Black Mamba Boy
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5.0 • 2 Ratings
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- £4.49
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- £4.49
Publisher Description
WINNER OF THE BETTY TRASK AWARD
LONGLISTED FOR THE ORANGE PRIZE
GRANTA BEST OF YOUNG BRITISH NOVELISTS 2013
For fans of Half of a Yellow Sun, a stunning novel set in 1930s Somalia spanning a decade of war and upheaval, all seen through the eyes of a small boy alone in the world.
Aden,1935; a city vibrant, alive, and full of hidden dangers. And home to Jama, a ten year-old boy. But then his mother dies unexpectedly and he finds himself alone in the world.
Jama is forced home to his native Somalia, the land of his nomadic ancestors. War is on the horizon and the fascist Italian forces who control parts of East Africa are preparing for battle. Yet Jama cannot rest until he discovers whether his father, who has been absent from his life since he was a baby, is alive somewhere.
This story of one boy's long walk to freedom is also the story of how the Second World War affected Africa and its people; a story of displacement and family.
Reviews
‘Mixing startling lyricism and sheer brutality, Mohamed plunges into the chattering, viscous heat and 'hyena darkness' of Aden…this is a significant, affecting book’ Guardian
‘The most exciting, original new fiction is coming out of Africa. Nadifa Mohamed has produced a first novel of elegance and beauty…Watch out for this one during prize season; it’s a stunning debut’ The Times
‘Just as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun drew out the little documented dramas of the Biafran war, Mohamed describes an East Africa under Mussolini's rule…such an accomplished first novel’ Independent
‘Loved Black Mamba Boy. Utterly compelling, an assured debut. An incredible insight into a slice of recent African history that is so rarely given light’
Alex Wheatle, award-winning author of East of Acre Lane and Brixton Rock
Amazon Vine reviews:
‘A great read, colourful and powerful’
‘One of the most wonderful things I have ever read…I was held spellbound by this book’
‘Rich description and a fascinating story’
‘Nadifa Mohamed's writing is emotional and evocative and as well as lyrical landscape descriptions or relationship revelations she does not flinch from the harrowing reality of a cruelly chaotic part of the world. This is a 5-star book deserving similar acclaim and success to “The Kite Runner”’
About the author
Nadifa Mohamed was born in Hargeisa, Somalia in 1981 and was educated in the UK, studying History and Politics at St. Hilda's College, Oxford. She lives in London.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Mohamed's beautifully rendered debut, inspired by her father's life, opens in 1935 Aden, Yemen, where 11-year-old Jama and his mother subsist in precarious destitution: Jama spending his days on the streets with other "market boys" while his mother works long hours for little pay at a coffee factory. When his mother dies, Jama briefly returns to his family's home in Hargeisa before running away to search for his long-absent father, who he believes is in Sudan. His quest leads Jama into Italian-controlled Eritrea, where he joins Mussolini's Fascists in exchange for food and shelter, and Mohamed delivers graphic descriptions of the horrifically savage treatment the African askaris received at the hands of the Italians. After the Italians are deposed, Jama settles for a few years into village life, before his wanderings take him to Egypt. Jama is a charming protagonist whose peregrinations assisted by clansmen, kind strangers, and ghostly visitations are directed more by historical and biographical significance than by the demands of plot. Mohamed vividly recreates the complex atmosphere of the era, and her personal investment in the story gives it a passionate edge.
Customer Reviews
Black mamba boy
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