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.