A cross between a memoir and a cook book!!

Picked up at tonight's Western Sydney Meetup - thanks! And nice to meet you both too :-)

BookRing Instructions:
1. Join this BookRing by sending me a PM - this Ring is now CLOSED -- sorry!
2. When you receive the book, please make a journal entry so everyone knows it has safely arrived.
3. When you finish the book, make another journal entry telling us what you thought - did you like it? Did you think it was well-written? Or was it total rubbish?
4. Continue the BookRing by checking this journal entry for the latest list, and sending a PM to the person after you on the list requesting their postal address.
5. Most importantly, ENJOY!

Participants: (Australia only please)
1. gabbysmum
2. Flitterby
3. sally906
4. amberC
5. catsalive
6. bookfairy65
7. with-the-force (Dorinda goes home for a visit)

... then back to me.

Sent to gabbysmum today to kick off the Ring - enjoy :-)

Just arrived right now thank you Sabavana :)

I really enjoyed this book,the first chapter gave me a great laugh "She needs more salt." lol I also loved the African songs,stories and recipes.Dorinda has had a truely amazing life thus far and she would be a very welcome guest at my table any day.

RELEASE NOTES:

on its way to Flitterby, enjoy :)

Arrived today. Can't wait to tuck into this one, and in fact must register it so I can remove it to my bedroom where I won't be so tempted to read it during working hours! LOL!

I've already read a bit into the first chapter and had to laugh at the 'needs salt' comment too. I live in Adelaide and only get asked the usual questions when I speak as my accent gives me away, but I sure can relate already.

It's on the top of my reading pile!!

Wow, what a great read. I'd love to meet Dorinda someday. And I wouldn't ask her all the usual questions either! She truly has an amazing spirit.

Am going to show the book at a get together tomorrow, and will send the book to Sally906 on Monday.

Just a quick journal entry that Mundoo will be reading this book over the weekend and forwarding it on to Sally906.

RELEASE NOTES:

Will be personally handing over to Mundoo for a quick read before forwarding on to Sally906.

Given to me by flitterby. Will read it this long weekend

An easy read. Interesting to read from Dorinda after watching her for many years on TV. I was appalled to read about the punishment the girls had to do to themselves at the boarding school and did shake my head wondering if that really was true. I laughed about the 'flesh-coloured' underwear. Those salmon-pink pants never seemed to be the colour of my flesh either! The recipes were interesting to read but no African food I have eaten seemed to have some of the ingredients that are listed in Dorinda's. This might be a difference between the country and city cultures. I related to the extended families situations and did wonder how Dorinda's children coped without an extended family.

RELEASE NOTES:

Posted to sally906

Arrived today - am looking forwards to reading it

Was a quick read - will pass onto amberc at out next meetup :)

RELEASE NOTES:

Passing on to AmberC at meet-up

received from Sally at the meetup.

i enjoyed this book. the punishment of 'peppering' at the boarding school had me wincing. Dorinda has had an amazing life. i have copied out a couple of the recipes and look forward to trying them.

it's off to catsalive tomorrow.

Received today. You're keeping me busy this week amberC - Perfume, Monday Mourning & this one.

I'm only half way through but I thought I'd put down a few points that struck me before I forget them.

I loved that quote of her mother's: "What do you need to get married for? All you need is a man to periodically paint your clouds." I think it's a classic.

This quote I found just beautiful: "Well, I think to myself, some people polish their silver; African women polish their children." It conjures such a lovely image; I could see those shining, polished children in my mind's eye.

I found it curious in "How the Yam Came to the Ashant" that Abu didn't offer himself to the yam-tribe, he being the obvious choice. Typical man, he took his sister's only son and "decried his father and brothers for refusing to send their sons to the yam country", but never thought to do the thing himself.

This is another beauty, one of her grandmother's favourite sayings: "Remember child, what you are I have been and what I am, you will be!" I guess it behoves us to keep that in mind when dealing with recalcitrant parents or grandparents.

That was a horrifying episode for the children when the grenade came through the window, and it was brilliant that the emergency procedures worked so well, but I can't help wondering why Mrs. Bonsu didn't assume the position as well. What a terrible experience for those children.

Last for the moment is my horrified disbelief as I read that section on "peppering". Those teachers, I don't have the words. Certainly it was corporal punishment of the highest order for 10-year-old girls at a Methodist Girls Boarding School. I was squeezing my thighs together in sympathy. Ugh!

I'm enjoying this very much, & these noteworthy points keep leaping out at me, so bring on the second half. Tata for now.

The 2nd half has some grim moments - that Julian sounds like a pig of the first order. It must have been astonishing to arrive in Adelaide in the 70's, and bloody hard work. I did like, "His money is for all of you, and your money is for you."

I enjoyed reading this very much. I'm sure the recipes are interesting too, if you like that kind of thing. I might just right down those first six: Tropical Delight, Man-Go-Tango, Roots, Pining For You, The Blacker The Berry The Sweeter The Juice, and Knights In Shining Armor - yes, all the alcoholic ones.

Thanks for letting me read this interesting autobigraphy, and I can hand it over at meetup on 14/6 if you're going, Sabavana.

Posted to bookfairy65 this morning.

I have been a huge fan of Dorinda's for years, and so am very happy to have an opportunity to read this book. Thanks to all who have held this book before me for passing it on, I will get to it as soon as I've finished the book I am currently reading.

Dorinda is a wonderful story-teller who has had a pretty amazing life! I loved how she weaved the African folk stories and the recipes into her own story.

One of the stories that had me giggling was the etiquette classes Dorinda attended in England, where the nurses were taught how to "pick-up". I can just imagine Dorinda dropping her monogrammed and lace-edged (on the corner only of course) handkerchief over her right shoulder. (NOT!).

Being the mother of two daughters who dance competetively, I could also relate to the dance competitions Dorinda spoke of. There are always the tears, tantrums and teasing backstage that Dorinda describes, and that's only the mothers! Good on Dorinda for sticking it up the adjudicator too for her ridiculous comments, I would have loved to have seen that! It is strictly taboo to approach the adjudicators at a dance comp, however some of them really do need to be brought down a peg or two, Some of the comments I've seen written on result sheets are ludicrous!

I also have to agree with catsalive with regards to Julian, I believe you were quite kind when describing him as a pig of the first order. That is an under-statement. Imagine being one of his patients!

I will get this book of to with-the-force on Monday, but not before I copy down a few of Dorinda's recipes. The seasoned chicken, yam croquettes and gravy are going to feature on my dining table soon...although the gravy does sound more like chile sauce than gravy! The baked fish and shitor also sounds good. I can't wait to try some of these recipes.

The book arrived home far earlier than i expected and I have been a bit busy. I will get around to reading it ASAP and get it on to the next person in the list shortly thereafter.
Sorry for the holdup.

Welcome back Dorinda! Thankyou to everyone who participated in this Ring, I'm looking forward to reading it myself.

*Finally* read this book a little while ago... loved it! Dorinda writes with such passion, for her life, her family and her cooking. You go, girl!

I'll be wild-releasing this when I can, for someone else to enjoy :-)