Burkina Faso - The Parachute Drop: Norbert Zongo

Book 25: The Parachute Drop - Norbert Zongo

"...the story of a corrupt African dictator toppled in a coup d'état, who seeks to restore his presidency." 

This novel is about a fictional country and a fictional dictator. However, Norbert Zongo was an outspoken critic of Burkina Faso's president, Blaise Compaoré, and Compaoré had Zongo arrested, beaten, and ultimately, assassinated following the publication of this novel. 

So what did Compaorê find so objectionable? I suppose no dictator is a fan of books about overthrowing dictators. In "Parachute Drop," the army of fictional Watinbow overthrows the tyrannical President Gouama, who had taken over following the decolonization of the country. President Gouama survives the coup, but then struggles to get to safety...only to find that his friends have all turned against him. 

This is a short, interesting read about oppressive regimes that took over many African countries following decolonization. 

Bulgaria - Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe

Book 24: Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe - Kapka Kassabova

"...Kapka Kassabova returns to Bulgaria, from where she emigrated as a girl twenty-five years previously, to explore the border it shares with Turkey and Greece. When she was a child, the border zone was rumored to be an easier crossing point into the West than the Berlin Wall, and it swarmed with soldiers and spies. On holidays in the 'Red Riviera' on the Black Sea, she remembers playing on the beach only miles from a bristling electric fence whose barbs pointed inwards toward the enemy: the citizens of a totalitarian regime.

Kassabova discovers a place that has been shaped by successive forces of history: the Soviet and Ottoman empires, and, older still, myth and legend. Her exquisite portraits of fire walkers, smugglers, treasure hunters, botanists, and border guards populate the book. There are also the ragged men and women who have walked across Turkey from Syria and Iraq. But there seem to be nonhuman forces at work here too: This densely forested landscape is rich with curative springs and Thracian tombs, and the tug of the ancient world, of circular time and animism, is never far off."

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I struggled to get into this book. Parts of it were, indeed, enthralling. But it's written almost as a bunch of short stories, as Kapka travels across Bulgaria and meets different people, so just as one group comes into focus, she moves on to the next village. It just seems really uneven - some of the stories were horrifying, some magical, some just plain boring, and some were in between. I never knew what I was going to get from one chapter to the next, which made it hard to return to. 

That said, I came to this book knowing nothing of Bulgaria's history, or its present. It's one of those little European countries that kind of gets lost in the shuffle. But it has an important story to tell. The stories of the immigrants and refugees were particularly catching. And I admit that I wasn't aware of the stories of East German refugees and the horrors that they experienced, trying to escape to the West. The Berlin Wall fell when I was 11. And up until the day it fell, there were people trying to escape via the forests of Bulgaria - and there were Bulgarian citizens who had to choose between turning them in or being imprisoned or killed if they let them go. I had no idea. That knowledge alone makes this book a worthwhile read. But it does much more than that. Bulgaria. 

Brazil - The Seamstress

Book #23: The Seamstress - Frances de Pontes Peebles

"As seamstresses, the young sisters Emilia and Luzia dos Santos know how to cut, how to mend, and how to conceal. These are useful skills in the lawless backcountry of Brazil, where ruthless land barons called 'colonels' feud with bands of outlaw cangaceiros, trapping innocent residents in the cross fire. 

Emilia, whose knowledge of the world comes from fashion magazines and romance novels, dreams of falling in love with a gentleman and escaping to the big city. Luzia also longs to escape their little town, where residents view her with suspicion and pity. Scarred by a childhood accident that left her with a deformed arm, the quick-tempered Luzia finds her escape in sewing and in secret prayers to the saints she believes once saved her life.

But when Luzia is abducted by a group of cangaceiros led by the infamous Hawk, the sisters' quiet lives diverge in ways they never imagined."


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Hey blog! It's been a while! I started reading this book in June. And then I spent the rest of the summer moving from Colorado to Los Angeles. I'm now settled and back to reading. 

I loved this book. Absolutely loved it. The storyline reads as a little bit tired. Another book about two sisters, one who likes traditional things, the other who loves adventure. One who's submissive, one who takes no shit. Been there, done that. And superficially, yes, that's the storyline here. And I admit that it took me a while to care all that much about Emilia, the traditional/submissive sister. But my love for Luzia kept me coming back to the book. And, in the end, Emilia won me over too. 

It's also a great piece of historical fiction. Cangacieros did rule the backcountry of Brazil in the 1920s-30s. There really was a revolution. And a drought. And, of course, The Great Depression. There was also something happening in Germany around that time, and it makes a somewhat surprise appearance in the trajectory of Brazil. I want to know more about this era in Brazil, and I really want to know what happened next... 

Botswana - Maru

Book #22: Maru - Bessie Head

"Margaret Cadmore, an orphaned Masarwa girl, comes to Dilepe to teach, only to discover that in this remote Botswana village her own people are treated as outcasts. In the love story and intrigue that follows, Bessie Head brilliantly combines a portrait of loneliness with a rich affirmation of the mystery and spirituality of life."

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Margaret Cadmore is an orphan who was raised by a the wife of a missionary (also named Margaret Cadmore). Margaret is a Marsawa, an untouchable. When she arrives in the village of Dilepe, ready to teach at the school, the villagers at first assume that she is "a coloured" - which seems to translate into a biracial person. This would be bad, but not nearly as horrible as being an untouchable. When she tells Pete, the principal of the school, that she is a Marsawa, he assumes that the village elders, specifically Maru and Moleka, will demand that she be fired, as they would not allow someone of her low status to teach in their school. But Pete's plans to fire Margaret hit a snag when he realizes that the most respected teacher at the school, Dikeledi, has befriended Margaret. I'm going to stop describing the plot at this point, because I don't want to give it away. But add politics, spirituality, superstition, love, sex, and betrayal (not necessarily in that order), and you've got "Maru." 

I thoroughly enjoyed this short but expansive book! 

Bosnia and Herzegovina - How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone

Book #21: How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone - Saša Stanišić

"For young Aleksandar - the best magician in the non-aligned states and painter of unfinished things - life is endowed with a mythic quality in the Bosnian town of Višegrad, a rich playground for his imagination. When his grandfather dies, Aleks channels his storytelling talent to help with his grief. 

It is a gift he calls on again when the shadow of war spreads to Višegrad, and the world as he knows it stops. Though Aleks and his family flee to Germany, he is haunted by his past - and by Asija, the mysterious girl he tried to save. Desperate to learn of her fate, Aleks returns to his hometown on the anniversary of his grandfather's death to discover what became of her and the life he left behind."

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I both loved and struggled to get through this book. I struggled, because much of the book is told from Aleksandar's childish POV. And it's often really hard to follow. Characters don't always have names, they have descriptions (ex: The Three-Dot-Ellipsis-Man, who speaks...like...this...). And trying to figure out how some of the characters relate to the main character and/or the overall storyline is frustrating at times. 

Eventually, I started skimming over those parts of the story and focused on the main themes: A young Bosnian boy, whose mother is Muslim, has to flee his small hometown during the 1992 Bosnian war. Along the way, he meets a young girl named Asija, a fellow refugee, who is hiding in the same cellar. Their families get separated, but Aleks never forgets her. Over the next 10 years, he sends her letters - though he doesn't know her last name. And then he tries calling random numbers, hoping to find her. Does he succeed? Guess you'll have to read the book to find out.  

Bolivia - American Visa

Book #20: American Visa - Juan De Recacoechea

"Armed with fake papers, a handful of gold nuggets, and a snazzy custom-made suit, an unemployed schoolteacher with a singular passion for detective fiction sets out from small-town Bolivia on a desperate quest for an American visa, his best hope for escaping his painful past and reuniting with his grown son in Miami.

Mario Alvarez's dream of emigration takes on a tragicomic twist on the rough streets of La Paz, Bolivia's seat of government. Alvarez embarks on a series of Kafkaesque adventures, crossing crooked politicians, crossing paths with a colorful cast of hustlers, social outcasts, and crooked politicians - and initiating a romance with a straight-shooting prostitute named Blanca. Spurred on by his detective fantasies and his own tribulations, he hatches a plan to rob a wealthy gold dealer, a decision that draws him into a web of high-society corruption but also brings him closer than ever to obtaining his ticket to paradise."

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The book tries. It tries to do more than it does, but it's just not well-written. It could be about crooked politicians and the political and economic realities of trying to get a visa and get out of Bolivia. Instead, it's a dime store detective/crime novel, with a touch of local color. Meh. 

Bhutan - The Circle of Karma

Book #19: The Circle of Karma - Kunzang Choden

"...tells the story of Tsomo, a fifteen-year-old girl caught up in the everyday realities of household life and work. But when her mother dies, Tsomo suddenly feels called to travel and sets off toward a faraway village to light ritual butter lamps in her mother's memory. Her travels take her to distant places, across Bhutan and into India, evolving into a major life journey. As she faces the world alone, Tsomo slowly begins to find herself, growing as a person and as a woman."

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I selected this book for a couple of reasons - first, it's the first English-language novel written by a Bhutanese woman. Second, Kunzang Choden has a BA in Sociology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, my alma mater. She was born and spent her childhood in Bhutan, then moved to India, got her degree at Nebraska, and then moved back to Bhutan, first teaching and then working for the UN. 

The book takes place in the 1950s, during a period of modernization in Bhutan. Tsomo is from a small village, and her family adheres to very restrictive, traditional gender roles. Her father is a gomchen - a lay Buddhist priest - and he runs a school for the village boys. Tsomo regularly asks him to teach her to read and write, but he refuses. So she takes on traditional duties, marries, and generally does whatever is expected of her. But then she has a miscarriage. And her husband starts cheating on her with her sister. And the "correct" thing to do would be to silently allow it. And she does, at first. 

This book introduces a totally foreign version of Buddhism. This is not the open, accepting, nice version we know here in the West. This book shows Buddhism in its ugly orthodox form. It looks a LOT like evangelical Christianity, honestly. Especially in the defined gender roles. When Tsomo's husband cheats on her, that's a manifestation of her bad karma. It's her fault. She caused it, either in a previous life or in this one. She gets sick - also her fault. Suck it up and burn off that bad karma, Tsomo! (Note: this is never the case for the men. Anything bad that happens to them is caused by the bad karma of someone else, usually a woman.) Thankfully, she meets a progressive Rinpoche who helps her find a different path. 

I knew nothing about Bhutan prior to reading this book, and I feel like I learned a lot. I certainly know more about the less favorable aspects of Buddhism, which often gets idealized in the US, and maybe shouldn't. 

Benin - Snares Without End

Book #18: Snares Without End - Olympe Bhêly-Quenum

"A novel, also a philosophical tale in which destiny entraps the innocent protagonist and holds him fast. A man's life is ruined when he is unjustly accused of adultery."

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There aren't many reviews of this book out there, but the few that exist tend to agree - this is really two books, one that should have been published, and one that maybe shouldn't have been. The first half of the book is great. It's an engaging look at rural life in post-colonial Benin. Life isn't particularly easy for Ahouna Bakari and his family, they repeatedly encounter hardships - from locust plagues to forced labor - but they persevere and even thrive. Then Ahouna meets Anatou, a woman from a nearby farm. And at first, everything is great. Their families get along. They have children. Their farms have successful harvests. And then the second half of the book happens, and everything goes completely off the rails. Anatou accuses Ahouna of adultery. She has no reason to do this - I mean, her character has no reason. There is no explanation given, either for why she would suspect him or for why she may have lost her grip on reality. And Ahouna's life goes into a ridiculous downward spiral that also makes no sense, given the character's previous development. 

The first half of the book is really interesting and I learned a lot about Benin. The second half was frustrating and frankly made me angry because both Ahouna and Anatou were ruined. 

Belize - The Festival of San Joaquin

Book #17: The Festival of San Joaquin - Zee Edgell

"Luz Marina, cleared of murdering her brutal husband, is released from prison on a three-year probation. Determined to rebuild her life and gain custody of her children, she perseveres, sustained by mother's love and her faith in God in her battle against the poverty, guilt, vanity, and vengeance that threaten to overwhelm her."

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This book is full of many large themes, most of which are secondary plot points - environmental profiteering, wealthy landowners and a subservient peasant class, colonialism, and an evangelical church that both helps and exploits. All of those form the backdrop to the central story, about a poor woman who murders the father of her children (he's not actually her husband, which is part of the story as well). He, in turn, was the son of her former employer, a wealthy landowner - who treated her terribly and holds the keys to her future. While the central theme of the wronged woman could certainly have taken place anywhere, the various issues circling around her were very specific to Belize. Or, at least, to that part of Latin America. Well worth the read! 

Belgium - Thirty Days

Book #16: Thirty Days - Annelies Verbeke

"Alphonse, funny, observant, and imaginative, is a former musician who has left Brussels with his girlfriend Cat to live near her parents in the buttoned-up rural district of Westhoek. It has open fields, wide, low skies, more World War I graves than almost anywhere in Europe - and one of the highest suicide rates in the western world. Alphonse starts a new life as a handyman. As he paints and decorates the interior of peoples' homes, he gets to know their complex emotional lives - their affairs, family disturbances, messy divorces, everyday cruelties, and unexpected dreams. But when he, Cat, and a client help a group of Afghans and Syrians at a makeshift refugee camp, he learns that not all locals appreciate their work." 

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I really wanted to love this book. I almost did. There was so much promise. The book description sounded so rich and I couldn't wait to start reading it. It just...never quite gets there. I spent most of the book waiting for something to happen. The author would tease - there would be interesting character development, followed by pages of...nothing. Unfortunately, the story didn't really evolve until the last 100 pages, and even then, it happened in fits and starts. I'm disappointed, because I like the characters. I want to know more about them. I want to know what happens after this book ends. But I don't want to read another 300 pages to find out. 

But what of the challenge? Did I learn anything about Belgium? Yes, that I did. I've been to Belgium, and I absolutely loved it. I've even been to this general part of Belgium, to a WWI cemetery. But this book offered a different view. The main character, Alphonse, is an immigrant from Senegal. His interactions with his neighbors are shown through his lens. Also, the book touches on how Belgium is dealing with asylum seekers from Syria and Afghanistan. I really wish this had been investigated in more detail, but the author wanted to make a point, and she certainly did. Over all, this book left me frustrated, but I did learn a thing or two about Belgium.  

Belarus - Voices from Chernobyl

Book #15: Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster - Svetlana Alexievich

"On April 26, 1986, the worst nuclear reactor accident in history occurred in Chernobyl and contaminated as much as three quarters of Europe. Voices from Chernobyl is the first book to present personal accounts of the tragedy. Journalist Svetlana Alexievich interviewed hundreds of people affected by the meltdown - from innocent citizens to firefighters to those called in to clean up the disaster - and their stories reveal the fear, anger, and uncertainty with which they still live."

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Chernobyl is located near the now-abandoned town of Pripyat, Ukraine. So why did I select this book to represent Belarus? Because today, 1 out of every 5 Belarussians lives on contaminated land. 70% of the radionuclides released into the atmosphere landed in Belarus. Fully 23% of its territory is contaminated (compared to 4.8% of Ukraine).

I also selected this book because Chernobyl is this thing that happened far away in the Soviet Union when I was old enough to vaguely recall that it occurred, but far too young to grasp its scope and severity. I wanted to learn more. And wow, I did. This book is terrifying, horrible, maddening, sad...and desperately important. The Soviet government acted in ways that, sadly, were unsurprising in their utter disregard for human life. From removing books about Hiroshima from the libraries to forcing hundreds of thousands of troops to literally stand on top of the leaking reactor. The people tried, are still trying, to make a life. 

As we continue to consider nuclear power as an alternative fuel source, this book is a must-read.  

Barbados - Song of Night

Book #14: Song of Night - Glenville Lovell

"So the heroine of this evocative novel introduces herself to the tourist-woman lying on the sands of Accra Beach to whom she hopes to sell the dresses she is peddling. It is an unplanned encounter, but Amanda, the African American tourist, is not in Barbados just for a vacation. Nor is Night the simple, easy-going island girl Amanda takes her for. This is a meeting that changes both their lives."

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I loved this book. It's a coming-of-age story mixed with Caribbean mysticism. Cyan, nicknamed "Night" because of her skin, has a turbulent relationship with her mother. That's a bit of an understatement. And her father has recently died - hung, because he murdered a man who flirted with his wife. She's a social outcast in her tiny village, but she's determined to figure out a life for herself. Except tragedy seems to follow her everywhere. I can't say much more without giving it away, and I absolutely don't want to do that. The twists and turns are the best part. 

Bangladesh - A Blonde Bengali Wife

Book # 13: A Blonde Bengali Wife - Anne Hamilton

"They all said that Bangladesh would be an experience... For Anne Hamilton, a three-month winter programme of travel and "cultural exchange" in a country where the English language, fair hair, and a rice allergy are all extremely rare was always going to be interesting, challenging, and frustrating. What they didn't tell Anne was that it would also be sunny, funny, and the start of a love affair with this unexplored area of Southeast Asia."

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This book doesn't fit the requirements of my challenge at all. The writer is Irish. It's a "travelogue" of her three month journey to Bangladesh. When I selected this book, I was skeptical. I really wanted to avoid an outsider's view of a country. But I looked and failed to find a book written by a Bangladeshi native that's been translated to English. And the reviews for this book are pretty good. 

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. There are unavoidable limitations - Hamilton is not a native, and she doesn't pretend to be. But she does try to present Bangladesh fairly. That is to say, it's not a book full of stereotypes. I found myself not exactly wanting to visit Bangladesh, but certainly wishing I could meet Munnu, the Bangladshi man who takes Anne under his wing and escorts her around the country, ensuring that she is always fed, always has transportation, and always has access to a toilet. Their friendship is funny, touching, and provides a really valuable lens through which to see the country. I also want to meet the Hoque family, who play host to Anne and her Australian travel partner, Christine. Hasina, the family matriarch, is warm, caring, and absolutely runs her traditional Muslim family - as is so often the case. 

I certainly learned a lot about Bangladesh. I'll miss the people I "met" in this book. 

The Kingdom of Bahrain - Yummah

Book #12: Yummah - Sarah A. Al Shafei 

Yummah is the story of Khadeeja, a woman who entered an arranged marriage at the age of 12. It appears to be the fictionalized story of the author's grandmother, and so is simultaneously both a good look inside life in Bahrain in the mid 20th century, and also a highly romanticized account. The author provides a good sense of the day-to-day, but glosses over the relationship between the child bride and her deeply flawed husband. Which makes sense, if that man is actually her grandfather. In addition to an interesting, if somewhat shallow, account of Khadeeja's rather tragic life, the book also shows the evolution of customs and life trajectories, particularly for the women of Bahrain. Where Khadeeja had no choices, a mother multiple times over by the age of 23, her granddaughter ends up attending Harvard. This progression, in the span of three generations, makes the book a worthwhile read.