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The Door of No Return

The Door of No Return

RRP: £14.99
Price: £7.495
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Description

Nana Mosi says when half of the moon is bright and the other half is shadowed, we are supposed to let go of anger and hurt and grudge."

Kofi Offin is a character you can't fail but to like, full of enthusiasm and keen to know more in a world he doesn't fully understand yet. In fact for all its cultural and time period differences, many themes of the novel are very relatable to young people today - growing up, dealing with school, bullying, families, friendships and rivalries, standing up for what you care about and overcoming adversity. There are beautiful descriptions in the novel and for me those where Kofi is swimming in the river are exceptional, where the connection between boy and water is palpable. I found the ending quite abrupt, though it is not exactly a cliffhanger. An online search revealed that this is the first of a planned trilogy, something I didn’t know while requesting the book and isn’t mentioned on Netgalley or Goodreads. So I will not hold the ending against the book, still hoping that someone marks this as part of a planned series so that readers know what they are getting and that it’s somewhat incomplete. Austen, Ralph (January 2001). "The Slave Trade as History and Memory: Confrontations of Slaving Voyage Documents and Communal Traditions". The William and Mary Quarterly. 58 (1): 232. doi: 10.2307/2674425. JSTOR 2674425 . Retrieved 17 September 2021.Offin – our young protagonist who is clever and mischievous and brave and so much more! He is the heart of the story. I won this as a giveaway, but it’s going to be gracing my favorites shelf in my home. My girls will be reading it soon enough. The story is told through the writing of Michel Adanson- a botanist and a man whose past has never left him -in particular an expedition to Senegal in the 1750s. During his last few months of life he scribes this journey in the hope it will be found and read by his daughter so she can understand the man who didn't give her much love -as he was immersed in his world of plants and in many senses escaping the pain of the past.

Michel Adanson has devoted himself to botany, a passion but also a means by which he will gain the admiration, respect and, yes, jealousy of scientists throughout Europe. By the time he is standing before the door through which we all will pass, the nineteenth century having barely bloomed, he has managed to describe one hundred thousand plants, animals, and shellfish. He knows, reflecting as he must on his death bed, that despite his spectacular achievement and the sacrifice he made of his family, his work will be lost to the march of progress and advancements in science. It is then that he decides to give meaning to his life by introducing his daughter Aglaé to the man he was, not the scientist that will be swept into the bin of antiquation. Diop είναι ένας σπουδαίος παραμυθάς και έχει τη δύναμη να μαγεύει τον αναγνώστη του παρουσιάζοντας του άγνωστες πτυχές μιας ηπείρου,αλλά και της ανθρώπινης πολύπλοκης προσωπικότητας! Kumbon, Daniel (2015-06-23). "The slaves house: Remembering the cruelty of man against man". PNG Attitude . Retrieved 2023-01-19. Slavery and slave trade does feature in this novel and I found this section of the story really interesting and at the same time harrowing, seeing how Kofi and others ended up in this situation and seeing it from the enslaved people's point of view. It is worth noting that there are scenes of and references to mutilation, death and abuse in the novel which is something to keep in mind if planning to use this novel with a class.This is a book that I wished I’d had when I was in middle school. It’s a perspective that I needed to read then and now. I truly CANNOT wait until the remaining books are released!

Une lecture plaisante mais pas marquante. Plaisante car le style est beau, le roman se lit facilement, le lieu principal de l'intrigue (le Sénégal) change un peu des livres que je lis d'habitude. This was my first experience actually reading a novel-in-verse, a format I have attempted earlier only through audiobooks. It took me a bit of time to get attuned to the unusual writing pattern. ( To my prose-loving eyes, half my Kindle screen looked empty! 😄) However, pretty soon, the words began to fly past with amazing ease. As an avid audiobook listener, I prefer the audio version for novels-in-verse, but I have a gut feeling that this one will be better read than heard; the timeline is too complicated for audio. Memorial [ edit ] Boubacar Joseph N'Diaye, the curator of the Museum of Slavery in Island of Gorée, Senegal, 2007The terrible irony is that Michel Adanson spent his life searching for the universal thread, the connection among all living things, yet he himself refused all connections. Kwame has given young readers so many relatable books. This one was the first from him that I have read that really gave history behind the characters. Based in Africa, Alexander dug deeply into what the culture holds. As a white woman, I probably don’t understand it all, but I strive to. There can be no redemption without reconciliation of the self. A man like this will choose to live in permanent anguish and torment, rather than to face up to himself. He will even betray his principles, inextricably tied to his deepest pain, in search of comfort. Perversely, shame can make one addicted to feeling sorry for oneself. It is important to come as it helps put things to rest. It is horrible to think people were treated in this way." The Door of No Return is a beautiful yet stark piece of storytelling - immediate and breathtaking, emotional and real, showcasing the verse novel at its best. I felt this was a window into a time and culture I knew very little about and it left me wanting to know more. The stories Kofi's grandfather tells, and which start each chapter, are beautifully told, all starting "There was even a time". Whether a story about his birth, history or legend, they set the scene so well for what is to come.



  • Fruugo ID: 258392218-563234582
  • EAN: 764486781913
  • Sold by: Fruugo

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