The Family

by Buchi Emecheta

A Jamaican girl joins her parents in London at age eleven and makes formidable adjustments and choices to overcome the limitations of her family life. The story of a young Jamaican girl, Gwendolen Brillianton, who is born into poverty and deserted by her parents when they emigrate to London. Being reunited with her parents and the siblings she has never met does not end her problems, and she realizes she must must fight her family and take control of her own life in order to recover from abuse and take pride in her self. Originally published as Gwendolen .

Genres: Fiction, Africa, African Literature, Adult Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Gender, Family Drama

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

Buchi Emecheta OBE was a Nigerian novelist who has published over 20 books, including Second-Class Citizen (1974), The Bride Price (1976), The Slave Girl (1977) and The Joys of Motherhood (1979). Her themes of child slavery, motherhood, female independence and freedom through education have won her considerable critical acclaim and honours, including an Order of the British Empire in 2005. Emecheta once described her stories as "stories of the world…[where]… women face the universal problems of poverty and oppression, and the longer they stay, no matter where they have come from originally, the more the problems become identical."

From 1965 to 1969, Emecheta worked as a library officer for the British Museum in London. From 1969 to 1976 she was a youth worker and sociologist for the Inner London Education Authority, and from 1976 to 1978 she was a community worker.

Following her success as an author, Emecheta travelled widely as a visiting professor and lecturer. From 1972 to 1979 she visited several American universities, including Pennsylvania State University, Rutgers University, the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

From 1980 to 1981, she was senior resident fellow and visiting professor of English, University of Calabar, Nigeria. In 1982 she lectured at Yale University, and the University of London, as well as holding a fellowship at the University of London in 1986.
From 1982 to 1983 Buchi Emecheta, together with her journalist son Sylvester, ran the Ogwugwu Afor Publishing Company.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Litsplaining · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be Buchi Emecheta's best book I've read yet. If not, it definitely compares to The Joys of Motherhood and Second-Class Citizen in my book.

Now, did I end up needing to take long pauses to stare at the wall while reading this book? Yes.

Would I still recommend this book to any and everyone (who can deal with trauma and mentions of incest)? Still yes. Because no one is ever touching Buchi Emecheta's pen game.



It saddens me that Gwendolyn had to go through so much and suffered the burden of every woman in her family seeing her as competition instead of perceiving her as needing protection from the disgusting men around her. To know that her grandmother and mother often cared more about their relationship with the men that sexually abused her than their own relationship with these men was disgusting.

In the end, I wanted to hear Gwendolyn's side of the story as the ending voice. But just as it was in the beginning, Gwendolyn's story is pushed aside for her father and mother's concluding the narrative. I guess this is fitting, but I was still longing for a better ending for Gwendolyn's story.

Note: This books is also published as The Family by Emecheta

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book I've read by Emecheta, and both have been so good...somewhat heart-wrenching and also hopeful and resilient.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

This may be the worst book by Buchi Emecheta I've read so far. It was truly painful. The characters seemed improbable and illogical. The better title for this would have been 'The Disturbed Family'.

[Lulu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a heart wrenching story and it gives you a lot to think about.

[Jerelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could relate to this book on so many levels - the secrets we keep. Also, I love reading about the Jamaican experience in London. What happened to Gwendolyn was beyond the Jamaican experience. It happens everywhere.

[Serigne Mbaye]

the main theme in this novel

[Litsplaining · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has to be Buchi Emecheta's best book I've read yet. If not, it definitely compares to The Joys of Motherhood and Second-Class Citizen in my book.

Now, did I end up needing to take long pauses to stare at the wall while reading this book? Yes.

Would I still recommend this book to any and everyone (who can deal with trauma and mentions of incest)? Still yes. Because no one is ever touching Buchi Emecheta's pen game.



It saddens me that Gwendolyn had to go through so much and suffered the burden of every woman in her family seeing her as competition instead of perceiving her as needing protection from the disgusting men around her. To know that her grandmother and mother often cared more about their relationship with the men that sexually abused her than their own relationship with these men was disgusting.

In the end, I wanted to hear Gwendolyn's side of the story as the ending voice. But just as it was in the beginning, Gwendolyn's story is pushed aside for her father and mother's concluding the narrative. I guess this is fitting, but I was still longing for a better ending for Gwendolyn's story.

Note: This books is also published as The Family by Emecheta

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the beginning of this novel, almost quit reading it when I arrived at the middle and am glad I finished reading "The Family." It offers a unique perspective on life for this Jamaican family, and it made me think about my comfortable life.

I recommend it for anyone who's interested in immigration, culture and family dynamics.

[Sunnykimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I read it in middle school and while it was horrifying I also thought it was beautiful.

[Asma-Mekki-Daouadji · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an amazing book!

[Sasi’s Escape · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buchi Emecheta's book was enlightening to read. It gave me an insight into Jamaican life in London in the 20th century.
It was intriguing to investigate the distinctions between the immigrants from Africa and the Afro-Caribbean region as they attempted to figure out how their lives would be in the country of the White man.

As is customary for the author's writing, she examines deeply troubling subjects like rape, abuse, complicated family dynamics, the female identity, marriage, infidelity, and more. The author writes in a very strong yet moving style that inspires thoughtful reflection and understanding of extremely emotive and deep issues.

One of the most memorable chapters in the book was when Gwendolen’s mother travelled to Jamaica after her mother’s death and she started rediscovering herself and her purpose without the usual trappings of the female identity such as marriage and motherhood.