cases of Ghana, Burkina Faso, etc. How did you come up with Dukyaria as the name of this country?
BS: The Hausa word for wealth is ‘dukyar’. In what amounts to linguistic license, I stretched the word and ended up with ‘Dukyaria’, meaning, ‘public property’, ‘Commonwealth’, or, contextually, ‘a state owned by all the People’.
HM: Brilliant! Now, how has your publishing journey been?
BS: Fascinating!
HM: Alhamdullilah. When did the idea of writing Dukyarian Rectangle hit you?
BS: It came to me when I was on the staff of an international organization, travelling the world, and interacting with peoples from diverse backgrounds.
HM: All your characters were unforgettable. They were truthfully and sharply cunning. Will we read about Ekineta, Jamie, and the clever clone X300 Sly Fox again?
BS: I am counting on that! For now, let us wait for the readers’ verdict on Dukyarian Rectangle. If they want more, there is more (and better) where that came from.
HM: Sam was also another character with crafty skills. Did you have fun penning him?
BS: You bet! Sam really got my attention. It takes extraordinary skill to turn deviousness into fine art.
HM: That’s very true! The plight of Abu Mamba reminded us a bit of Samory Touré. Are we correct to think so?
BS: You are absolutely correct. Both have a lot in common.
HM: This concludes this interview. Thank you for being with us. The team at Hayati Magazine wishes you great success with your book launch and the book sales. Please share with us your social media links so our readers can get to know you better.
BS: Follow me on Twitter @BabsSoares1, on Facebook at 100004412059474@facebook.com and on LinkedIn.
This interview first appeared at Hayati Magazine here.
Homegoing By Yaa Gyasi - A Review
Homegoing is the debut novel of Yaa Gyasi; a young Ghanaian-American woman who is simply put, inspiring, unapologeticly truthful, and a talented writer. As I read her book, the stories of La Reine Abla Pokou came to mind. The little Akan I also know came rushing to me. For instance, I knew the meaning of Akwaaba which means 'Welcome'. Nyame for God. French speaking Akans say Niamien. There was also Maame and Yaw; the names of two characters. French speaking Akans say Mammi and Yao respectively. So many words in this book took me way back home and made me emotional a bit. It also reminded be of the fact that as a Madinka, my Akan friends always point out that I look like an Akan; both in the USA and back in Africa this has happened many, many times. The last time I heard that it wasn't even two months ago. I always reply, "Maybe, it must be in my blood somewhere." So, at times I felt like I was connecting with my own ancestors in another country I wasn't born in but that I certainly have ties in while I read this book.
Homegoing was definitely a homecoming for me as well, and I didn't want it to end but I wanted to read all the stories of the different characters highlighted in it. It's divided into two parts and spans over a period of 300 years or so. The story starts with the accounts of two separated half-sisters and then each chapter focuses on the trials and achievements of the descendants of these two sisters from the 18th century to the 21st century alternating between Africa and America.
It was a recommended read by a good friend and an older sister. I'm glad I had a chance to read it. The book is powerful and unforgettable. Many passages struck me because they reflected many of my thoughts for it's about slavery and how it started. It's also about the long lasting effect it had and has upon Africa and America.
Gyasi makes it clear it that we all make mistakes and forgiveness is imperative. We also get a clear sense that we shouldn't be bystanders when anybody from any race is mistreated because being quiet can pave your future in an undesirable way. Homegoing is a also an Historic testament for the wrongs done to Africans by Africans. In one of my short story called The Nanny, I wrote, "Sooner or later, every nation pays for the crimes of its ancestors...Africa is still paying for selling their own blood to ambitious traders during the slave trade."
Homegoing reflects that slave trade and how the two half-sisters' lives are affected by the slave trade. The descendants of the sister brought to America by force meet a difficult life still going on today while the descendant of the other half-sister comes to America willingly. This descendant also faces challenges like identity issues. In the end, fate will have it.
Every African should read this novel. The plight of Blacks in America needs to change. Africans must not act like it's not their issue. It's our issue! We must make it right! We had a huge hand in the fate of our brothers and sisters, the African-Americans, in this country. It's mainly our fault and the Akan proverb embodies it by saying, “The ruin of a nation begins in the homes of its people.” When I first came to the USA, it took me a while to really see things. The father of one of the main character even says that people need time to see things clearer too. And after I read this post, I saw even more clearly what I had to do to play my part in this fight :).
My rating : 5/5
Thank you for reading,
Papatya*
The Mexican Wife by Consuelo Murgia - A Review
The Mexican Wife is a short story of 144 pages by author Consuelo Murgia. For me, it was an okay story. The protagonist Mayela is a bit of a superficial malinchist woman but who adapts very well when she faces hardships and comes out of her delusions about Jonathan, a red headed Italian boy she mistook for a Caucasian boy because of his fair skin. She has her eyes set on the boy, thinking he's a doctor and will take her to America. Eventually, he marries her after she pulls a fast one on him with a pregnancy he can't deny. Either he was very naive or he had a high sense of taking responsibility. Jonathan came up biased to me about anyone (Italians, Mexicans, Women, Muslims, you name it, anyone who has been accused by the media of doing something bad). At least, he was an equal opportunity discriminator. That said, he was also the typical man; frugal and careful but not bright enough to escape a woman's tricks.
There was a lot of talking in this story. The characters either seem to prattle on or ignore what the other is saying to them either on purpose or because they are self centered. The story moved quite a bit fast in some areas and they were a lot of change of POVs. Some sentences from the author native language didn't always translate well in English like when Mayela and her girlfriends had a chat, "...Anyways I want you to come with me and so it won't happen anything unsuitable."
I learned a lot from the Italian and Mexican cultures in this tidbit story. Now, if I eat at Chuys in Dallas, Texas I'll know it's an alternative to the name Jesus out of respect for the Prophet. Believers aren't that different. Many people use the name Ahmed instead of Muhammad because of respect too.
Not a bad read. The dry humour is there for sure. For instance, Mayela said to Johnny, "It's you who are cheap. You can't bring money when you die." I just died laughing. They are many more sharp replies like that between the characters of the book.
In conclusion, looks are deceiving but the patient wins. Now, for me who loves flowers, I now know that where they are cactuses, they are vipers. Makes sense right? I mean where there are beautiful gazelles, there are always lions lurking around...But that's a topic for another time.
Rating : 3/5
Thank you for reading,
Papatya*
Angel Hands by Cait Reynolds - Of Reviews and Romantic O.G.
If I had to rename Angel Hands, I would call it, "No Beauty and The Half Beast" because this is how the main characters felt like to me. Cait Reynolds' writing is very subtle and very hot! The scenes are climatic and yet not explicit. If you enjoy non-explicit sultry reads, this is for you. You probably wonder how can a novel be non-explicit yet arousing. Well, read to find out!
So what is it about? Angel Hands is a fan fiction romance story based on Le Fantôme de l'Opéra. The author, Cait Reynolds, started the story where French writer Gaston Leroux's story ended. Life is dull and not challenging for him until Mireille Dubienne, daughter of the new owner of the opera, enters the picture. She's a spinster and a very demanding manager. She also faces gender discrimination and sexual harrasment from men around her who despise the fact that her father gave her accounting and managing responsibilities of the Opéra of Paris. Something Mr. Dubienne (her father)'s reputation could take a hit for. Mireille pretty much overlooks everything about the opera when Erik, le fantôme starts meddling with her production but quickly realizes that he's met his match. The two have mixed anticlimactic encounters before ... well that's where you buy the book to read and find out the rest *laughs* .
I loved the sprinkles of French Expressions throughout the book I haven't heard in a long time. I would have loved to see "Vas te fair foutre" for instance instead of "Go f***k yourself" but hey these are details. The story was still great.
I enjoy reading fan fiction because when we read some stories stay with us and we would like an alternative ending. Especially if the villain doesn't get his happy ending. For me, everyone deserves a chance and thank God for fantasy writing.
Cait Reynolds is a brilliant fantasy romance writer. The only thing that bugged me in my Kindle version was the asterisks that weren't centered. Not sure it was done intentionally. Otherwise, the story was flawless in my opinion and was very realistic. I'm looking forward to see what she does with her character Pierre Buprès. He was a very interesting personage!
My rating: 4/5
Thank you for reading!
If Someone Says “You Complete Me, RUN!” by WHOOPI
This book is not conservative when it comes to having sex but hey that's life. Everybody is responsible for his choices. It has some funny moments but at first Whoopi's voice was off to me; it's a little too informal for my taste but it grew on me at some point. I also understands that she's trying to say it as it is; no sugar-coating. She said one thing in the book that's true. I'll paraphrase it. She said that if you don't like her book, don't tell others not buy it. She's right. If you don't like it, that's your problem. It's no one's place to make that call for every reader. As a fellow author as well, I agree with that.
Anyways, I also love the fact that she stresses communication from the get go from each party; bride, groom, children, parents, etc. You get the gist, any relationships you might have so that everybody is on the same length and there are no surprises.
The main thing that made me iffy about the book besides the voice is the lack of focus of certain chapters. They often got off track in my opinion if I based myself on their titles alone.
Overall, I didn't hate the book and I didn't like it either. I was meh. So 2.5/5
Secrets That Find Us - Prepare To Be Surprised!
Secrets That Find Us was a sad love story amongst other things. The plot thickened alright! At first, I thought I was up against a mystery novel based on the book cover alone which it is to some extent but it deals with CSA (Child Sexual Abuse), the damages it causes, and the skeletons it leaves behind. As I read, I drew parallels with Abdulaziz's other novel : As One Door Closes.
However, several plot twists in this book threw me off the trail I thought I had guessed. Honestly, I didn't see many things coming. When an author succeeds in leading you astray in the intent of you not guessing the end game, the author has succeeded. And dear readers, Sahar Abdulaziz has succeeded with me!
Summary: Buried Secrets, protected lies, and cunning deception all play a pivotal role in Sahar Abdulaziz’s new Contemporary Fiction, Secrets That Find Us. Seventeen years ago Terri Ann Stone began serving a life sentence, charged with the double homicide of her mother and stepfather. Up to now, Terri’s anger, hate, and relentless commitment to hiding the truth kept her alive behind bars. However, the bitterness that once fueled Terri's center begins to wane. Her pledge to secrecy dissolves. With no prospect of ever being set free, she reveals the entire ugly truth to the single person left in the world who still matters to her. Riddled with intrigue and the ability to destroy, can the power of Terri’s secrets live on, or will disclosure at long last uncover the answers so desperately desired?
I kept 'flipping' the pages of my eBook because like that I said earlier, the plot thickened! When I thought I knew what was going on and BAM, the skillful writer Abdulaziz flipped the script and revealed another secret to Raven who is Terri's baby sister. Terri explained why she killed their parents and uncovered a whole lot of things Raven had no idea about but had wondered about as she grew up because of the elusiveness of the answers to her normal questions had been. Raven who has lived a somewhat perfect life all this while now sees her whole world crashing down. She also starts her legacy of secrets. Secrets are pesky little things I tell you. As much as we want to cover them, they always have a way to find the recipient and reveal themselves.
Get your copy. I guarantee you will be surprised by the twists and turns the story takes with the Mama bears.
Thank you for reading,
Papatya*
The Secrets We Keep - A Review
I normally love action packed and fast reads. This one was a really, really, really predictable slow paced story, anti-climatic at times but I didn't mind it at all because the narration was very creative; very descriptive. A few punctuation errors though but that's understandable. Editing is costly and editors are human too.
Also, not only in India that widows shave their heads ;)... In many non-Muslim tribes in Africa, it's a custom for mourning.
The letters to the dead felt like info dump at times and strained me but I understand it's also a grieving process and very therapeutic so I guess it's alright.
Other things I loved about this story are the flowers mentions, drawings, and the creative way of no actual chapter numbering. I liked it.
My Rating : 3/5
Papatya* (Daisy)
The Packing House by G. Donald Cribbs
Wow! The Packing House is so poetic, so sad, and so moving all at the same time. G. Donald Cribbs's debut novel is about Joel Scrivener, a 16 year old boy who has been a victim of CSA (Child Sexual Abuse). A thing he has repressed for years without even knowing but will have to get to the bottom of before he can be whole again or at least attempt to move passed it.
The summary goes as this : "When sixteen-year-old Joel Scrivener has a raging nightmare in study hall and someone records it on their phone, he awakens to a living nightmare where everyone knows the secret he's avoided for ten years. Reeling from a series of bullying incidents posted on YouTube and an ill-timed mid-year move, Joel takes to the woods, leaving the bullies and his broken home behind. However, life as a runaway isn’t easy. Joel finds it difficult to navigate break-ins, wrestle hallucinations, and elude capture. He races to figure out who his dream-world attacker could be, piecing clues together with flashes of remembered images that play endlessly inside his head. Besides these images, the one constant thought occupying Joel’s mind is Amber Walker, the girl he’s been in love with for years. Amber sees little beyond the broken boy Joel has become, despite the letters they’ve written back and forth to each other. But Joel is stronger and more resilient than he looks, and it’s time he convinces Amber of this fact, before he runs out of chances with her for good."
Cribbs' writing is so smooth, lyrical, and so elegant. I can't 'un-picture' what Joel went through even though the narrative wasn't graphic. I recommend his book to anyone as it raises awareness about Child Sexual Abuse; a thing very close to home for me. We need to watch our children carefully especially around non-relatives we label family. Even with blood relatives, the line can be blurred. It's sickening. Statistics for CSA are alarming and ever growing. But speaking up and not turning a blind eye is the key to eradicate this wrong. Joel is a survivor and so are many of us. We need to keep writing like Cribbs and we need more stories like his to continue to raise awareness on CSA and any type of abuse out there.
I raise awareness on intimacy for the same reason because where there is no awareness, human nature become predator like and hurt lives by using unlawful and traumatizing outlets to relieve the urge. Born and made predators can be dealt with if children are being taught at a young age what boundaries they need to put on their bodies and on others trying to violate their privacy. Open the line of communication about sex the moment your children start talking. I mean it. Start the conversation early with your children so they can tell you right away when bad things occur or they can avoid putting themselves in situations where they can be taken advantage of or in situations where they can take advantage of others. And stand by your children when they relate a disturbing tale to you and don't make them out to be liars. Children for the most part don't lie. They usually say it how it is.
In conclusion, G. Donald Cribbs is a damn good scrivener! Excuse my language but this is how I feel about his writing skills. Get your copy by contacting him via his website .
Thank you for reading,
Papatya*
Juniper Smoke by Sadia Ash - A Time Stopping Tale Review
Juniper Smoke is the debut novel of Author Sadia Ash. From her website, Sadia loves volunteering, fundraising, and has worked for the film/ TV industry. As an art lover, her protagonist Juniper Mills also shares the same passion. For me, Juniper was a big dork I really liked. A strong headed and independent 26 year old virgin, her life is thrown upside down when Kyle Paxton, CEO of a successful company, crosses her path. Having said that, Kyle's life also pauses because time never stops with him. I mean it literally and you will understand better what I mean when you read the book.
Now, to be honest, both leading characters were a bit reminiscent of Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey. However, the plot is different, not graphic at all, yet very arousing to the standards of pure romance reads. And Juniper Smoke has a steady pace. Thus, I slowly savored this 600 page + book contrarily to my past reads where I all but devoured my reading list.
For the setting of the story which revolves around history, medieval elements, pop culture, museums, and Celtic arts in particular, I believe the writing style-the name dropping- is befitting. I've always believed that this type of writing will be valuable in the future as it consolidates and reflects the age in which the writer lived. These things still date the story to some extent in my opinion. Now, it's true that technology is evolving but if no one is including the age of texting, emojis, the pop culture, etc. in their writing, there is a big chance that future generations won't have any ideas of what our lives entailed if the virtual world collapses or crushes for instance. There is a need for a paper trail as back up and I think this is the accountant part in me kicking in. To end this part, I was familiar with many references and name dropping and that made me smile because I felt like I was still culturally aware of this age I live in. That said, I had to look up a few references and I feel no shame. Just pure enlightenment.
Above all, Juniper Smoke is a very hot romance read I really enjoyed. I felt the feelings and emotions in my CORE because the narration and romance were on point. What else can I say? I'm a sucker for good romance stories. I'm looking forward to read book 3 since this version includes book 1 and book 2.
My Rating: 4.5/5 .
**I received a free ARC file in exchange for my honest review**
Behind Picket Fences – A Review
Behind Picket Fences is the second novel of Hend Hegazi, an Egyptian-American writer who lives in Alexandria, Egypt with her husband and four children. Her second novel just like the first one is nothing short than a masterpiece mA. It follows the lives of four suburban American families; one of which is Muslim. Compared to her first one, Normal Calm, Behind Picket Fences is more of a mainstream novel.
So we have Sidra and Farris, Mariam and Morgan, Summer and Porter and May and Hasan.
Sidra and Farris are successful. She’s a case worker and her knight in shining armor is a lawyer. She just yearns for one thing that money can’t buy.
Mariam is a stay home mother and this is about to change when Morgan starts having financial troubles to support her and their four beautiful children.
Summer is a vibrant young woman who is the prized possession of Porter; a semi-uptight successful Business man.
Finally, May is a mother of two who is dreaming to go back to her guaranteed editing job while she is trying to get over a little malaise so she thought.
The book stirred many emotions in me. When I first read it, I was pregnant so I attributed my feelings to my hormonal stage and brushed it aside. But it was to my surprise that when I read it again for a review, I was an even bigger emotional mess. I really enjoyed the story as it makes us realize that we should count our blessings and stop wishing for what other have behind their picket fences. Every blessed family in our eyes is facing a struggle we have no idea of because Allah never gives everything to His creations.
Hegazi captured very well the weaknesses of human nature in her second novel and hats off to her for crafting and writing so beautifully mA. I wish her all the success she deserves with this book.
Looking forward for her third novel. I know! I don’t even know if she has started penning one but I’ll be in line to read it if I live to see iA.
The book ends realistically and I’m curious to know what’s next for at least two members of these two families; Hasan + May and Morgan + Mariam. Will their paths meet somehow in the future? I wonder!
You can follow Hend Hegazi on Facebook and/or on Amazon. Finally, Hegazi also blogs at hendhegazi.wordpress.com.
**I received an advanced eCopy in exchange for my honest review**
So Complicated by Rumki Chowdhury - A Review
So Complicated is a mainstream novel I really enjoyed. The writing was very clever and deals with feminism, humor, and romance. It's also Rumki Chowdhury's second novel.
From her Amazon page, Rumki Chowdhury has an MA in English Literature from the Queen Mary University of London and a BA in English Writing from the William Paterson University of New Jersey. She was an Editorial Assistant at Pearson Education and interned at Simon and Schuster Inc. Now, she is an English teacher and writes for Hayati Magazine, while living with the best husband in the world and their two gorgeous daughters.
So Complicated centers around a die hard feminist Julie Radcliffe, the author of a very popular feminist blog called 'The Independent Woman' and James Chopin, a famous masculinist blogger whose blog's is titled 'Alpha James'. The battle of the sexes between the two lead to their overnight notoriety, and they are forced together to regain their audience back. I loved the characters of their assistants and sidekicks in this book.
The book is very funny and Chowdhury pulled off the privacy of the characters by being very subtle with her writing. Many intimate things that could easily make certain readers uncomfortable were left off to the reader to imagine. It's a great read and I give it a 4/5 stars.
Thank you for reading,
Papatya*
My thoughts on Americanah
Peace be unto you readers and bloggers. This is a different read and review compared to what I normally blog about…
Anyways, I enjoyed reading this book for many reasons. One is the fact that it addresses so well the challenges immigrants face abroad; especially the United States and the UK.
Another reason is the fact that it felt a little too real for me as I’m also an Americanah to some extent. I immigrated to the USA to further my studies when I was in my late teens. I felt the struggles of the protagonist and lived many scenarios as well. All I can say that, I’m grateful to have succeeded abroad because many loose their ways.
So race, love, bigotry, culture, corruption, religion and almost all other social ills; the book addresses it tactfully. It’s hilarious yet serious.
Three quotes stayed with me amongst many others and there are true:
- Enemy of progress (This was used to denote a uppity black British woman who looked down on African Immigrants)
- Immigrant is code for Muslim (This was used in a conversation to refer to the state of politics in the UK at some point in time)
- An African becomes black when he or she comes to the USA. Before that, race doesn’t matter to him or her and it’s a rude awakening.
I give it a 4/5. Not 5 stars because in writing you have to show rather than tell and this book does it well. However, sometimes, things were so subtle and if you didn’t carefully read between the lines you missed the point.
Overall, it’s very thought-provocative and spares no one or no race!
Thank you for reading and Gob bless!
Papatia Feauxzar