Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness
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Review
`Despite its tragic backbone, this book has much more humour than its predecessor. Fuller gives her mother a droll, laconic voice that makes it a pleasure to read. Her achievement is to have turned her mother's complicated, gallant life into a deeply felt memoir with perfect comic timing' --Sunday Times
`Nicola, Fuller, the last of her kind, booms and bosses her way through these beautifully written pages, a comic-tragic patriot of no clear nationality permanently out of place in the place she refuse to leave, at home in her own homelessness. Her parents, Fuller accepts, belong to a generation that was selfish and short-sighted but, as he puts it, "most of us don't pay so dearly of our prejudices, our passions, our mistakes. Lots of places, you can harbour the most ridiculous, the most ruining, the most intolerant beliefs and be hurt by nothing more than your own thoughts' --Daily Telegraph
`Nicola, Fuller, the last of her kind, booms and bosses her way through these beautifully written pages, a comic-tragic patriot of no clear nationality permanently out of place in the place she refuse to leave, at home in her own homelessness. Her parents, Fuller accepts, belong to a generation that was selfish and short-sighted but, as he puts it, "most of us don't pay so dearly of our prejudices, our passions, our mistakes. Lots of places, you can harbour the most ridiculous, the most ruining, the most intolerant beliefs and be hurt by nothing more than your own thoughts' --Daily Telegraph
Review
Praise for Cocktail Hour: 'In her fourth memoir, Fuller revisits her vibrant, spirited parents, first introduced in Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight (2002), which her mother referred to as that "awful book." While that so-called "awful book" focused on Fuller's memories of growing up in Rhodesia during that country's civil war, this one focuses solely on her parents: their youth, their meeting, and their struggles to find a home on the continent they are both so passionate about. Fuller's mother, Nicola, the child of Scottish parents, grew up in Kenya, while her father, Tim, had an austere childhood in London. Tim wandered the world before landing in Kenya and meeting Nicola. Readers will recall the hardships the couple faced from Fuller's first memoir: the deaths of three of their five children and the loss of their home in Rhodesia. This time around, Nicola is well aware her daughter is writing another memoir, and shares some of her memories under the titular Tree of Forgetfulness, which looms large by the elder Fullers' house in Zambia. Fuller's prose is so beautiful and so evocative that readers will feel that they, too, are sitting under that tree. A gorgeous tribute to both her parents and the land they love. Kristine Huntley, Booklist Praise for Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: 'Like Frank McCourt, Fuller writes with devastating humour and directness about desperate circumstances.' Telegraph 'As unflinching and honestly told as any White African dares write... ultimately ...a love letter to a continent and its people who will never reciprocate.' Richard E Grant, author of Withnails About Colton H Bryant (but can be used as 'praise for the author') 'Brilliant, moving and almost a new form - factually true fiction' Andrew Marr, Books of the Year, Observer 30/11 'Fuller writes like a novelist, but her story is true and tragic' Christmas Books, The Times 30/11
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight is one of my favourite books. Told from the innocent perspective of a child, it is funny and sad and above all, honest.
I approached Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness with eager anticipation and have to admit, found the first few chapters disappointing. I felt that Alexandra Fuller had compromised the vivid characterization of her eccentric wonderful mother, in order to please her and make amends for what the family called the "awful book". But I was wrong.
Tree of Forgetfulness is more serious than Dogs because it is related by the grown up Alexandra, or Bobo as her family call her, so lacks the naivety of the child. From this adult, knowing viewpoint, it is somehow all the more heartbreaking. The story of her parents' courage, resilience and humour in the face of insuperable tragedy in the harsh, punishing Continent of Africa - Kenya during the Mau Mau, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) during the war of independence, is told with the generosity and warmth of a devoted and loving daughter.
"Nicola Fuller of Central Africa" always wanted a writer in the family to recount her "fabulously romantic life". Her life may not have turned out as romantically as she had hoped, but it was full of adventure and love and she couldn't have wished for a better "scribe" than her own daughter to relate it.
I approached Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness with eager anticipation and have to admit, found the first few chapters disappointing. I felt that Alexandra Fuller had compromised the vivid characterization of her eccentric wonderful mother, in order to please her and make amends for what the family called the "awful book". But I was wrong.
Tree of Forgetfulness is more serious than Dogs because it is related by the grown up Alexandra, or Bobo as her family call her, so lacks the naivety of the child. From this adult, knowing viewpoint, it is somehow all the more heartbreaking. The story of her parents' courage, resilience and humour in the face of insuperable tragedy in the harsh, punishing Continent of Africa - Kenya during the Mau Mau, Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) during the war of independence, is told with the generosity and warmth of a devoted and loving daughter.
"Nicola Fuller of Central Africa" always wanted a writer in the family to recount her "fabulously romantic life". Her life may not have turned out as romantically as she had hoped, but it was full of adventure and love and she couldn't have wished for a better "scribe" than her own daughter to relate it.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Hilarious, sad, poignant - but unputdownable. A clearly more mature, thoughtful work than Dogs, (which was excellent for other reasons), Cocktail is also a very moving, sober and heartfelt tribute by a daughter to her mother and will have universal appeal, even to those who don't know Central Africa.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I (as did many others) loved Fuller's first book and was fascinated by Alexandra's mother. This book is a biography of Nicola {Alexandra's mother} in much greater detail as it starts from Nicola's childhood told from the perspective of her daughter (Alexandra). A great tale of a life lived to the full; not an easy life, but one lived passionately by a brave and proud lady. A wonderful book written by an excellent author.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
cocktail hour under the tree of forgetfulness
Great condition another for my collection in Zimbabwe Her previous books were wonderful so looking forward to reading this one
Published 22 days ago by J. E. Wainwright
Its the humour...
Fuller's sense of humour, and how she manages to convey that in her writing are what makes her books so readable. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Luchair F
Brilliant
I've just finished reading this fabuluos book. Having lived in West Africa for years I thought I was all "Africa'd out".. Read more
Published 1 month ago by jo.innes
An account of a wonderfully varied life in
A really good read with some inte resting facts about life in Africa for the priviliged few. It was very evenhanded about the black/white issues in modern Africa.
Published 3 months ago by Mrs. Olive I. Wilson
Witty, charming, touching and irresistible
This is a wonderful little book, the third written by Alexandra Fuller on her family's life and experiences in Africa. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Noel
Book review
A first class biography, beautifully written and conveying vividly the extraordinary, brave and unique character of the author's mother. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Thomasina
Nostalgia
My wife, who was born and brought up until 11 years of age, has read all this authors books about Rhodesia, and has loved every one. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Wobble
pass it on
I loved" Don't lets go down to the dogs ", so much i brought 8 copies for friends . I have read all her books so far (as i hope there will be more ) I read this book in one day ,... Read more
Published 6 months ago by moth
Fascinating
A fascinating sequel to "Don't Lets Go to the Dog's Tonight", however I would suggest, that to fully appreciate this insight into the extraordinary character of Alexandra's mother,... Read more
Published 6 months ago by M. L. Mears
Reader
There are laugh out loud moments and it caused much emotion that the 'stiff upper lip' crowd would not approve of showing. Read more
Published 7 months ago by J. Hardie
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