Journal Entry 1 by Jezrial from Petrolia, Ontario Canada on Wednesday, May 14, 2003

I read this book as part of an anthropology/comparative studies course on African Culture. It is very well written and does a good job of letting you into the tribal culture of Nigeria as well as the effects of Europeans and big cities on everything they held sacred around the time of WWII.

I recommend this book highly. 

Journal Entry 2 by AnonymousFinder on Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Received today in the mail. Waiting to be read.

CAUGHT IN EDMONTON ALBERTA CANADA 

Journal Entry 3 by lauraloo29 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Tuesday, March 30, 2004

Now that I've signed in........ I am putting this book in my TBR pile. Thanks Jezrial! 

Journal Entry 4 by lauraloo29 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Friday, April 23, 2004

Interesting. I did have a hard time getting into it. 

Journal Entry 5 by lauraloo29 from Edmonton, Alberta Canada on Tuesday, June 01, 2004

I'm going to send this out as a bookray. When you receive the book, please make a journal entry letting us know you have it. When you are done, please journal again with your thoughts on the book. Contact the next person on the list via PM for their mailing address. Mailing order confirmed:

1. gomboggit US
2. Rrrcaron US
3. Fellraven UK (Intl)
 

Journal Entry 6 by gomboggit from Baker City, Oregon USA on Monday, July 26, 2004

Just got this in the mail today. 

Journal Entry 7 by gomboggit from Baker City, Oregon USA on Tuesday, August 03, 2004

Wow. This is a glimpse into a culture and life that is so different from what I live in. Contrary to the title, there is not much joy in this book. The main character, Nnu Ego, lives a hard life trying to make ends meet day to day for her family. If anything goes wrong, she is blamed for it, even though she is married to a loser husband who beats her and spends most of their income on palm wine. Her difficulties make all my problems look petty. I thought this book was excellent. 

Journal Entry 8 by gomboggit from Baker City, Oregon USA on Thursday, August 05, 2004

Releasing in the mail to a fellow Bookcrosser. 

Journal Entry 9 by Rrrcaron from Lancaster, New Hampshire USA on Tuesday, August 17, 2004

Received this book in yesterday's mail. Plan on starting it soon.
Ruth 

Journal Entry 10 by Rrrcaron from Lancaster, New Hampshire USA on Saturday, October 02, 2004

I sent this book to Fellraven today. I didn't have the chance to read it, maybe I'll read it some time in the future. It was sent priority- so it shouldn't take too long.
Ruth 

Journal Entry 11 by Fellraven from Redditch, Worcestershire United Kingdom on Tuesday, October 05, 2004

Received from rrrcaron today by post. That was quick! Many thanks. 

Journal Entry 12 by Fellraven from Redditch, Worcestershire United Kingdom on Sunday, October 17, 2004

It took a couple of chapters before I really got into this book. I found myself tripping over Emecheta's choice or use of words repeatedly ("Why DID she use THAT word?") and wondered whether her English was less than idiomatic to make her do so. In the end I decided that she was telling her story as exactly that - as if she was a storyteller recounting this story orally to an audience rather than it being read by a lone reader. Reading this novel but listening to it in your head as if you were listening to the oral performance of a storyteller really helps the cadences of the language, the voices of characters and words she chooses.

Anyway, what did I make of it as a story? Once I got into it, it became curiously unputdownable and I rattled through it like few other books. The title of course is profoundly ironic, or maybe sarcastic, for there are few joys of motherhood to be found in this book's pages. As a tale of grim and grinding poverty it has few equals, having neither the sense of magic or optimism, nor the interludes of wild and manic celebration of Okri's "The Famished Road". It is, however, one of those novels which I think it destined to remain with this reader for quite some time. 

Journal Entry 13 by Fellraven at on Friday, November 12, 2004

Released on Friday, November 12, 2004 at about 3:00:00 AM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at Sainsbury's in Redditch, England United Kingdom.

RELEASE NOTES:

Left on one of the cashpoints outside the main entrance.