El frágil vuelo de los pájaros

by Christie Watson

«Divertida, desgarradora y completamente real: los personajes permanecen en tu imaginación mucho después de haber terminado de leerla.»
Jurado del Costa Award
El frágil vuelo de los pájaros es la historia de Blessing a los doce años, contada por ella misma a su propia hija; una historia acerca de cómo algunas familias pueden sobrevivir a todo, casi.
Todo cambió después de que Mama encontrase a Padre con otra mujer. Mama, mi hermano Ezikiel, de catorce años, y yo nos vimos obligados a dejar nuestro piso en Lagos, que tenía un aire acondicionado tan eficaz que a veces nos daba frío, y mudarnos a Warri, el poblado de mi abuelo Alhaji, donde no había electricidad. Alhaji era el cabeza de familia en el recinto y nos convirtió a todos en musulmanes. Pero, en realidad, era Abuela la que mandaba en ese mundo. Alhaji tomó una segunda esposa, Celestine, una Plañidera Profesional de Ciudad a la que le encantaba llevar ropa de licra. Abuela, que era partera, tenía mucho que decir al respecto. Pero para entonces yo era su aprendiz, y sabía que había cosas mucho peores que la licra. Ezikiel cambió de repente, después de que le disparasen mientras cogía caracoles. Sobrevivir a una bala le hizo pensar que era invencible. Se unió a la Resistencia de la Nación Izon, tiró al río su inhalador contra el asma y dijo que su brazalete le protegería. No entendí cómo. Solo era un trozo de cuerda. Las cosas se desmoronaron de verdad cuando Mama conoció a Dan, un trabajador blanco de la petrolera. Dan era nuestro nuevo Padre. Tan blanco que era transparente. Secuestraron a Dan en el recinto, el día de su boda con Mama, con trágicas consecuencias para todos…

Genres: Fiction, Africa, Book Club, Nigeria, Historical Fiction, Family, Contemporary

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Christie Watson is a professor of medical humanities at UEA, and worked as an NHS nurse for over twenty years. She has written six books, including her first novel, Tiny Sunbirds Far Away, which won the Costa First Novel Award, and the memoir, The Language of Kindness, which was a number one Sunday Times bestseller. Christie is a contributor to the Times, the Sunday Times, the Guardian, the Telegraph, and TEDx, and her work has been translated into twenty-three languages and adapted for theatre. Moral Injuries, her latest novel, is publishing March 14th (UK) and June (US).

Reviews

[Margitte · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing the book, I first read the biographical summary of Christi Watson, since I sensed a slight difference in approach from the other African authors.

It dawned on me why I enjoyed the humor in the book so much. It reminded me of what Alexander Fuller said in Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness about being English: "In this way, the English part of our identity registers as a void, something lacking that manifests in inherited, stereotypical characteristics: an allergy to sentimentality, a casual ease with profanity, a horror of bad manners, a deep mistrust of humorlessness."

It is present in most British authors I have read, regardless of the seriousness of situations or events, and I love it! It was a delightful addition to this narrative and correspond with the kind of attitude one finds in Africa. It also explains why people can endure so much and survive it all. Laughter is really the essence of survival.

If you are serious about pollution disasters in the world, you have probably read more about events such as the fracking issues in Pavillion, Wyoming, where Louis Meeks asked 'What happened to my water?" and blew the lid on the disastrous consequences of frack-mining that started a huge international protest; or why the cats started to dance in the streets of Minamate(Japan) where an entire community was poisoned with mercury and killed over a period of thirty years; or the aftermath of Chernobyl(Russia), or the tragic story of Hinckley, California which made Erin Brockovich famous. Tiny Sunbirds Far Away will give you a clear example of the devestating effects of oil pollution in Africa on many community's lives. But compared to the serious journalistic reports on similar issues, Christi Watson has written a 'light read' in comparison, thanks to the sense of humor she applies to ordinary people's day-to-day lives.

These different events also offer a conceptually clear and affectively powerful example of the concentration of elements in food chains, the sometimes unexpected interconnectedness of humans and their environment, and the complex interactions of biology and culture. In short, it is a paradigm for teaching ecology and science-society issues.

This is the background of Blessing and her family's story, but without the superior ultra-impressive scientific jargon!

Actually, her story puts the dots where they belong in a simple, eloquent way. Reading books like "Tiny Sunbirds Far Away" the reader will discover the humor, happiness, intelligence and perseverance of a continent's people under siege by the corrupted government officials, the 'freedom fighters' and the Sibeya Boys.

It is a triangle of interest groups battling each other in Nigeria with the ordinary people somewhere in the scramble. The book explain the complete situation. I would not call it a chic-lit book per se since it is about more serious issues. The tone of the book is light, gentle, dignified.

Blessing is a perfect character to use as protagonist. From the Better Life Executive Homes of Lagos, to a poor village near Warri in the Niger Delta was a culture shock for 12-year-old Blessing and her 14-year-old brother Ezikiel after her mom found her dad lying on top of another woman.

When Blessing first arrived from Lagos, her grandmother introduced Blessing to her new life by saying: "We must row in whatever boat we find ourselves"

Blessing would attempt the new boat, new destiny, nosing her way in. Yes, even smells draw the line between prosperity, laced with luxury in Lagos on the one hand, and poverty, hardship and chores in Warri on the other. "The air was sweeter inside the house, and bitter at the same time... It confused my nose and took me a long time to stop sniffing."

When their Lagos driver Zafi was sent away by Alhaji, the young Blessing's Lagos life finally concluded. Her last memory would be particular smells: "He walked away, the driver with no car, like a tortoise with no shell. Zafi took with him the smell of Lagos, of crispy suya, and frangipani flowers."

They will soon have other people in their lives which will play a vital role in her development into a young woman.

Her grandfather, Alhaji - the village chief who converted from Christianity to Islam; the qualified unemployed engineer who cannot find work at the oil companies; he loved work: yes he could watch it for hours while he made sure the women in his household earned enough for him to uphold his standing in the community! He regarded Marmite as the wonder cure for everything from allergies and skin ailments, to a nutritional wonder supplement and a 'doepa' against serious illnesses. "Nigerians do not have allergies" he asserted when he learns about Ezikiel's nutoil allergies and his shaking, wheezing asthma. He was convinced the boy could be cured, like everything else on Allah's earth, with Marmite. He controlled his own fears by rubbing Marmite on his forehead.

Blessing's grandmother will ultimately become her role model with her wisdom, stories and skills. She taught Blessing to become a midwife.

Then there is 22-year-old Celestine, her grandfather's second wife who will become important in Blessing's life. Celestine went to a 'fat house' to be prepared for her wedding by being fed until the fat rattled several seconds when her bottom was slapped. Her breasts were so enormous, it could slap anybody unconscious who surprised her. When she was pushed, her body went one way and her boobs the other.

Some Nigerian tribes' men, such as Alhaji's, preferred well-roundend women. Grandmother herself was a mountain in her own right. Alhaji needed a second wife to produce a son to him. He desperately needed the offspring to ensure his standing in the community. Twenty-two-year-old Celestine, with her patchy face from whitening cream and her orange-bleached weave, the same color as the Jesus Loves You sticker on the car, complied boisterously with loud laughter, screaming, grunting, and high-pitched clucking noises when Alijah visited her during several consecutive nights.

Alhaji was not a big man, and he was old, but he sure had guts.
Blessings and Ezikiel had to sing all the Itsekiri songs they have ever learnt in school to grandma on the veranda, and very loudly so, to drown out Celestine's commitment to Operation Offspring every night.

Her crazy spending of the limited family funds, leads to Grandma finding her a job as the official Town Mourner, with often hilarious results.

The story is multi-layered: funny, serious, sad, happy. There is lots of excitement, drama, sometimes suspense. It is a lesson in the importance of family and a confirmation to the African expression 'it takes a village to raise a child'.

I was not impressed with the ending dragging out over a few short chapters at the end, but it was necessary to complete each layer of the narrative.

I will certainly read this kind of book again. I felt immensely happy when it was finished. Happy as in feeling good about life and Africa and how the people deal with the daily challenges, however dire.

[Aitor Castrillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novela leída en el Club de Lectura de La Librería Ambulante. Iba decir que la he disfrutado de menos a más, pero voy a decir que la he disfrutado de menos a todo.

Comencé el viaje descubriendo junto a Blessing y Ezikiel cómo se vive en Warri, un poblado del Delta del Niger. En esa primera parte quizá me faltó un poco más de ritmo del mismo modo que los hermanos echaban de menos la electricidad y el agua.

Pero Abuela entra en escena y siento que todo cambia. Y la historia crece. Y Celestine. Y la situación política y social. Y la violencia. Y nuestra capacidad para sobrevivir. Y los lagrimones con el final.

🐦 “Estos hijos son pedazos de tu propia alma que se han desprendido”

🐦 “Una lámpara de aceite se siente orgullosa de dar luz aunque con ello se desgaste”.

🐦 “Si uno imita lo recto, se vuelve recto. Si uno imita lo torcido, se vuelve torcido”.

🐦 “Un hormiguero que está destinado a convertirse en un hormiguero gigante lo hará sin que importe cuántas veces lo destruyen los elefantes”.

🐦 “Un pez que puede ver que su agua va menguando no puede quedarse varado”.

Recuerda, recuerda, recuerda. Te garantizo, Blessing que de aquí no me puedo ir... y os recordaré.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved it! When a writer chooses a twelve yr. old girl to be the narrator I often find problems with the characterization. Oftentimes the dialogue sounds stilted, the actions and thought not believable, but that was not the case here. Blessing, this 12 yr. old narrator is a wonder and a delight. The setting in Nigeria, in the Deltas area, is one I was not familiar with and now feel I know so much about. It is a novel about change, family, love and adversity. The characters are amazing, from Alhaji, the grandfather who has converted from Christianity to Muslim, Grandma, who is so very wise and tells stories to the family that include a great deal of knowledge. At times I laughed out loud, at other times became so very sad, but through it all Blessing continues to hope and dream and live. It explains a great deal about the political machinations there, with the oil companies spewing pollution that leads to deaths, deformities and young man who feel they must fight the injustice but go about it in wrong ways. It is about brave wonderful people who hope for a better future as they try to feed themselves and keep their families together. It is in all ways a wonderful book.

[Chrissie · Rating 5 out of 5]

NO SPOILERS!!!!!

The author of this egalley, Christie Watson, which I have received from NetGalley, is born and raised in Nigeria. In reading this novel I am thrown into a world that feels completely foreign to me. The story follows the experiences of Blessing, a twelve-year-old. She moves, with her mother and fourteen-year old brother Ezikiel, from Lagos to a "bush compound" near Warri in the Niger Delta. They are to live with her grandparents after her parents' marriage dissolves. Her new life is as foreign to her as it is to me. From what she and her brother thought was security, a tightly knit family and her friends at The International School for Future Leaders, sparkling clean with marble floors, running water and electricity, life has changed from day to night. In her grandparents' compound there is no electricity, there is no running water and the sanitary conditions are deplorable both in the compound and in their new school, The High Ghost Secondary School. The toilets as holes in the ground surrounded by an iridescent, shimmering, blue rug of…. of what? Flies! Life is very difficult and dangerous for Ezikiel too. He has asthma and life-threatening allergies. With money at best short, if not totally non-existent, medicines and necessary foods are also non-existent. There is another threat constantly menacing, the foreign oil companies - oil spills, ecological damages, the contrasts between the haves and the have-nots and the flagrant misuse of power. There is also an ever present conflict between the Christian and Islam faiths and between the Yoruba and Ijaw natives, between other tribes too. Reading about these conflicts is eye-opening and not light reading. The language is graphic, as fits the subject matter and the native customs.

However the serious themes are humorously lightened by the narrative. The book offers a perfect descriptions of how a teenager might think and talk! This is how Ezikiel responded on hearing they must move:

Warri is not safe. And those villages outside are even worse! Swamp villages! I googled Warri at the Internet café. Oil bunkering, hostage taking, illness, guns and poverty. What about my asthma? They burn poisonous chemicals straight into the air! It's not a safe place to live. (3% of book)

And in their grandparents' compound there is a dog that can smile and dance:

Snap was always attached to Boneboy's feet, weaving through them and looking up at him. I had never seen a dog that smiled before. But Snap did whenever Boneboy looked back down at him, or threw a bone into the air, or shouted, "Well done, boy!" It made me smile too……..Snap the dog was spinning around on his back, his tail and legs in the air, while Boneboy danced around him. "He is truly an amazing dog," said Boneboy. "He could be a champion." (18%)

You must read the story to know about the kindness shown to Boneboy.

The book is also concerns growing into adulthood, finding a place in the adult world.You see relationships grow and change:

The words poured out of my mouth like water. We had been living at Alhaji's for only four months, but it was long enough to know that Grandma could be asked anything. My words to Mama were less water and more sand. I rehearsed them in my head so many times that sometimes I was certain I had spoken to Mama……. (34%)

The relationships are not black and white, but nuanced. What makes the book a tough read are the contrasts. Some events are so graphically described that they are terribly difficult to read, but then the author throws in humour and kindness, and you can go on. Let me repeat, the setting is a learning experience! Life as it really is for many in Nigeria. What choices do you make when the conditions are such as they are? How do you find your own place in such a world, and how can you make it a good life?

Perhaps this book could be labelled a one directed toward young adults, but it certainly covers many serious issues that are clearly of interest to adult readers. The unrest, the fighting and killing between different armed militia groups, corrupt police forces, the groups backed by the oil companies and finally the freedom fighters, some consisting of boy soldiers, are not child's play. Neither does the book shy from the topic of female genital mutilation. These topics are movingly depicted and play a role in the book's plot line. The reading is so tough and you care so much about the family that you find yourself overjoyed when events go favourably for the family members. At times I found my heart pounding and then a huge smile erupted on my face.

Oh, one more things, characters that originally had me cringing are now laugh out loud funny. You will laugh with Celestine and her tight, lycra clothing. I promise you, you will! And don't the following lines make you smile?

I noticed he had no hair on his chest. Even Ezikiel had three chest hairs. (50 %)

Time and time again I run across marvellous lines. I think, I must quote them, but then I think it is good if you, the reader, can experience them here in the book. Or is that just an excuse so I can skip adding them to my review and instead continue reading?! Well, here is one example of a thought that I feel is spot-on:

He is a proud man, and pride for men is like love for women. Very strong. (at 71%)

How authors express themselves is so very important. I like this author's style because the lines grab me and scare me one minute and have me laughing the next:

I had grown use to being able to tell just by looking at the softness of a woman's stomach, how many children she had borne. Some of the men were up to five births – full term. (79%)

Come on, you must be laughing! No more quotes. No more lengthy excerpts. You can judge from those I have now given you if this is a book that will attract you. Me? I like the lines. I like the seriousness of the varied themes central to the book. I appreciate the wisdom reflected in the narrative, I enjoy learning about the Nigerian life style as it is depicted in the novel, and finally, I have come to care for the family members.

In summary, this is a marvellous book. It has all the ingredients that I appreciate. It did not feel like a novel, a story separate from real life. I learned about Nigerian customs and storytelling, about political controversies tearing the country apart and about African female genital circumcision. The afterword provides additional links and book sources concerning these topics. My one minor complaint is that a few dates would have helped to anchor the political events, although the reader can make quite accurate guesses by relating to other events occurring in the book.

The denouement kept me riveted through to the very last page. There is humour. There are devastating events that shake you to the core. There are so very many lines that had me thinking - yes, I agree! That is how I look at life too. One of the Nigerian fables presented is about a grasshopper and a frog. It said so much. Or was it a toad?! I am sure it will speak to you as it spoke to me. I said I would not give any more quotes……. but there is a line about giving birth, having children and why it is so painful. You are dividing your soul, of course that is painful. Although Christie Watson has the ability to pick just the right words to express the thoughts profoundly, the writing remains accessible and clear. One minute deep, the next jubilant and fun and happy.

I must give this egalley five stars! Thank you, Netgalley, for making it available to me. The book will be published this year, and I highly recommend it.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page: 380
I have to stop reading and give pause. I am a mother of sons and a wife and I want to weep. I want to cradle my book, cradle this family I've grown to love and hold their hands, touch their faces, scratch at dirt with them and weep. This is how I know it's a good book. This is how you know the author deserves heralded. I'm emotionally connected to a family that exists only in words. Amazing.

I’m starting my review with the thought that I posted when I’d reached page 380 reading this book. I think it completely encompasses what I felt within the moment and gives an understanding of how I feel about this book. This was an outstanding read for me. I personally rate it up there with some of my all time favorites like, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Housseini, Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese and The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I place this book among those greats on my list because it was full of characters that I completely fell in love with. There was 100% a reader/author connection, which is very important to me. The story was told in such a way from the very beginning and throughout that I was emotionally connected in a way that felt as though this was more nonfiction than fiction. Maybe they are real people and real situations but the names changed to protect the innocent. I enjoyed every second and had a hard time putting this book down. At the end, I smiled but it was bittersweet smile after all that I’d been through with this family I was sad to see them go. I thought of all the many books I’ve read and thought they were entirely too long with their limited subjects and repetitive details, yet this book, for me, could have gone on for another thousand pages and I don’t think I’d have tired of it. So talented is the author in telling this story, I could have read two volumes of the history of this family and their various journeys. You thought about these people in times when the book was closed and book mark inserted. I was glad to laugh, at times their antics were so funny. I was glad to cry, several times. I was glad with them. I missed people with them. I felt lonely with them. I felt hopeful with them. I felt hopeless with them. I stood up with them, felt their pride. I learned with them. I loved with them. I was made to understand them. I was happy to live 435 pages with this family and I recommend this book to everyone to go live 435 pages of this story with this family. You won't regret it.

I give this book seven stars which is perfect to me but since we’re only able to fill in 5, I’ve filled in every single one, but know I’ve given it a perfect score.

I don’t want to give anything away so I’m not even giving a summary. This is a must read, you just have to!!

Spoilers are below so don’t look down unless you’ve read the book







Spoilers below!! Don’t read if you haven’t read



Ok, for those of us who have read the book, these are just some thoughts and notes I jotted down as I moved through the book. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

1. At first I thought Alhaji was a complete idiot, with his marmite, his payment plan second wife and his constant ranting about being a petroleum engineer. I was amazed to see as we read further the back story and the complete evolution of Alhaji. How he did actually study to be a petroleum engineer but since he was a local man was not permitted to work at the oil plant. That he put a second wife on a payment plan out of peer pressure from the other men at the business club he belonged to because he was lacking a son. I loved how throughout the story Alhaji stood up for the whole family and really was the man/the father of the house providing support to all when it was really needed. A side note, he, grandma and Celestine were made for each other. Alhaji and Celestine were very much alike in some ways and grandma was his sensible side.

2. This book really had it’s hilarious moments in the midst of all the trials that they had to go through. Celestine and her whole lycra infatuation, her dancing and her nonsensical drama was a source of constant giggles. I loved Blessing as a story teller. Her youthful way of speaking came right through in every description.

3. I’m sure some who may be from the Niger Delta may have their first hand corrections as all home turf dwellers do but in general, this book taught me so much and gave me a firsthand comprehension of a lot of things involving this part of the world that I had either no idea of or maybe a general understanding. It was very mind blowing to walk in the lives of people who may live this story. Life can be hard everywhere but they lived through some real hardships, poverty, threats, grief and still find ways to for the most part to hold on to a sense of family and attempt at normality in the midst of life’s storms. This struck me as very real. This is what we do.. we live life and we try to have smidgens of joyfulness in the midst of the truth that is real life. Even when we disagree, we are family and when times are hard.. we come together and hold each other up.

4. As I said, I was in this emotionally: When we first saw the gun boys, I was scared too. I missed father, like I miss my father. I related when the truth was finally revealed about him. I loved grandma’s tough love. I cried when Ezekiel died, I really did. When Blessing had her first kiss with Boneboy, I smiled, bit my lip and said “alright now”. Lol I was happy that Dan really, really loved Timmi, because she needed someone to love her. Everyone needs someone to love them.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bookgroup book and I have to say my heart sank a little when I discovered it was yet another book about troubled Africa (think The Other Hand, Half of a Yellow Moon...), not because I'm not interested or troubled by it or because these books aren't good, but because although the books do inform and educate, when a reader has finished them, the story, for them has ended, but not for the people still living these lives in Africa...
However, I digress; the voice of 12 year old Blessing, living in Lagos with her mother, brother and loud father, where neither money or food is a problem until Mama finds Father on top of another woman and they move to the heart of Delta countryside, is enticing. She paints the splendour of her Lagos street and then the stink and filth of the compound on the banks of the Delta with striking vividness. Her voice tells a story, not completely understood by her 12 year old self, of politics, greed, poverty, race and religion, so although we get the facts about the oil situation in the Delta and hear the grimness of the boy armies and pipeline fires, kidnaps, killings and riches of the oil people whilst poor country people starve, it is done in a very subtle way with no judgement or anger but which does make you question the actions of the governments.
We also hear about the ancient African tradition of female genital mutilation or female circumcision or 'cutting' through Blessing's training with Grandma to be a birth attendant - an horrific practise that is still carried out, even on British born African girls - but again the facts are there with no judgement or moral questioning and I think this makes the reader take in the seriousness of such an act all the more.
Even though the book is about violence, the fact that it is described through Blessing in a non-violent way emphasises the appalling horror of it and, when the violence touches her own family, the bravery and courage of all who live in the Delta.
With some wonderful proverbs from Grandma that paint a thousand pictures and colourful characters all described in Blessing's simple and evocotive manner this story has warmth and depth and shouldn't disappoint.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, which started very promisingly, more than I did. A fascinating setting, for sure, and some great characters as well. But the pacing is way off, the book creeps along, only to speed up, and then slow down again, with Blessing's too picturesque view point and studied naivete -- body parts growing bigger and smaller with characters' moods constantly is one overused metaphor -- a narrative mode that grows tired. The quirkiness and interest of the setting and certain characters (Mama, Celestine, Alhaji) can't make up for the inconsistency in others -- the abruptness and totality of the change in Ezikiel doesn't fit with what happens -- one minute he's a promising future doctor, eagerly trailing doctors at the hospital, and the next he's ...well, no spoilers, but it's a little abrupt. Similarly abrupt is Blessing's "revelation" about Father- nice narrative device -- but children growing up in a violent and scary household don't "forget" their father's violence, forgive, maybe, but black out forget no. Finally, too much of the book reads like a political tract -- for good causes, of course, anti-female genital mutilation and anti-oil/Nigerian government corruption, violence and exploitation, but still it was disconcerting to read entire passages from the Wikipedia entry on FGM repeated nearly verbatim in the book. Watson does her best to get this information into the mouth and mind of 12 year old Blessing, but still, when illiterate Grandma starts quoting statistics on FGM,it's a little much. Still...some very real moving moments, even more than the big political drama, the mother and daughter arc is touching, painful and real -- at the end Watson notes that not everyone is gifted at being a mother, and that message is perhaps the most powerful that this ostensibly "message" novel has to convey.

[Alan Pickerill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I quite liked this book - one of the best I've read in a long time. I tend to favor novels that explore the life or lives of a few people to see how their lives and relationships develop over time. Exploring both their strengths and weaknesses and finding the common threads that hold all of us together in some way.

The father of the children in this story was a huge disappointment, given that I'm a dad to two young children myself. At first I thought he was going to be some kind of jolly family man. Turns out not so much. Blessing, the girl, turns out to be just that and her strength and thoughtfulness in a way makes up for the human weaknesses of the other characters. Ezikiel more difficult for me to understand but essentially a victim of his circumstances.

Ms. Watson builds in just the right amount of real social / political issues so that you feel like you're getting some insight into the problems of the region without overpowering the story itself.

Definitely recommend.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to quote Nnedi Okafor's review of Say You're One of Them again, in which she wrote "I can stand the dark but I need light so that I can see where I need to go."

Christie Watson realizes that need for light. This book, set in a small community in the Nigerian Delta, does not shy away from the hot topics: oil, religion, poverty, female genital mutilation, violence. Despite all of that, Watson manages to paint a larger picture that is very much a tribute to the beauty of the land and its people. Her book is poignant, funny, and deeply moving. By moving the young narrator, Blessing, from Lagos to the Delta, Watson allows us to see everything in various shades of new, from Blessing's grandmother's wonderful stories to the disgusting bathrooms at the school. There are some great comic touches, such as Alhaji's Marmite cure. My only complaint about this book is that at times Blessing seems a little too young and a little too unable to make connections that should be obvious to her at her age. It is a minor quibble about a beautiful book. Watson clearly loves her subject matter and has obviously taken the time to research, to speak with the real inhabitants of the Delta, and to get things right. She shows real people, real problems and real solutions within a compelling fictional narrative.

This is a wonderful debut novel. I'm very happy to have won an advance copy, and equally happy to spread the word, since I'm not sure I'd have heard of it otherwise.

[Antonio Luis · Rating 5 out of 5]

La importancia trascendental, con independencia de las circunstancias de cada familia, de sentirse en casa. Blessing encuentra en Warri su lugar en el mundo, y nos lo explica con detalle.

[Karina Vargas · Rating 4 out of 5]

El frágil vuelo de los pájaros : ¡4 estrellas!

Blessing creía que conocía lo que era tener una familia. A sus cortos doce años de edad, estaba segura de que ese departamento en Lagos donde residía era un hogar feliz. Sin embargo, cuando su madre encontró a su padre con otra mujer, esa idea se derrumbó por completo. Como él se marchó con su amante sin siquiera despedirse, Blessing, su hermano Ezikiel, de catorce años, y su madre se vieron obligados a abandonar el piso en el que vivían, ya que era imposible costearlo. Todo sucedió tan rápido que cuando la niña quiso intentar comprender lo que ocurría a su alrededor, se dio cuenta de que ya se encontraba en el humilde pueblo de Warri, en la casa de sus abuelos musulmanes, quienes convivían con muchas otras personas que jamás había visto, que no tenían electricidad ni agua, y que ese ahora sería su nuevo hogar.

Antes que nada quiero advertir que la breve sinopsis que acompaña al libro brinda detalles que quizá podrían considerarse como spoilers. Tal vez no son una gran revelación, pero pienso que se disfrutaría más sin saber nada de antemano. Si ya lo vieron, como me pasó a mí, olvídenlo y sigan leyendo.

Esta novela es intensa como pocas. Se encuentra narrada en pasado y en primera persona por la propia Blessing, así que esa perspectiva infantil e ingenua es la que nos guía a lo largo de la historia. No obstante, sus reflexiones y observaciones sobre lo que sucede a veces son tan concretas que duelen. Porque en verdad se trata de una crítica enorme a la vida en el Delta Niger, donde las personas intentan sobrevivir con lo poco que tienen. No poseen acceso a atención sanitaria, agua potable, seguridad ni a una educación digna; contraen enfermedades como producto de las constantes explosiones de gas y los vertidos de petróleo; y además viven en un estado de violencia permanente, debido a que las petroleras occidentales instaladas en la zona incentivan el enfrentamiento entre las diversas tribus locales para continuar aprovechándose de los recursos naturales y lucrar con ello. A su vez, la política no queda ajena a esta situación, siempre corrupta y responsable de permitir que todo esto acaezca sin el menor grado de intervención. Los derechos sólo están reservados para quienes pueden pagar por ellos.
De igual manera, se observan las diferencias culturales y religiosas tanto entre los propios habitantes del lugar como con extranjeros. La discriminación entre “negros y blancos” es muy marcada y es otra muestra de la agresión que genera entre las personas.
Por último, uno de los aspectos más desarrollados también es el rol de la mujer según lo impuesto por la sociedad y las creencias religiosas (e incluso la figura de la prostitución como único recurso para mantener a su familia). Si bien son identificadas como un ser humano secundario, queda claro que es un concepto absolutamente erróneo, ridículo, y que al contrario, el género femenino es fuente de un poder inmensurable en más de un aspecto.

A pesar de lo difícil que puede resultar leer acerca de una realidad tan dura como esta, la autora consigue hacerlo con un balance admirable, que deja lugar para la risa en varias ocasiones. De acuerdo a sus propias palabras, Nigeria también es eso. Así que pasamos de circunstancias muy desagradables a escenas absurdas, que hacen las cosas un poco más llevaderas para quienes somos un poco débiles. Su escritura, bajo el recurso de usar la mirada de una niña de doce años, es perfecta y concisa. Cada tanto intercala personificaciones y metáforas de la naturaleza circundante que son bonitas, o reflexiones propias de alguien que debió crecer muy rápido totalmente apropiadas. Pero, por sobre todas las cosas, algo que se destaca hasta el final del libro es el manejo de la tensión. La realidad es tan cruda e intensa que no podés parar de leerlo.
Y como si eso no bastase, la trama habla sobre algo completamente distinto. Se trata sobre una niña que se convierte en adolescente, que descubre aquella verdad de la que sus ojos infantiles la habían protegido durante tanto tiempo, que aprende lo que es el dolor, pero asimismo descubre el amor en todas sus formas, encuentra su vocación, y comprende la importancia de las raíces culturales y la fuerza de la familia. El relato de los partos, pese a que es explícito, es siempre hermoso. No sabía lo de la mutilación genital femenina, eso me sorprendió.
Aunque cada una de las cosas descriptas probablemente se basa en algo que sí pasó, no deja de ser ficción, pero una que se siente muy real. De alguna forma, es tal el vínculo que se genera con los personajes que casi terminás admitiendo conocer ese mundo tan injusto en el Delta Niger por la historia de Blessing.

El resto de los personajes están construidos con mucha certeza. A medida que avanzan las páginas, todos evolucionan. La abuela, desde un inicio la jefa de la casa y apegada a las creencias de su cultura, se muestra cada vez más sabia. La escena de la protesta de las mujeres frente a la petrolera para tomar las riendas del asunto, “avergonzar” a su misma gente y lograr la liberación de los cautivos fue espectacular. Alhaji crece muchísimo, lo terminé queriendo. Creo que lo que pasó con Ezikiel fue consecuencia de una mezcla de factores. No creo que haya sido todo culpa de la madre que lo dejó solo. Él nunca terminó de aceptar el abandono de su padre, por eso veía a Dan como un rival, más allá de la diferencia racial. Claro que un ambiente sin acceso a educación y tan cargado de violencia tampoco ayudaron. Celestine debe ser uno de los mejores personajes. Me hizo reír mucho.
Por su parte, Dan y Boneboy me cayeron bien siempre y me alegro.
El final estuvo muy bien, y hubiese estado mejor si no leía la sinopsis del libro antes, muchas gracias. Todavía así es disfrutable.

No le di las cinco estrellas por un par de comentarios acerca del instinto materno y por la insistente descripción del aspecto físico de Celestine. Creo que se le escaparon algunos prejuicios ahí.

El frágil vuelo de los pájaros es una novela que mezcla tantos ingredientes como lo propone su misma esencia. Contada por Blessing, la protagonista principal, con tan sólo doce años de edad, esta es la historia de cómo su vida cambió radicalmente de la noche para la mañana cuando, junto a su hermano y a su madre, no sólo debió abandonar lo que consideraba su hogar hasta entonces, sino también sus creencias y una buena parte de sus derechos básicos. En la casa de sus abuelos, en el Delta Niger, los días y las costumbres eran distintas a las que conocía; desde la comida hasta la conversión a otra religión. En este nuevo mundo la pobreza se podía palpar y la violencia era un fantasma latente. Blessing deberá aprender a encontrar su lugar entre todas estas personas que ahora la rodean, a echar raíces y abrazarlas, y así soportar los vaivenes que el destino le tiene preparado. Christie Watson escribe con tanta exactitud, que te hace olvidar de que se trata de ficción, una muy fidedigna por cierto. Su estilo es apasionante y conmovedor al mismo tiempo, y el balance de tensión es sublime. Si bien las temáticas sociales y políticas están presentes, la trama va más allá y ofrece una visión hermosa de los sentimientos que giran en torno a la vida y la muerte; a tal punto de que, aun cuando ya no queda nada por decir, no querés soltarlo y terminás escribiendo una reseña muy larga.
Recomendable.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tiny Sunbirds Far Away by Christie Watson opens with 12 year-old Blessing speaking to the charmed life she lives in Lagos, Nigeria with her larger-than-life father, doting mother, and her 14 year-old brother, Ezikiel. All of this will suddenly change when the mother catches the father with another woman, and he decides to leave. The father’s departure starts off a chain of events; first the mother is fired from her job for being unmarried, and now unable to afford living in Lagos, moves to her parent’s rural village in the troubled Niger Delta. From the first sickening smells as they are approaching the Niger Delta, Blessing will experience changes not only in her environment, but also will need to manage what is expected of her as a young Nigerian girl living in a village.

This enthralling coming-of-age story shows the resilience of people to adapt and overcome obstacles trying to be true to themselves with as much dignity as possible. Blessing engages the reader on her journey by merging the strange with the familiar, showing how lives are shaped by the culture and politics. As the story is told from Blessings point-of-view, like most coming-of-age stories it may expose issues without the depth some readers may like. This is not the shortcoming of the author, but of the genre. Many themes such as corporation corruption and female circumcision may render this tale too troublesome for teenage readers, while other such as the challenges obtaining elementary education, and destruction of the environment would engage the teenage reader. Through all of the chaos happening in her life, Blessing does have a guiding hand to help her demystify her new world, Nana, her grandmother. Through Nana, we learn the world of midwifery, and the respect midwives are accorded, and how Nana uses her occupation as a catalyst for change while maintaining the vow of a traditionalist.

The strength of the book is the depiction of the varied female characters as they dominate the storyline despite being marginalized by their culture and situations. The author shows them as the backbone of the Nigerian culture and writes them with much dignity and strength as should be accorded for the risks they take, and the connections they forge to provide humanness in troubled times. One of my favorite quotes of the book, which illustrates the bonds between the women occurs at the beginning of the book when Blessing asks her mother why she choose for them to go to her parents house when they have never visited each other, and the mother answers, “No mother and daughter live apart, no matter how big the distance between them.”

I had the opposite reaction regarding the majority of the male characters in the book, especially the African males. As an African-American female, I am very conscious on how males of color are portrayed in the media and books, and in Tiny Sunbirds Far Away, I was disappointed the African male characters leaned towards caricature of negative stereotypes. Not that the behavior portrayed in the book does not exist, but I struggled to find a positive portrayal, and did not find one until the end of the book. I needed at least one of them either the grandfather, the father, Ezikiel or Youseff to be portrayed in a positive light to offset “the white knight in shining armor” character of Dan. Aside from that point, this is a well-crafted debut novel which will introduce many readers to the Niger Delta and their current conditions, lingering in readers memories long after the last page is read.

Tiny Sunbirds Far Away is a wonderful addition to the literature of coming-of-age stories, and I look forward to reading the future works by Christine Watson. I recommend this book to readers who enjoying coming-of-age stories with a multicultural theme.

Reviewed by Beverly
APOOO Literary Book Review

[Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know when you start reading a book, and you really have nothing good to say about it but for some reason you want to keep going? This was one of those books for me. Okay, it's entertaining and the setting is fairly vivid, but otherwise it's just bad. Fortunately circumstances caused me to take a few days' hiatus, or there's a good chance I would've finished it.

Really, I knew better as of page 2, where women on the street are described as "hovering around [successful men] like stars around the moon." Um.... the author (and everyone who proofread this manuscript) thinks that stars cluster around the moon? WTF?

And then there are the characters. The 12-year-old narrator, Blessing, is one of those overly precious child characters that's tailor-made to tug at sentimental adult heartstrings. She's young for her age and not believable. It's no wonder that despite the child narrator and simple language that this book is marketed at adults--no actual kid would believe in this character.

Relatedly, the characters' actions frequently ring false. For instance, one night the grandmother announces that her bedtime story is for Blessing alone, and sends all the other kids away. Blessing's 14-year-old brother walks off sniffling. I imagine a teenage boy's crying over losing a bedtime story could be written plausibly, but you'd have to first a) realize that this is not typical and b) lay the groundwork, and here I'm not seeing either.

And finally, there are the very false mechanisms the author uses to try to "show" character emotions or reactions. For instance, here's Blessing waking up for the first time in her grandparents' home, after her family loses their luxurious apartment:

"The following morning I woke at first light. [...] I looked for my dressing table with vanity mirror and clock sent from Mama's school friend in America. I felt for my magazines, books, and windup flashlight. I stretched a foot off the mattress looking for my rug and two pairs of slippers: one warm for when the air-conditioning was on full, and one cool for all other times. Then I remembered. There were no slippers. There was no flashlight. [etc]"

Okay, we get the point--she's lost all her stuff--but who inventories all their belongings before they're even awake enough to remember what's going on?

I read 160 pages of this nonsense, and that was more than enough.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Watson’s debut novel (winner of the 2011 Costa First Novel prize) is a vivid and lively depiction of Africa in all its contradictions. It’s the same kind of knowledgeable, sweeping picture of Africa as one gets of India in Midnight’s Children et al. Readers are accosted with shrieking sounds, vibrant colours and the smells of food, sewage and burning. Dichotomies abound: wealth vs. poverty, science and medicine vs. superstition, etc.

Narrator Blessing, aged eleven, has recently moved with her mother and brother to their ancestral home in the Nigerian countryside, where she begins training with her grandmother to become a traditional birth attendant. There are a number of striking scenes of childbirth and medical emergencies, but the narrative turns heavy-handed and didactic when it comes to FGM – certainly an issue that needs to be brought to wider attention, but one that could have been treated more subtly.

I found the novel peculiarly similar to Stephen Kelman’s Pigeon English, just with a female protagonist; in both novels we have an African child adapting to a new environment and broken family situation, with an older sibling who becomes involved in gang violence. In fact, Blessing’s brother Ezikiel’s transformation from geeky, wheezy boy to sullen, radicalized teenager is the only element of the novel that seems a bit far-fetched to me, chiefly because it is unclear what the intended time scale should be.

I also noted echoes of Chinua Achebe’s Nigerian-set Things Fall Apart; this must be conscious to some extent, given the following family proverb: “‘Sometimes, things fall apart,’ said Grandma, ‘so we can put them together in a new way.’” It is impressive that the novel was written by an Anglo; she has a Nigerian partner and clearly knows the country well personally, but has also done her research about oil companies, internal violence, legends, and so on.

I only wish Watson had resisted the temptation to introduce a final retrospective; we are meant to believe that Blessing is grown up and retelling everything previous to her own daughter – a clichéd technique that astute readers do not need in order to persuade them that this line of strong women will continue.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love discovering debut novels that are so good I can't put them down. The Kite Runner and The Help were such books and now I can add Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away to my list.

At the center of the story is an immensely likeable and believable main character. Twelve year old Blessing lives with her family—mother, father and older brother Ezekiel, in Lagos, Nigeria. The relationship between her parents has always been tempestuous, but Blessing is truly shocked when her father’s infidelity forces her mother to leave him. With nowhere else to go, her mother takes her children back to the small African village of her birth.

Blessing cannot believe how quickly and dramatically her life has changed. There is no electricity, no running water, no flush toilets. Living quarters are cramped and pollution from the nearby oil fields of the Niger Delta casts a pall over the countryside. Her family's religion switches overnight from Christianity to the Islam of her grandparents.

Most upsetting of all is the lack of money. Blessing's mother finds work as a barmaid at a luxury hotel patronized by the oil field workers, but her salary is inadequate. Soon both children are suspended from school because they cannot pay tuition. What happens to the children as a result is the most riveting part of the novel. Blessing is taken under her grandmother's wing and becomes an apprentice midwife. Ezekiel is bereft and is soon under the influence of a local gang, the Sibeye Boys.

Just when you think their lives could not be more complicated, their mother brings home a controversial new boyfriend. How the family reacts has unexpected and tragic consequences.

In addition to the wonderful voice of Blessing, the novel has many vivid secondary characters who leap to life through Watson's writing. The reader quickly becomes involved in their lives and cares greatly about what happens to them. The Nigerian setting is rendered beautifully and the politics of Africa are woven into the story in a way that is believable without being didactic. Highly recommended.

[Overbooked ✎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Coming of age story of a young girl growing up in the Niger Delta.
The setting is very different from what I’m used to, but although it felt unfamiliar, I felt a connection with the wonderful well-defined characters, the MC, Blessing, is so easy to love. It’s a very honest story, a large extended family showing the best and the worst of family dynamics. This book made me appreciate the commodities and opportunities we take for granted at times. It made me think about people who don’t have access to schools, health care or even basic needs like clean water and unpolluted air. Nigeria is a known dangerous place, but the bonds that Blessing’s family have are as warm and strong as anyone could wish for.

I loved Blessing’s grandmother, she demonstrates the type of wisdom that does not come from formal education, with a profound love for her family and a compassion that extends to her community. I liked the use of humour to lift the tone of the novel and the message that, in poverty, day-to-day living is hard, but resilience is a learned skill and even when tragedies strike, there’s always hope. A great message and a great read, recommended.

“No daughter and mother ever live apart, no matter what the distance between them.”

[Skip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Winner of the 2011 Costa First Novel Award, Christine Watson uses a 12-year old girl to describe a broken family's departure from comfort in Lagos to poverty in the Niger Delta, where work is difficult to find and a man's word is law in the household. Blessing, her brother Ezikiel, and her mother move into her parent's compound, and have difficulty adjusting to rural life, especially where foreign oil companies are raping the resources, bribing governmental officials, and arming local guerillas. Blessing seems most adaptable, learning to become a midwife, like her Grandmother. Her brother, who suffers from allergies and asthma, has a hard time adjusting. Just as things appear to be brightening, big trouble ensues. Interesting extended family dynamics and pictorial of tensions in Nigeria.

[teresariveera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sólo diré que he estado las últimas páginas llorando sin parar, ¿cómo puedes querer tanto a unos personajes? ❤️‍🩹

[DeB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away, written by Christie Watson is a British author who won the Costa Award 2011 for best debut novel. It is one heart wrenching vignette after another featuring a young Nigerian family whose husband and father leaves them for another woman, and who have nowhere to go except to the mother's family compound in a village very unlike their life in Lagos.

Blessing, the eleven year old daughter and youngest family member, is the narrator of this coming of age tale, under circumstances which baffle her and which the adult reader will glean the truth about through innuendo and hidden faces. With her brother Ezekiel, they meet grandparents they have never seen, have to all share a bed with their mother, live in a house where electricity if it can be paid for is erratic and has no indoor plumbing or running water and suddenly become Muslim, their Grandfather's faith.

The air is thick with the smell of petroleum from the foreign owned plant nearby and their river glistens with the slick of many oil spills. Money is a huge problem. Boy soldiers with guns seek retribution against the oil companies who pay themselves but ignore and pollute Nigeria. "Kill and Go" police check for dissidents, themselves corrupt fear mongers who harass locals for money with threats at checkpoints.

Grandmother is a midwife, equipped with only a bar of soap, a clean cloth, a knife and a jar of paste who has to deal with delivering babies from mothers who have undergone circumcision, scar tissue preventing birth. Blessing becomes her assistant, learning about childbirth and the different kinds of "cutting". She is horrified to learn that her grandmother will do it, but her grandmother advises that sometimes it is "better a scratch from me" than mutilation from another midwife.

I was struck by the pragmatic and almost fatalistic attitude of Nigerians. The following simple sentence framed the passivity of a nation living with perpetual, unexpected terrorist-styled conflict:

"Government Hospital was a giant gray stone building with six lifts, but only one was working. The other five had notices taped to them: ENGINEER CALLED."


Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away is eminently readable and held my attention with its detail and drama. The facts about Nigeria (also the land of scam emails!) correspond to much of what I have read earlier, but this book takes a more intimate look into the lives of village families and their efforts to endure, in spite of corruption, no universal education, poor health care, polluted air, soil and water, an appalling transportation system and superstitious beliefs which persist because of isolation and ignorance. Blessing is the voice of Nigerians who call the country "HOME" and have hope for continuity in an improved context, while still remaining Nigerians. 4.5 stars

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This is one of those books that really sucked me into the story. I found myself thinking of the characters and their problems even when I was doing the most mundane tasks like cooking and cleaning. It's a story that stays in your mind long after you turn the last page.

Let me try to sum it up real quick. Blessing is a twelve year old girl and narrator of the story. Her and her brother Ezikiel are forced to leave the only home they have known and move in with their grandparents in rural Nigeria because their father walked out and their mother has no where else to go. Blessing at first is repulsed by her new home, by the outhouses and the flies, by the unsanitary water, by the lack of soap and lack of electricity. Ezikiel almost starves because of his food allergies and the family's inability to buy the right cooking oil. (BUT grandfather always has a bottle of Remy Martin.. hm.)

However, Blessing makes the most of things. Despite the dysfunctionality around her, she finds happiness in her grandma's stories and becomes an assistance midwife at only thirteen years old! This brings up some shocking, but intriguing information regarding genital mutilation and cutting. Real eye opener for me.

Meanwhile, Blessing's mother is so wrapped up in herself, that she doesn't notice her son is changing and not for the better. Matter of fact, everyone except Grandma is too wrapped up in themselves to notice. Grandfather brings in wife number 2. Wife number 2 is all about lycra and mourning (DRAMA QUEEN!), and Blessing's mother is all about Dan: her white boyfriend. This white boyfriend opens a whole nother can of worms...

It's not a happy story, but it's a story that should be heard. Some minor irritations almost caused it to fall short of the five star mark: Grandfather's constant usage of the words, "you see?" Also, Celestine... WAY too dramatic to be believable and everyone sucks their teeth... A LOT. But the ending.. I cried. If a book can do that to me, it gets the five star rating.

I do recommend this and I want to share a laugh out loud moment. When Blessing is observing a group of white men at a wedding, here are her thoughts: "Their stomachs were soft, like women's stomachs, hanging over their trousers. Since working with Grandma, I had grown used to being able to tell, just by looking at the softness of a woman's stomach, how many children she had borne. Some of the men were up to five births-full term."

This was an egalley so there may be changes before its publication date.

[Ashley Marilynne Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even before I finished this book, my large, thick handkerchief was drenched. I started crying from about eight chapters towards the end until I finished the novel. And no, the chapters were not short, dear readers, in case you were wondering. Tiny Sunbirds Far Away was one of the most beautiful and powerful books I had ever read – and not only did I agree with all the reviewers who stated that its twelve-year-old protagonist was adorable and a well-realised character, I would even go so far as to say that she was luminous, perceptive and wise. Getting to know you from this beautiful book has been a true blessing, Blessing – you are my soul sister now.

[Nutkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

No hesitation in giving this 5 stars. A spellbinding story of rural Nigerian life for the local population fighting to live in the poorest of circumstances while their land is exploited by oil companies.

[Annie Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strongly recommend this story. Learnt loads about the oil industry in the Niger Delta and loved the imagery/descriptions by Blessing, the protagonist. Fully made me appreciate what a privileged life I have.

[Jacki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blessing's comfortable world comes crashing down with the sound of her mother's scream. When her mother catches her father with another woman, Blessing and her older brother move with their mother from their affluent neighborhood to her mother's childhood village in the Niger Delta. Suddently there is no running water or electricity and her mother is gone all day to work in a nearby bar. Gunboys float down the river, as well as trash and oil; the river that she is expected to bathe in.

Yet Blessing finds comfort, love, and a future with her grandmother as she begins her training in becoming a midwife. Just as she begins to embrace her new life, her mother brings home a white boyfriend, her brother joins a gang of boy soldiers and danger creeps inside the compounds walls.

I began this book on a Friday afternoon and finished it within 24 hours. Once I began reading, I fell in love with Blessing and couldn't leave her story behind. As she realized that she had never before thought of the faucets in her old apartment, as she felt the touch of the flashlight of the corrupt police shining over her new breasts, as she lifted a baby onto a mother's breast, you wanted so much for her life to be everything she wished. She, and her entire family, were frustrating, impossible, loveable, broken, astounding, and real.

This story will hopefully open your eyes to a new world, a world that is not about the latest television show or iphone app. A world that is not about watching your children play in the park or shopping in an air conditioned mall. Yet it is a world that is loved, is full of life, and is wonderful because of its ability to create an amazing girl like Blessing.

[She Reads for Jesus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Christie Watson does an impeccable job of writing a divinely lyrical account of a young Nigerian girl, whose life drastically changes after her mother witnesses her father’s infidelity. A deeply moving tale of a family’s survival as well as a coming of age story of 12 year old Blessing, Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away is a beautifully written story and moving narrative.
I was amazed by Watson’s ability to fully engage and enable the reader to be transformed to the sweltering heat, ruthless violence, and the calamitous poverty in the Niger Delta. Each time I picked up and read this book I became Blessing, who is the main character and central narrator of the story. I felt the devastating abandonment she experienced when her father left her mother Timi and their family for another woman. I apperceived her struggles of adjusting from the privileged life in Lagos, to living in the poverty stricken Warri. I too became unsettled during the time that Blessing trained with her grandmother to be a village midwife, and becoming exposed to the unconceivable and controversial act of female genital mutilation. Finally, I mourned with Blessing as she sustained a tragic blow within her family. I particularly loved Grandma’s character that Watson created, with her blunt wisdom, ingenious story telling, and the wise quotes she uttered throughout the story.
A powerful, poignant, and witty novel, Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away will take the reader on a thrilling journey of love, hurt, loss, and forgiveness. This book is a must read, that I highly recommend to others.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as part of a first-reads giveaway.

I just spent two days reading Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away and I was very impressed with this moving hearfelt book. It is told from the point of view of Blessings a 12 year old girl living in the Niger Delta. After moving with her mother and brother into a compound with her grandparents she has a wide range of experiences. Poverty and violence surround her but she is also surrounded by love and family.
Her experiences assisting her grandmother as a midwife really shows the reader the reality of living in this region of Africa. Complicated childbirths in poor conditions are commonplace and female circumcision is still taking place. The novel also deals with Blessing's close relationship with her brother Ezikiel as he is drawn into the violence that surrounds him.
I didn't realize until I was half way through the book or more that it was actually written by a white woman who lives in London. The novel feels so real and raw and authentic that I was a bit surprised.
This novel is compelling and readable. I was a bit skeptical at first but I was quickly drawn in and began to really care about the characters and the story. I was sorry to have it end.
This is Christie Watson's first novel..I look forward to reading any future novels by her. This novel reminds me of why I love reading and why I love the first-reads program...I enjoy reading about places and ways of life I might not otherwise experience.

[Janet Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favourite book of 2011 and my favourite book to recommend to book clubs, teenage girls and women looking for a summer novel that will take them far away.
Blessing is our narrator. She is 12 years old. Her family is forced to leave their home in Lagos and move to her grandmother's village in the Niger Delta. Hardships abound but it's Blessing's grandmother, a wise midwife, who takes her under her wing and becomes her mentor.
The story and characters provide laugh out loud moments, heart wrenching scenes and an ending that is so satisfying.
It's a story you want to share with others which is why it's an ideal book club choice.
It's a story you want to share with teenage girls because the contrast of their North American life and Blessing's world is so far away and yet so close it's an excellent novel for perspective. It's also an ideal Independent Study Novel for a high school student as the author has provided much related research material in the back for further investigation into the politics and the country.
Don't miss this treat.
It's now available for a lower Canadian price and shouts out its Costa Award on the cover. It is an award winning book in so many ways. Go and get it now!

[Carmenmtm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aunque inicialmente no me acostumbraba a la narración a través de los ojos de Blessing, poco a poco la novela va ganando poder en cuanto a historia, personajes, valores, y trasfondo social, tan dramático de hecho. Quizás por eso, por la narradora, imagine una inocencia en la historia, que nada tiene que ver con la realidad.
“ A veces las palabras son más poderosas que las armas. Y a veces el silencio es más poderoso que las palabras. Las cosas que no se dicen son las importantes”.

[Susan (aka Just My Op) · Rating 5 out of 5]

12-year old Blessing is used to living in a nice, modern Nigerian apartment in the Better Life Executive Homes with her mother, father, and brother, Ezikiel. Her world fell apart when her mother found her father with another woman. Mama, Blessing, and Ezekiel all went to live with Mama's parents near a little village where electricity was rare, the outhouses were swarming with flies, and drinking water had to be bought from the man who controlled the tap in the nearest village.

Blessing's grandmother often leaves in the middle of the night, perhaps she is a witch? Her grandfather, having been a Christian most of his life, is now Muslim and has built a mosque in his compound. He is a petroleum engineer who can't find a job, and he believes Marmite will cure anything.

Alhaji took the Marmite from his medicine bag and unscrewed the lid. He sat in the chair and applied some to both of this temples, rubbing slowly, closing his eyes. It was not a good sign.

Maybe he'll take a second wife? Mama works long hours and is desperate, depressed, and distant. Ezekiel wants to be a doctor and studies all that he can, even though he is growing skinnier day by day. He is severely allergic to peanuts, and all meat is fried in these groundnuts to get rid of the bacteria. He is starving. And then there is Celestine, flighty and huge and in love with Lycra, preferably in clothing much too small to cover her fat.

Add to this some boys who are not quite real Freedom Fighters, an oil company that is exploiting the people and the land, a white man who works for the company, a child learning to be a Birth Attendant, which includes learning about the horrors of female genital mutilation. It all makes for a story that is both thoughtful and exciting.

The characters have depth and heart and soul, and I loved them as much for their imperfections as for their better qualities. The writing is beautiful, lyrical without becoming flowery, and the dialogue of the people, a mixture of the proper and pidgin, with idioms like “Kill and Go” police, is striking.

The words hung in the air long after they were said, like the smell of fish long after it was eaten. They moved back and forth in our ears.

She was not enclosed by her body. She had spilled out and filled the room, the air, and my head. She was everywhere.

He is a foolish man, but a good man, and all men are foolish anyway. He is a good man.

This is a coming-of-age story but it is much, much more. It is Ms. Watson's first novel and I certainly hope it is not her last. After reading this one novel, I am a fan.

I received an e-book ARC from the publisher for review. The quotes above may have changed in the published edition.

[Shannon Canaday · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one was a big NOPE for me. Although I did finish it, I really wish I hadn't wasted my time. I nearly DNF'd it three or four times but each time I thought "This is an award winning book, it HAS to get better.". It does not. This book draaaaaaaaaaaaged on endlessly, there was no actual plot, no point to the story. It sort of barely touched on FGM but with no real exploration of the subject. It sort of barely touched on the oil and political crises in Nigeria but again, no real fleshing out of the subject. The narrator was supposed to be a 12 year old. In some cases it read as a very, very young child and in other cases it read like she was reciting a textbook. You never really understand Blessing, she just rehashes everything she sees without any of her own actual thoughts or feelings.

The writing was vague in some parts, completely odd and unbelievable in others and repetitive to the point of being distracting.

Some notes:
**Blessing reveres and desperately misses her father throughout the entire book until the last quarter of it when she remembers he was a horribly abusive man. (Really? she's not brain damaged and the time between the father leaving and them moving to the Delta is not very long at all. Doesn't stand to reason she would "forget" what he was really like)

**Alhaji is....what? A Petroleum Engineer? A pharmacist want-to-be? A slow, partially demented polygamist? The way they write him he is made out to be a grifting, make-money-quick joke of a character. If he really is an educated man, why is he rubbing Marmite on every bloody thing? He would know that it's a yeasty, salty food spread with no healing properties. It doesn't make any sense. Maybe there was more there to be understood but I was so BORED with the book, I just didn't catch on

**Ezikial goes from smart, quick, driven child to angry, riotous hoodlum in about...erm....5 pages. He gets one bad report due to being out of school for illness for an extended period and instead of knowing that he's smart enough and driven enough, he just throws his hands up and basically runs away to the circus? Please.

**Ezikial is angry at his mother and lashes out about her white boyfriend by french kissing her in front of their entire family? That made NO sense.

**And don't even get me started on the ending. Everyone lives happily ever after. NOTHING about this book suggested a happily ever after for any of them.

Overall this is a big do-not-recommend from me. Too boring, too slow, doesn't make sense, crap ending. And it took me THIRTEEN DAYS to read it. As a 4-day-per-book reader, that is just disgraceful.