thain's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the first part about a former aid worker seeking her missing niece in Uganda, but I felt it became a bit far-fetched once they crossed the border into the Congo. White savior complex caused lots of grief.
teachocolateandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
First, I won an arc of this book many moons ago.
This is an interesting book. Completely different from what one normally sees available. It tells the story of an aunt Sabine who goes looking for her niece, an NGO worker in Kitgum. The story also follows Rose, who as a child was taken by the LRA, a rebel group in Uganda. From the beginning the story drew me in. This world seemed so real that I felt as though I were walking through the streets of Kitgum with Sabine, Rose and Rose's employer Christophe.
By no means is this an easy book to read, and yet it is powerful in it's story telling.
This is an interesting book. Completely different from what one normally sees available. It tells the story of an aunt Sabine who goes looking for her niece, an NGO worker in Kitgum. The story also follows Rose, who as a child was taken by the LRA, a rebel group in Uganda. From the beginning the story drew me in. This world seemed so real that I felt as though I were walking through the streets of Kitgum with Sabine, Rose and Rose's employer Christophe.
By no means is this an easy book to read, and yet it is powerful in it's story telling.
slsndrs18's review against another edition
4.0
This book was amazing! The only thing that kept me from giving it five stars was the ending. It was very abrupt and I didn't feel like I got a real resolution to such a wonderfully written novel.
padm0's review against another edition
3.0
I really enjoyed this book! The story was compelling and well written. It ended rather abruptly for my tastes. I prefer endings to be tidier. I was disappointed at the end to learn that it was not written by a native Ugandan or even someone of African decent.
brainyheroine's review against another edition
5.0
The story I read in this book was not the one I expected. From the description I read on NetGalley I was expecting something with less depth and emotion than what I got. It was a pleasent surprise. Williams' novel takes you around the world and through time; introducting you to horrors and atrocitys, the ache of returning home from something so truly terrible, and leaves you wanting to hold your loved ones a little tighter, and fight just a little harder when something matters. Her scenery comes alive when you read, you feel as though you are in Uganda, in the midst of the war and homes of her characters. She also ignites further interest in the reader regarding the ivory trade, at least for me she did. I was aware of how it had decreased animal populations, but was unaware of its extent in financing these civil wars. However this is also a story about love, love for your sister, your partner, and the ever unspoken bonds of people forced together in horrible situations. Williams' story sucks you in with its mystery, and weaves together an atmosphere that keeps you turning each page. Told from the points of view of Sabine and Rose, their voices are distnct and diffent; though they experience similar traumas, and the supporting characters are equally well written and diverse. What I appreciated the most was the sense of historical accuracy; while the events are obviously fictionalized the history they are taken from is very much real, and the representation that Williams brings to the table is important.
hjackson61914's review against another edition
4.0
The Atlas of Forgotten Places takes place in Uganda during the early 2000s. I knew very little about what had happened in Uganda and surrounding countries during this time and I was immediately drawn into this story and the lives of the two women that it followed. Sabine, a German woman searching for her missing niece and Rose, a Ugandan women searching for her lover were such real characters that pulled at your heartstrings. Their fears, anxieties and sufferings became so real during the book and I couldn't put it down. Jenny Williams did an excellent job explaining what was happening in Africa at that time while also diving deeply into the lives of these two women and the emotional development they went through during the book.
My only critique of this book was the ending. Rather than bringing some closure to the story I felt that Jenny left the ending very open ended and primarily up to the reader's opinion of what happened next. This frustrated me momentarily at the end but I do think it didn't take away much from how well the rest of the book was done. Definitely a good book club pick, there are lots of different aspects that could be discussed.
My only critique of this book was the ending. Rather than bringing some closure to the story I felt that Jenny left the ending very open ended and primarily up to the reader's opinion of what happened next. This frustrated me momentarily at the end but I do think it didn't take away much from how well the rest of the book was done. Definitely a good book club pick, there are lots of different aspects that could be discussed.
abookishtype's review against another edition
4.0
Atonement is one of the most difficult things for people to achieve, more so when the person trying to atone is the only one who can forgive. In The Atlas of Forgotten Places, by Jenny D. Williams, several of the main characters are seeking to atone for their own crimes or the crimes of their family members—and they’re trying to do so in the middle of an active war zone as the Ugandan army is routing out members of the Lord’s Resistance Army. The emotional and physical conflicts in this book make for a nail-biting reading experience. Worse, it doesn’t follow the tropes of thrillers, so we don’t know until the very end if the protagonists live or not; there are no guarantees in The Atlas of Forgotten Places...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.
gretel7's review against another edition
I received this ARC from netgalley.com in exchange for a review.
I couldn't get into the story. Abandoned at 20%.
No Rating, dnf.
I couldn't get into the story. Abandoned at 20%.
No Rating, dnf.
whatmeganreads's review against another edition
5.0
The short of it – go get this book now. Order it, or download it, or pick it up at your local bookstore, or listen to it, or put it on hold at your library. I enjoyed it that much.
The long of it – this book has ALL THE THINGS. Adventure, suspense, love, fleshed-out authentic characters, and good dialogue. The story is well-paced, the writing lovely and tightly woven. The book primarily focuses on two women: Rose – a former child soldier still bearing both the emotional and physical scars of her captivity and forced marriage, is searching for her lover after he mysteriously disappears. Sabine – a veteran NGO aid worker who left the field for a quieter life in her native Germany, returns to Africa when her American niece goes missing in Uganda. The two women must rely on each other as they battle both their past and present demons to survive, and to find the missing people they love.
It doesn’t hurt that the author is an absolute gem -- chatting with me for a half-hour on Instagram in the wee hours when I just couldn’t put this book down – but I’d already made up my mind about the book at that point. 😊 This is a great read!
The long of it – this book has ALL THE THINGS. Adventure, suspense, love, fleshed-out authentic characters, and good dialogue. The story is well-paced, the writing lovely and tightly woven. The book primarily focuses on two women: Rose – a former child soldier still bearing both the emotional and physical scars of her captivity and forced marriage, is searching for her lover after he mysteriously disappears. Sabine – a veteran NGO aid worker who left the field for a quieter life in her native Germany, returns to Africa when her American niece goes missing in Uganda. The two women must rely on each other as they battle both their past and present demons to survive, and to find the missing people they love.
It doesn’t hurt that the author is an absolute gem -- chatting with me for a half-hour on Instagram in the wee hours when I just couldn’t put this book down – but I’d already made up my mind about the book at that point. 😊 This is a great read!
jchristy's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorites of 2020! TW: Northern Uganda civil war.