Man there is so much to say about this book! First of all I have to say Nathan, the dad, is the worst ever! He is so ignorant and pompous and the worst hypocrite. Claiming to be a Christian but acting to opposite. He was so blinded by his mission to "save" these poor Africans that he didn't realize he wasn't helping them at all and he was destroying his family. I loved the way the author wrote it from the women's points of view. Orleanna's memoirs were beautifully written and sort of haunting I thought. The different girl's points of views were all interesting in their own ways. I think Adah was my favorite, she was very insightful. Rachel of course was entertaining but man, she just doesn't get it. She never quite figures life out. Leah really grew on me as she got older and more mature. It's sad how much she looked up to her dad and how much he let her down. I love Anatole and thought he was a great character. I felt bad for her as she was sturggling to feed her children and how hard it was to have her husband in prison.
Did anyone notice that Adah referred to Nathan as "the Reverend" and not "Father?" I thought that was interesting. She definitely hated him the most I think. It's sad what he did to their family. I felt really bad for Orleanna. She was conditioned through her life to become weak and not stick up for herself because of how she was treated by her husband. I think she was a really strong person though, to go through as much as she did. Ruth May's death was just the last straw and she couldn't take it anymore.
It's really sad what has happened in Africa throughout history. How come you don't really learn about those things in history class? Did the US Presidents really do those things that she said they did in the book? Like have the Prime Minister assassinated? Adah makes a comment in the book about how Africa has the most help and the least help at the same time. That's not what is says but I can't remember. Shoot. It's about how white people feel so compelled to "help" them but at the same time they are pretty much the cause of the problems in the first place.
Oh man the ants were disgusting. That part made me itch for days. Eww!
I thought it was a great book that really made you step back and think. I learned a lot about the times of the Revolution, something I didn't know much about before. It really makes you think about how you should treat others and how we use religion in our lives. It shouldn't be something that we push on people at any cost, as Nathan did. He was so caught up in it he didn't even realize what it's for and the good it can do if we use it in the right way. I think it also shows that, as a father, your family should come first.
Alright that's all I can think of at the moment but I may add more as I think about it.
1 comment:
Good review, Haley. I hated Nathan with a passion. He was the kind that gives religion a bad name. I just don't know how he could have treated his girls and wife like he did. What a jerk!
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