Ancestor Stones
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Product Description
Review
'A writer of startling talent ... Conveying the human spirit's irrepressible love of life is the triumph of this magical book' Daily Telegraph 'A fascinating evocation of the experience of African women, and all that has been gained - and lost - with the passing of old traditions' Marie Claire 'She tells stories as she breathes ... a prose of soaring beauty' The Times 'Mesmeric, elegant prose ... equally extraordinary and vibrant with sadness and joy' Daily Mail
Metro
'Small details illuminate this unfamiliar culture and Forna
carries us through her novel with an enviable knack for storytelling'
carries us through her novel with an enviable knack for storytelling'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I could not put this book down. It is the most compelling a refreshing thing I have read in years!
This is the story of one family, the Kholifa's, told through the stories of four sisters. They are all daughters of a polygamous wealthy plantation owner, but of different mothers, giving each woman a very different place in the family and different life chances. At the same time the country they are in - which is never named, the author is from Sierra Leone - is going through changes: colonialism, independence, dictatorship, war. But the stories that are told from their lives, whilst reflecting the wider dimensions, are seen through a narrow lens that focuses on the detail. A little girl takes her revenge on the village after her mother dies. An older wife helps a younger wife escape a loveless marriage. Serah, the youngest and the one sister who follows the Western dream, gets her first pair of (red) shoes, falls in love - and unwittingly and hilariously fakes an election result. A woman, waiting for her soldier son to return home, sells her gold earrings to buy a packet of sugar just to keep up appearances. In one of the most frightening and poignant scenes, an old woman hides in a wooden chest and watches through a hole while rebel soldiers ransack the town. Each chapter is written from the perspective of one of the chracters and as a self-contained story. But it all adds up to an awesome whole. It is a peephole into a world I never knew, and when I finished it I was left wanting a whole lot more. It is also written in the most lyrical prose, which suffuses the whole book - though some of the subjects are grim - with a sense of beauty. I have read quite a few books by Asian authors, but only just been introduced to writing from Africa. I would compare this to the God of Small Things - especially with the focus on tiny details of life. I read Half of a Yellow Sun, after seeing it on Richard & Judy. If you liked that you'll like this. It is different in lots of ways, but just as good.
This is the story of one family, the Kholifa's, told through the stories of four sisters. They are all daughters of a polygamous wealthy plantation owner, but of different mothers, giving each woman a very different place in the family and different life chances. At the same time the country they are in - which is never named, the author is from Sierra Leone - is going through changes: colonialism, independence, dictatorship, war. But the stories that are told from their lives, whilst reflecting the wider dimensions, are seen through a narrow lens that focuses on the detail. A little girl takes her revenge on the village after her mother dies. An older wife helps a younger wife escape a loveless marriage. Serah, the youngest and the one sister who follows the Western dream, gets her first pair of (red) shoes, falls in love - and unwittingly and hilariously fakes an election result. A woman, waiting for her soldier son to return home, sells her gold earrings to buy a packet of sugar just to keep up appearances. In one of the most frightening and poignant scenes, an old woman hides in a wooden chest and watches through a hole while rebel soldiers ransack the town. Each chapter is written from the perspective of one of the chracters and as a self-contained story. But it all adds up to an awesome whole. It is a peephole into a world I never knew, and when I finished it I was left wanting a whole lot more. It is also written in the most lyrical prose, which suffuses the whole book - though some of the subjects are grim - with a sense of beauty. I have read quite a few books by Asian authors, but only just been introduced to writing from Africa. I would compare this to the God of Small Things - especially with the focus on tiny details of life. I read Half of a Yellow Sun, after seeing it on Richard & Judy. If you liked that you'll like this. It is different in lots of ways, but just as good.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I bought this novel after reading a review in the Times Literary Supplement (I had already read the authors memoir The Devil that Danced on the Water). I loved the lush writing and the way the novel is structured into different chapters which are almost short stories, each one dated and narrated by a different aunt. Even though it deals with some grim subjects: polygamay, expoloitation, war, - it is a really beautiful novel. People still swim in the river and fall in love and cherish their children. It left me - just as The Devil that Danced on the Water - with a sense of having been uplifted by the journey, for all its harrowing twists and turns.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Ancestor Stones captivates. In shining prose Aminatta Forna draws the reader into a world of magic and memory, an Africa in the throes of change. The narrative threads of the interwoven stories tell us more about the evolution of this society than any history text. The female voices of the protagonist and her forbears testify to changes wrought through religious adoption, cultural imperialism, fiscal exploitation; through loss of innocence, by incidental and inflicted sorrows and stoic acceptance. I came to respect these women, even when I didn't especially like them, and their hope finally left me with a rekindled certainty in the resilience of the human spirit.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Ancestor Stones
Finally finished the second book by this author and I am glad it did not disappoint. The story as well as the characters are rich and original and Aminatta captures the environment... Read more
Published 2 days ago by F. Irele
ancestor stones:
a beautifully written story of family roots. poetic prose evoking the life that came before the war in Sierra Leone. Read more
Published 8 days ago by frances p
A book full of insights, and refreshing free of pretensions
Having searched for books by authors from this part of Africa, it was inevitable that I would come across this authors work towards the end of 2011, when I tentatively began the... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Ms. J. M. Austin
A fascinating story
This book is interesting and beautifully written. I love Forna's style of writing. It came very quickly and was very reasonably priced.
Published 3 months ago by Sarah_85
Disappointing
After reading the description of the book I thought that this was my kind of story but I found the arrangement of the book too disjointed and I lost track of who was relating their... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Kindler
Ancester Stones
I didn't get on with this book, to the point where I had to put it down for a month or so half way through before forcing myself to continue. Read more
Published 4 months ago by C Cochrane-Davies
Dull & uninteresting with no redeeming features
Bought this based upon the small number of favourable reviews. I should have paid more attention to the review that described this as "slow and plodding" Frankly speaking... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr Q
Slow and plodding
I must say, after reading such glowing reviews for this book I was pretty disappointed. While the story held potential I found the book to be slow and rather tedious; endless... Read more
Published 5 months ago by S. A. Edwards
Spellbinding read
A beautifully written tale of five African women related by marriage. Each woman's distinctive voice tells her life story through revealing episodes which read as discrete short... Read more
Published 7 months ago by M MYDDLE
Ancestor Stones
Ancestor Stones
Approximately four years ago,I was looking along the shelves of the Travel Section in a local bookshop keen to read stories about the lives of people... Read more
Approximately four years ago,I was looking along the shelves of the Travel Section in a local bookshop keen to read stories about the lives of people... Read more
Published on 4 April 2009 by Moira C
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