'Everything changed after Mama found Father lying on top of another woman.' Blessing and her brother Ezikiel adore their larger-than-life father, their glamorous mother and their comfortable life in Lagos. But all that changes when their father leaves them for another woman. Their mother is fired from her job at the Royal Imperial Hotel - only married women can work there - and soon they have to quit their air-conditioned apartment to go and live with their grandparents in a compound in the Niger Delta. Adapting to life with a poor countryside family is a shock beyond measure after their privileged upbringing in Lagos. Told in Blessing's own beguiling voice, Tiny Sunbirds Far Away shows how some families can survive almost anything. At times hilarious, always poignant, occasionally tragic, it is peopled with characters you will never forget.
Tag: africa
A Tramp in Africa by David Lessels
Follow the trails of the Scottish explorer, David Lessels, fulfilling a dream to travel the length of Africa, confronting serious challenges to his freedom as he walked and hitch-hiked through history, in the early 1950s. Recalled with vivid clarity, this inspirational traveller's tale is studded with gems and facts - some of which may be the only written accounts of the early development of unique African cultures. This is a colorful and rich taste of Africa in the raw - share the author's thrilling experiences of an extraordinary adventure.
The Grass is Singing by Doris Lessing
spSet in South Africa under white rule, Doris Lessing's first novel is both a riveting chronicle of human disintegration and a beautifully understated social critique
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Poisonwood Bible was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in 1999 and was chosen as the best reading group novel ever at the Penguin/Orange Awards. It continues to be read and adored by millions worldwide.
The Other Hand by Chris Cleave
We don't want to tell you too much about this book. It is a truly special story and we don't want to spoil it.
Mukiwa by Peter Godwin
Peter Godwin grew up in Rhodesia in the 1960s, dimly aware of the divisions that would lead to civil war. This book tells of the guerilla killings, Godwin's conscription into the army aged 17, and his return to Zimbabwe as a reporter for the "Sunday Times" after studying law in England.
Blood River by Tim Butcher
When Daily Telegraph correspondent Tim Butcher was sent to cover Africa in 2000 he quickly became obsessed with the idea of recreating H.M. Stanley's famous expedition - but travelling alone.
Blood River by Tim Butcher
When Daily Telegraph correspondent Tim Butcher was sent to cover Africa in 2000 he quickly became obsessed with the idea of recreating H.M. Stanley's famous expedition - but travelling alone.