Author:  Uwem Akpan

Publisher:  Back Bay Books/Hachette

ISBN #:  978-0-316-08637-0

Type:  Fiction/Short Stories

Pages:  360 Trade Paperback

Published:  September 17, 2009

Website:  CLICK HERE  

Purchase:  $9.97 (HERE) 

The Story

There are five stories in this well-publicized book by Uwem Akpan.  Making 2009’s Oprah’s Book Club created quite a splash for this collection.  The five stories are summarized on the books cover as:

“A family living in a makeshift shanty in urban Kenya scurries to find gifts of any kind for the impending Christmas holiday.  A Rwandan girl relates to her family’s struggles to maintain a facade of normalcy amid unspeakable acts.  A young brother and sister cope with their uncle’s attempt to sell them into slavery.  Aboard a bus filled with refugees – a microcosm of today’s Africa – a Muslim boy summons his faith to bear a treacherous ride across Nigeria.  Through the eyes of childhood friends, the emotional toll of religious conflict in Ethiopia becomes visually clear.” 

Each one of these stories are told from the viewpoint of a child.  Seeing racial, social and religious discrimination causing acts of injustice through the untainted eyes of a child makes for meaningful and honest stories which vividly remain with the reader. 

The Review

After reading and being very impressed by several books from the Oprah Book Club: Edgar Sawtelle, Middlesex, Love In The Time of Cholera, The Road, and White Oleander, I had high expectations of this book.  I have yet to be disappointed by her selections.  This book, being a collection of short stories versus a standard fiction tale, does set this book apart from others in the Oprah Book Club list.

The biggest roadblock that I typically encounter in reading a collection of short stories is in forming the connection with the characters in a swift manner.  With Say You’re One of Them, I found this generally to be the case.  It may be attributable to the cultural and language barriers.  Despite my inability to form quick connections with the stories’ protagonists, I can share that the stories were meaningful and really caused me to think about the conditions of Africa.

After finishing this book, I felt such a gratefulness for being allowed the privilege of growing up in a country as great as The United States of America.  In my country, we are allowed to worship and live as we see fit.  I can find safety in my country from religious persecution and protection from child-exploitation.  I am free and I am safe.  For the children in Africa, I cannot say as much.

With Oprah’s involvement in Africa, I can see how this book so deeply touched her.  She’s witnessed conditions there first-hand.  For me, the bridge was harder to gap.  Despite the fact that I cannot list this book as one of my favorites, it is one that I can find appreciation for.  It is a book with stories that are so haunting, I shall never forget it.

The Rating

Critics have heralded this book as “brilliant” and “astonishing.” Although I have a profound appreciation for this book, I wasn’t as moved as I had hoped to have been.  I do believe that this would make a good book club discussion book as there would be much to discuss after reading this.  For my readers, my honest rating is 8 out of 10 in the genre Fiction: Short Stories.

Giving Thanks

My heartfelt thanks to the Kathy of BermudaOnion for sending me this book (I won it in a giveaway).  My thanks to Hachette for hosting this giveaway at Kathy’s site and sending me the book.

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