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ok7a's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, and Colonisation
Minor: Chronic illness, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Abortion, and Abandonment
jayisreading's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
This was a really interesting but also tough book to read. Tough in the sense that there is some heavy content, but it’s mostly that there is a lot of information to digest and keep track of that can get a bit tedious.
The story begins with Kintu Kidda and the curse placed on him that affects not only him, but also his descendants. The story then branches out to follow said descendants and how they are reckoning with this curse in their own lives. Makumbi approaches this by dividing her book into six interconnected sections, presenting different perspectives on the curse and how each character understands it. And I love how this is done in the fashion of oral history, recognizing that there will always be slight differences in one’s understanding of something carried down from the past. There was also a lot of interesting commentary woven into this family epic that related distinctly to Ugandan culture and society, the most interesting I thought was the lasting impact of colonialism, especially Christianity.
The book dragged in certain places for me, but overall, I found Makumbi’s storytelling effective and compelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Incest, Rape, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Colonisation and War
georgiarybanks's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A sweeping introduction to the folklore and history of Uganda.
The novel covers a period from 1750 to around 2004 and follows the cursed bloodline of the Kintu family, who were once a powerful clan in the kingdom of Buganda.
Some sections made me laugh. Other sections were just bleak. I learned a lot about Uganda - but suspect that some things might have gone over my head because I don’t have all the context.
I listened to an audiobook version from Audible. The narrator was fantastic. I think if I was reading the physical book I might have found it a bit easier to keep track of which part of history I was in. I did get things mixed up sometimes.
Really enjoyed this overall.
The novel covers a period from 1750 to around 2004 and follows the cursed bloodline of the Kintu family, who were once a powerful clan in the kingdom of Buganda.
Some sections made me laugh. Other sections were just bleak. I learned a lot about Uganda - but suspect that some things might have gone over my head because I don’t have all the context.
I listened to an audiobook version from Audible. The narrator was fantastic. I think if I was reading the physical book I might have found it a bit easier to keep track of which part of history I was in. I did get things mixed up sometimes.
Really enjoyed this overall.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child abuse, Death, Incest, Rape, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
heatherinjapan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Incest, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Rape, Suicide, and Religious bigotry