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africanbookaddict's review against another edition
3.0
!!! https://africanbookaddict.com/2016/10/04/sweet-medicine-by-panashe-chigumadzi/
3.5 stars. This is a good debut! In between reading this, I watched interviews and talks where Panashe speaks on racism in South Africa (where she was raised, even though she was born in Zim), feminism, womanism and her magazine - Vanguard Magazine, which is basically... check full review on africanbookaddict.com (link above) !
3.5 stars. This is a good debut! In between reading this, I watched interviews and talks where Panashe speaks on racism in South Africa (where she was raised, even though she was born in Zim), feminism, womanism and her magazine - Vanguard Magazine, which is basically... check full review on africanbookaddict.com (link above) !
temweka's review against another edition
3.0
More like 2.5
I don't think it was a bad book, but there were moments that felt disjointed, especially some of the flashbacks. That said, there were also moments where I was grateful for the non-linear storytelling.
The is a lot of Shona in this book. Not a complaint, just an observation. Shona is not too far from Chichewa, so there were times, where I could make out what was being said, but there were more moments of me google translating things (and Google translate Shona wasn't the best) or bugging my Shona speaking friends.
But overall, the story was entertaining enough.
I don't think it was a bad book, but there were moments that felt disjointed, especially some of the flashbacks. That said, there were also moments where I was grateful for the non-linear storytelling.
The is a lot of Shona in this book. Not a complaint, just an observation. Shona is not too far from Chichewa, so there were times, where I could make out what was being said, but there were more moments of me google translating things (and Google translate Shona wasn't the best) or bugging my Shona speaking friends.
But overall, the story was entertaining enough.
blackfeatherhideout's review against another edition
3.0
Despite the fact that it’s not a perfect novel (not many debut novels are) I named it in my Top 3 Books published in 2015, for how boldly it tackles its subject matter, and how delicately it speaks to us. Chigumadzi is that rare thing in life called a storyteller, and beyond arresting you with the narrative, the way she writes her words is a journey. They don’t just fulfil a purpose; they take you on a journey. Some authors, you see, are good storytellers, but not very good writers. Other authors are not very good storytellers, but are excellent writers. And then there are rare authors, like Chigumadzi (her turn of phrase is delightful!), who are artists with words as well as storytellers, and they are true magic.
dansquire's review against another edition
4.0
Good book, although there's a fair amount of Shona included with no glossary - you have to guess from context if you don't speak the language. Enjoyed the insight into the 2008 Zimbabwean crash, which I didn't really know anything about, although the book is mainly about the protagonist's emotional story so it doesn't get caught up in the historical backdrop too much. 4/5.
bente99's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
charliebnl's review
4.0
3.9 ⭐️
“You cannot fight am evil disease with sweet medicine...”
Tsitsi is a young lady in Zimbabwe who has married well, lives a life of luxury and provides her mother a comfortable life despite the economic turmoil. She was top of her class in high school and varsity, so she’s more than a pretty face. So why would she need the help of “sweet medicine”?
Through Tsitsi’s interactions and observations, we see how every day life in Zimbabwe is touched by economic strife there. How dreams are not deferred but displaced with the act of surviving at any cost regardless of your station in life.
I found the book to be well written with characters with depth but I couldn’t root for Tsitsi; and I’m unsure if this was the author’s intention. A short book at 201 pages, it took me 2 months to finish it because I just couldn’t get into it and honestly, I don’t know why not.
The ending also seemed a bit convenient and given the opening sentence, quoted above, there was room to have left it open ended.
I’d recommend this book if you would like to read about life in Zimbabwe, like strong willed female characters or are fascinated about why Christians sometimes dabble in the occult.
“You cannot fight am evil disease with sweet medicine...”
Tsitsi is a young lady in Zimbabwe who has married well, lives a life of luxury and provides her mother a comfortable life despite the economic turmoil. She was top of her class in high school and varsity, so she’s more than a pretty face. So why would she need the help of “sweet medicine”?
Through Tsitsi’s interactions and observations, we see how every day life in Zimbabwe is touched by economic strife there. How dreams are not deferred but displaced with the act of surviving at any cost regardless of your station in life.
I found the book to be well written with characters with depth but I couldn’t root for Tsitsi; and I’m unsure if this was the author’s intention. A short book at 201 pages, it took me 2 months to finish it because I just couldn’t get into it and honestly, I don’t know why not.
The ending also seemed a bit convenient and given the opening sentence, quoted above, there was room to have left it open ended.
I’d recommend this book if you would like to read about life in Zimbabwe, like strong willed female characters or are fascinated about why Christians sometimes dabble in the occult.
siwe's review
2.0
I had high expectations for this book because I went to the book launch in 2016 and I really enjoyed the curation of it. It was warm. It gave me a sense of the Zimbabwe during that time but unfortunately this didn't translate into the book. The story line was all of the place. It didn't run smoothly and while I am not against timelines in books being manipulated(?), Chigumadzi didn't know how to do this. She only started revealing the important bits in the last pages of the book which is an issue because she didn't establish at the beginning that this was the place we were going to. The main character, Tsitsi was extremely unlikable and often I don't have an issue with unlikable characters but there wasn't a sense of who she was, she was judgmental (a characteristic that she gets from her mother I suppose) and she was very slow. Her treatment of her friend, Chiedza, in particular was nauseating, she judged Chiedza's choices while they were both in the same situation and yet, Chiedza was the one who was shamed.
I thought the themes of Christianity and exploring African culture was interesting. It challenged Tsitsi's conceptions of what her god could do and what he wasn't doing during that moment where she had to make other plans to get Mr Zvogbo to stay with her. I wanted this story line to have been explored throughout the whole book, not just the beginning and the end. I thought it was central to Tsitsi's conflict but it wasn't done justice.
There weren't any memorable characters in this book and the development of most of them was appalling. You understand what they are driven by but you don't get to see it beyond the two dimensional placement that is given and this was rather disappointing.
My friend and I did a review on my youtube channel if anyone would like to see the rest of my thoughts about the book. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a9x_dgsGbg&t=238s
I thought the themes of Christianity and exploring African culture was interesting. It challenged Tsitsi's conceptions of what her god could do and what he wasn't doing during that moment where she had to make other plans to get Mr Zvogbo to stay with her. I wanted this story line to have been explored throughout the whole book, not just the beginning and the end. I thought it was central to Tsitsi's conflict but it wasn't done justice.
There weren't any memorable characters in this book and the development of most of them was appalling. You understand what they are driven by but you don't get to see it beyond the two dimensional placement that is given and this was rather disappointing.
My friend and I did a review on my youtube channel if anyone would like to see the rest of my thoughts about the book. Here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a9x_dgsGbg&t=238s
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