Author: Debra Liebenow Daly
Pages: 276
Book takes place in the country: YES
Author is from the country: No, but she lived there for 2 years
I have visited: NO
This is my 55th read of the year
This is a book of 5 short stories about 5 Swazi women - Anna, Sarie, Elizabeth, Busisiwe, and Thembekile. They all have faced different obstacles in their lives. It is set in a beautiful country that under the surface reveals a terrible HIV/AIDS epidemic, poverty, and lack or rights for women. These women try to overcome their circumstances to give themselves and their children better lives. The stories cross each woman's life from childhood into adulthood and beyond as they struggle to better themselves.
And that is all I am going to say about this book. I had looked at several books about Swaziland, and this one got the best reviews, so I stuck with that. But the writing is not good at all. It is written almost child like with very little depth or character development. It would have been better if the author would have picked one character and slowed down the proces and wrote more in depth about their life story. You don't get the ability with this book to care about the characters at all. And with the poor writing, it just makes you want to roll your eyes with these stories.
I did finish it, and unfortunately, it may have to stay as my Swaziland book if the other books out there are truly worse. If any of my blog readers have a book they read about this country that they liked, please share. I would be happy to replace this one.
Stars: 2
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