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Book Review and Reflection of If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga
Published: 2022Accolades: [As listed on Amazon] Genre: Fiction (This becomes confusing towards the end, but research confirms it is fiction.)Buy the book HERE Country: Egypt Introduction If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English is framed around two individuals from vastly different backgrounds meeting and forming a relationship. What a book! The first thing that struck me, and I loved it very early on, was how it was written. The story is narrated by the boy from Shobrakheit and the American girl. It is lyrical and poetic. Book Summary and reflections The book is divided into three parts. Every section in Part One begins with a question, such as, “Question: If you’re waiting for…
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Book Review and Reflection of African Love Stories: An Anthology
African love stories is authored by various African women from various African countries. Edited by: Ama Ata Aidoo Published: 2006 Get the book HERE African Love Stories: Introduction In my usual way, I went into this book blindly. I read the title, and I was sold. I love love and was extremely excited to read about African love stories. But Ama Ata Aidoo makes it very clear in the introduction that these are not conventional (the Western love stories we are used to) love stories. These stories are about love nevertheless—in the various ways it is experienced. Relationships that sometimes had a romantic connection, and others with other aims, like survival.…
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Book Review and Reflection of Zenzele: A Letter for My Daughter by Nozipo Maraire
Book Review and Reflection of Zenzele Date of Publication: 1996Genre: FictionBuy the book HERE Introduction Zenzele: A Letter for My Daughter, in my opinion, should be ranked as an African literary classic and should be part of the curricula in schools in Africa and around the world. This is the book I wish I had read before moving to England, and it’s the book I wish everyone would read before moving to the West. For this reason, I decided on an extensive Book Review and Reflection of Zenzele as reflected below. The first thing that came to my mind while reading is Maraire’s beautiful storytelling talent—so lyrical, so gripping. The book…
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Book Review and Reflection of Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Published: 2025Genre: Fiction[Buy the Book Here] Book Review & Reflection Introduction What is Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie about? The title Dream Count doesn’t give much away—I found myself trying to guess what the book might be about, but it remained a mystery until the very end when the meaning of “dream count” is finally mentioned. At first, I thought Chimamanda was narrating her own story—especially as the opening pages explore a writer struggling to write. It felt intimate, reflective, and personal, almost like creative non-fiction. But as I read on, I was drawn into a rich narrative that traces the intertwined lives of four women. The diversity among these…
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Zikora by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Author: Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieYear of Publication: 2020Available Formats: Kindle | Audible 👉 [BUY BOOK HERE] Review & Summary Zikora is a poignant short story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie that explores motherhood, love, abandonment, and family dynamics. Set in Washington, D.C., the story follows Zikora, a Nigerian woman practising law in DC and was now in labour with her first child, as she reflects on her past, her ice queen of a mother’s cold presence, and the absence of the man she loved—the father of her child—who abandoned her when she became pregnant despite their deep connection. As she gives birth, Zikora re-examines her mother’s rigid ways, finding unexpected grace and understanding.…
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The Purple Violet of Oshaantu by Neshani Andreas
Book Review First published: 2001 Genre: FictionNotable quote: “Time is a wonderful thing. It is an ointment. It is a healer.” – Page 64 Click here to buy Introduction Have you ever read a book and felt like you were home? The Purple Violet of Oshaantu by Neshani Andreas did precisely that for me. I could not put it down. Every page transported me back home, filling me with nostalgia and warmth. The novel is set in a fictional village based in Owamboland, where I am from, where the Ovawambo (not Ovambo, Ambo, Vambo, as we have often been mislabelled) of Namibia reside. Our tribe is divided into five mini-tribes, each…
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Treasure by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Author: Oyinkan BraithwaiteRelease Date: 2020 (Hush Collection) Formats Available: Kindle (free on unlimited), Audible (£1.99) Genre: Dark FictionSetting: Lagos, Nigeria Get book here BOOK REVIEW Summary Treasure by Oyinkan Braithwaite follows the story of an aspiring Instagram influencer, Treasure, who carefully curates a glamorous online persona—one far removed from her actual life. She borrows her wealthy employer’s belongings to maintain the illusion, as she works in an affluent estate in Lagos, hoping to grow her follower count and eventually monetise her presence on social media. Her life takes a dark turn when she crosses online paths with @Sho4Sure, a man who must be struggling with mental health issues because there are…
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The Visit by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Book Details Year Published: 2021Available Formats: Kindle (£0.00), Audible (£1.74)Buy Book HERE Book Review When I first started reading The Visit, I was a little confused. Like most books I read, I went in blind—no previews, no reviews—just an open mind. But within a few pages, I realized what was happening, and I absolutely loved it! Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie flips the script in this thought-provoking short story. The Visit follows Obina, a house husband with a successful wife, as he receives a visit from an old friend who now lives in America. Obina is unemployed, staying at home to care for their children while his wife works long hours, often away…
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Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
First Published in 2003Available formats: Audible (included in membership), paperback, hardback, Kindle UnlimitedBuy book HERE Book Review and Reflection Purple Hibiscus is not based on actual events, but reading it gives the impression that it could be. In this debut novel, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie delivers a profoundly intersectional and complex story of family life, domestic abuse, religion, self-discovery, and the consequences of political unrest and failing governments. Spanning 17 chapters, the story follows Kambili, a 15-year-old girl raised by a wealthy, abusive, religious fundamentalist father. Kambili lives with her older brother, Jaja, her resigned mother, and her domineering father, whom she calls Papa. Kambili struggles to find her voice and sense…
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Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Book Details Published: 1988Formats Available: Audible, Paperback, Kindle, HardcoverBuy Book HERE Book Review Introduction Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga is the first book in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s acclaimed trilogy, followed by The Book of Not (2006) and This Mournable Body (2020). It was the first novel published in English by a Black woman from Zimbabwe and was named one of the BBC’s Top 100 Books That Have Shaped the World in 2018. It is an African literary classic. This brilliantly crafted and thought-provoking novel follows the life of Tambudzai, a young Shona girl growing up in colonial Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Through Tambudzai’s lived experiences, the story confronts intricate themes of patriarchy, colonialism,…