Granma Nineteen and the Soviets Secret

Description

Winner of the 2013 Jose Saramago PrizeAn Africa39/Unesco City of LIterature 2014 African Writer Under 40A Guardian Top Five African Writer 2012Winner of the Grinzane Prize for Best Young Writer 2010By the beaches of Luanda, the Soviets are building a grand mausoleum in honour of the Comrade President. Granmas are whispering: houses, they say, will bedexploded, and everyone will have to leave. With the help of his friends Charlita and Pi (whom everyone calls 3.14), and with assistance from Dr. Rafael KnockKnock, the Comrade Gas Jockey, the amorous Gudafterov, crazy Sea Foam, and a ghost, our young hero must decide exactly how much trouble hes willing to face to keep his Granma safe in Bishops Beach.Energetic and colourful, impish and playful,Granma Nineteen and the Soviets Secretis a charming coming-of-age story from the next rising star in African literature.Praise forGranma Nineteen and the Soviets SecretAngolan author Ondjaki has found an appropriate balance between knowing and not-knowing, sweetness and cruelty with his young narrator In language laced with Cuban Spanish and Russian-accented English, the story is informed by its political context but still manages to evoke that magical form of thinking that children in particular possess.Globe and MailOndjaki delivers playful magical realism with delightful defiance.Barnes & Noble ReviewAs with Ondjakis other novelsincludingBom dis camaradas(2001;Good Morning Comrades) andOs Transparentes(2012)this is a strangely deceptive read. Although the narrative often feels rather whimsical, Angolas long history of colonialism and conflict, its various foreign allies and enemies, and the extraordinary suffering of its population, are menacingly present a brave and highly political work.Times Literary SupplementRemarkable at once a coming-of-age novel, rousing adventure, and lyrical experiment It is no surprise that this energetic and endearing novel is the work of a writer of such stunning accomplishment as Ondjaki, at his best when he is writing the frenetic wonderment of children, even as they contend with the deadly realities of war and political power. The result is ebullient, cinematic, and downright magical.Words Without BordersA profound novel, perhaps a definitive one of collapsing Soviet power and influence in 1980s Africa its not surprising that it has won literary prizes both as adult fiction and as best young adult novel a very mature work, well aware of a darker world around it, but careful in what shadows it throws on these pages.M.A. Orthofer,The Complete ReviewA devilishly simple-yet-sturdy tale of childhood and revolution Ondjakis writing, full of humanity, vivacity, and character, is a whimsical breath of fresh air His is a voice the entire world should have the pleasure to experience.Numro CinqMuch of why I read international literature is that its an opportunity to learn about different parts of the world, the politics and cultures of places Ive never been. Often, things turn dark and tumultuous (the waking nightmares of so many Latin American authors, from so many disparate, ravaged countries, come to mind). This itself is what makes OndjakisGranma Nineteen and the Soviets Secretso appealingand surprising. This tale of an African country under Soviet rule is the opposite of so many politically driven novels, a story made noteworthy by its sense of humor and playfulness. Told as a coming-of-age story and a childhood adventure (thinkThe Goonies, but in Angola, maybe),Granma Nineteenis serious literature, in tune with the world its molded by, butunlike so, so many bookshonestly fun. Its joyous and whimsical and wonderfully effortless, aspects that seem unfortunately rare these days, but definitely welcome.Justin Souther, Malaprops (Asheville, NC)