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The Devil That Danced on the Water: A Daughter's Memoir
 
 
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The Devil That Danced on the Water: A Daughter's Memoir [Paperback]

Aminatta Forna (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
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Product details

  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Flamingo; (Reissue) edition (12 Mar 2010)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0006531261
  • ISBN-13: 978-0006531265
  • Product Dimensions: 19.8 x 2.1 x 12.9 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 68,589 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

Aminatta Forna
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Product Description

GILLIAN SLOVO, author of Every Secret Thing

'An engrossing account of pain, love and discovery that had the capacity not only to make me understand but also to move me to tears' --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

‘This is a book of quite extraordinary power and beauty. Aminatta Forna has excavated not only her memory but the hidden recesses of the heart.’ Fergal Keane

‘An extraordinary and gripping story…Aminatta Forna’s book glows with compassion. A modern classic, of which her courageous father would have been proud.’ Peter Gowin, author of ‘Mukiwa’

‘An engrossing account of pain, love and discovery that had the capacity not only to make me understand but also to move me to tears’ Gillian Slovo, author of ‘Every Secret Thing’

‘I had tears in my eyes almost the whole way through, although it is the least sentimental of books…Aminatta Forna manages, quite brilliantly, to evoke not only all the honour and pity that is in her family’s story, but its beauty and tenderness too.’ Katie Hickman, author of ‘Daughters of Britannia’

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Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I enjoyed this book for several reasons. Firstly the quality of the writing which captures the essence of an African childhood and beautifully portrays events through the eyes of a child, without loosing any of the journalistic rigour.

Secondly the sadness and the depth of the central story itself and the strength of mind it must have taken to revisit such a painful past, to seek out the truth.

It is a truly good read, I could not put it down, Even when I had finished I wondered about the impact of this story not only on one woman, but on a country.

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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By DH
Format:Hardcover
Aminatta Forna seamlessly links the Sierra Leone of the 50's and 60's with the 90's and in so doing gives the reader the beginnings of an understanding of the reasons for the turmoils in that country. Reading this book was the catalyst to further research to understand the issues in Sierra Leone today. You do need to have an eye for detail as the latter part of the book does introduce, from necessity a whole host of characters who in turn were willing to discuss their part in the fate of Aminatta's gifted doctor father. An excellent read which brings you right into the family of Aminatta as a young child in Africa and Scotland, and latterly into her life as a successful British journalist living in London and researching in Sierra Leone.
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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful
Clashing Cultures 5 Oct 2002
Format:Hardcover
A story of cultures clashing and blending. Beautifuly written by a talented writer who is a product of two of these cultures.

Dr. Forna, Aminetta's father, a surgeon from Sierra Leone, met and married her Scottish mother when studying in Aberdeen. Aminetta recalls an early childhood in Scotland as well as a later childhood in Sierra Leone. With a blend of tenderness and harsh reality she remembers the best and the worst of these experiences.

Characters once thought to be mean and threatening are recognised through more mature eyes to be simply those who thwarted a childhood insistence on having everything her own way. Scoundrels are recognised, but with a keen insight into the human frailties that make them such.

Dr. Forna's love for his country led him to accept a leadership role in governing it. It is Aminetta Forna's search for the facts surounding his rise and eventual tragic fall that is the essence of this narrative.

Not only a talented observer Ms. Forna has a knack for exquisite expression in relating the facts uncovered.

As a reader I found myself giving a great sigh as I concluded the final page late at night feeling I had personally lived every instance.

Emmett Evans
British Virgin Islands

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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Kindle bloops
This is not a review of the book (which is brilliant). But its a review of the Kindle edition. This is not a freebie done by a volunteers, its a full price book. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mr. Mark Vyner
A very good read
Having read a small artical in the paper, so I got the books, and glad I did they are beautifully written books, and I found out Aminatta Forna just lived across the road from me... Read more
Published 11 months ago by AllanT
Outstanding....
I did not know what to expect, and was quite ignorant of the recent histroy of Sierra Leone. But if you are interested in a true and moving human drama of growing up torn between... Read more
Published 13 months ago by M. Marriott
A Memoir that Beguiles
Aminatta Forna's memoir is more than just an autobiography. It is simultaneously a poignant and moving true tale of her family's past and also an empassioned account of modern West... Read more
Published on 11 Dec 2006 by Leyla Sanai
A true Child of My time
Reading this book made me cry because my Dad was also arrested at that time but was released without charge because he was away at the said date of the said meeting. Read more
Published on 10 Feb 2006 by Memunatu Kamara
Read, learn and move forward toward peace.
I first decided to read this book after meeting with refugees from Sierra Leone who are now living in The Gambia. Read more
Published on 28 Dec 2004
Fascinating and moving
Forna's book is a fascinating account, one that people of all races, nationalities, ages, etc. will appreciate. It is a diary, a history textbook and an adventure all in one book. Read more
Published on 3 Mar 2003
Dancing with tears in my eyes
I lived in Sierrra Leone from the age of 9 to 13 (1971-1974). Reading this book took me back and filled my eyes with tears. Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2002 by David Hill
Excellent read
...I bought this book after reading reviews in The Economist and the Financial Times - not the sort of places you would imagine normally cover childhood memoirs. Read more
Published on 24 Jun 2002
An African Wild Swans
Fergal Keane called this book 'the African Wild Swans' and it really is. It is huge and passionate, set against a vast historical sweep. Read more
Published on 6 Jun 2002 by cassilo7@aol.com
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