Oonya Kempadoo grew up in Guyana. This book tells short episodes from her childhood and growing up among girls and people of many different kinds. It describes the first sexual experiences, too, I think in a quite realistic way....

I enjoyed this book, even if some things are scaring or sad. The part about the man- selfes (8) I liked most. And I like my man- self! :-))

Beim gestrigen Meetup persönlich weitergegeben. Viel Spaß beim Lesen! :-)

Beim Meet-Up eingefangen

Starapple, sapodilla, genip, saman: these and other wondrous trees inhabit the Guyanese village of Tamarind Grove and the late-childhood world of Lula, the narrator of Oonya Kempadoo's ''Buxton Spice.

By the end of her story, with its tales of village life and glimpses of coastal Guyana's post-independence political conflict and racial violence, Lula will fulfill the promise of the novel's opening lines: ''I got to know all the secrets of the house -- like I knew all the trees in the yard.''

Ms Kempadoo writes in a colourful creole English, sometimes it took me while to understand.

From New York Times:

"Buxton Spice is rooted in the Guyana of the 1970's, a time when the Guyanese were still reeling from the race riots that accompanied independence and the beginning of the nearly three-decade-long regime of the People's National Congress, led by the charismatic, dictatorial Forbes Burnham. The P.N.C. introduced a Soviet-style, centrally planned economic model, nationalizing the nation's bauxite and sugar industries, ultimately with disastrous results. It also overtly injected race into Guyanese politics, identifying itself with the country's Afro-Guyanese population."

I am not sure what to think about this book. I sometimes liked the very original, direct and yet poetic language, the tiny aspects of adult and village life. I think the author has a lot of talent. But I really missed a "real story" instead of all these little snippets. Not my kind of book, I am afraid.

But I am sure that many people will agree withe the NYTimes critic: ''Buxton Spice'' is a superb, and superbly written, novel of childhood and childhood's end.

About the title: Buxton is a village in Guyana, known for its fruit plantations. The Buxton Spice mango is unique to Buxton being fleshy and sweet like others but having a unique spicy taste.

Counts for Guyana.

this book is now a Book Ring and participating in the "one year - one country lifetime challenge"

http://tanjaweb.opwiki.org/

1. holle77
2. Mary-T
3. Isfet
4. Andrasthe
5. book-a-neer
6. Edwardstreet (right now)
7. You?

The Book arrived this morning in my Packstation and I could fetch it on the start into my holidays. Thanks a lot for sending.

I agree with the Journal of olagorie and sometimes I had my difficulties with the Creole English.

Das Buch ist gut angekommen. Vielen Dank! :o)

20. October
Soooo sorry for keeping this so long...
It was difficult to read for me since it's not really my type of book.
But I liked the writing.

I made some pauses and due to a lot of "life" as well in my surroundin (e.g. the birth of my first baby) I forgot the ring in between.
Please forgive me.

The book will travel again next week; the address is already on the parcel. ;)

Thanks!

Musste ein bisschen in der Packstation warten - vielen Dank für's Schicken! Muss allerdings ein bisschen warten, hier sind noch ein paar Ringe.

I'm not sure if I like the book - sometimes yes, sometimes no. I had difficulties with the first parts to understand who is who and what is really going on. But as wildboardhunter, I like part 8 and the man-self ;-)

The creole English was sometimes hard to understand and I think, I don't like it.

Hat sich heute endlich auf den Weg nach Österreich gemacht.

"Kempadoo's semi-autobiographical first novel follows bright, sensitive Lula, a girl growing up in Guyana, through her first frightening and thrilling pubescent milestones. In the early 1970s, when Guyana is beset by racial friction between the East Indian and Afro-Caribbean populations, Lula and her racially mixed family find themselves at the center of conflict in their town of Tamarind Grove."

The first interesting aspect of this story is the language. The author manages to give the narration a strong Creole flavour that one has to get used to in the beginning, but quickly comes to appreciate. The story is not necessarily chronological or even entirely coherent. The different parts give insight into different situations and events in the narrator's life and help form a lasting impression in the reader's modest understanding of life in Guyana at that time.

Once I found my way into the book, I rather enjoyed it. I think the sexual tension and coming of age were depicted in a very earthy, natural tone and some ideas, thoughts and experiences sounded familiar - even from a Western perspective.

Arrived safely. Thank you.

If you have found this book please know that it is a travelling book. It is not lost. You see, we at bookcrossing, love our books so much that we like to share it with the world. Read it if you think it's interesting enough and/or pass it on to someone who might enjoy it as well.

For Edwardstreet.

a letter box surprise, Thanks. I will save this for my 2015 666 challenge.

Have just been advised this is a ring so will read and return to the ring owner asap. Must be a ring I signed for and then forgot about my apologies.

temporary release for 666 challenge

Temporarily borrowed from EdwardStreet as I'm desperate to finish my 666 Challenge for this year - only need 6 books to finish and this one will be a great help.
I'll return it when read . It will be in the next month, deadline 31.12.14

This book has taken far too long to move along.
It was a very good read and needs to be moving along.
Wildboarhunter, it was not clear what should happen to it and I'm hoping the the next person to 'catch it' might make a JE and/or perhaps contact you to see if you want it back or if it should travel onwards.

Being released to EdwardStreet who has kindly agreed to take it to Stewart Island at the ery south of New Zealand where the NZ/Aus Unconvention will take place in about 10 days. I'm unable to attend but if some of my books arrived there thanks to ES then I can be there in spirit.
Travel safely good book. I will watch for JE's as it moves onward.