The New Tribe

by Buchi Emecheta

When a baby girl is abandoned at birth, Reverend Arlington and his wife Ginny are only too happy to adopt her. The media cover this moving story, and a Nigerian woman living in England takes more than a passing interest in the Arlingtons. She decides that they world provide the right Christian home for her own baby, Chester. Shortly afterwards, Chester is delivered to social services with a letter explaining that the Arlingtons should be his new parents. So young Chester enters the vicarage of the sleepy seaside village of St Simon. He is the only black child for miles around. The New Tribe tells the story of Chester's long search for his true identity, and the challenges he faces as a black child in a white family.

Genres: Africa, Fiction, African Literature

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

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

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am trying to work my way through all of Emecheta's work and I think this is the first novel I've read where the protagonist is male and in some ways I don't think she got into Chester's character as well as she does her other female characters.

Overall it was a good and quick read although the portrayal of Nigeria was one of the more negative that I've read and I felt that the end quarter of the book was very rushed. I would have appreciated more insight from Ugwu once he managed to return home.

[Dora Okeyo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked: Ginny's strength as a Mother. She was the middle child, she left home at the age of 34 to be married to a Vicar-Arthur. She took in two children Julia (who was abandoned while wrapped in a Tesco bag) and Chester (the only black child left under her care by a woman who read about her).
I misunderstood: Arthur- he seemed aloof and very stern with the children and I thought he was less passionate with Ginny, but he was a good Father who loved their adopted children Julia and Chester.
What I didn't like: The short but harsh portrayal of Nigeria, and though it might have been true, I believe that the author would have explained so in more than six pages of the book-I felt as though she just rushed over that bit.
I was also sad that Arthur died without seeing Chester.
Would I recommend it: I think that is what I was doing :-)
So: It's a good story, one that transcends color and faith if you ask me-and every one who knows what a Mother's love is should read it.

[Betty-Ann]

It is an interesting read. It's about an African who grows up in an all caucasian community and feels he doesn't belong. He sets out on a journey of self discovery and like all of us who have embarked on such a journey, we realise we've always had what we were looking for.

[gosobooks.com · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this half-way through and decided to dump it because it never made any meaningful sense to me. Perhaps one might be better off with another title on adoption if that's the interest.

[Victoria Naa Takia Nunoo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is gradual, but within the heart of the book it builds up and takes shape. It is settling, and makes a good read.

[Yan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes we go through all our lives looking for somewhere we could belong... Only to discover we have been there all along. This book is the epitome of that.

[Leyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the complexities of the female characters. A lovely introduction to the works of Buchi.

[Bookish Sadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so hilarious...what was he thinking? Like whyyy did you do all that?

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

www.maryokekereviews.blogspot.com

[Julie Pederson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable enough but not outstanding.

[Malungisa]

Reading online

[TEBOGO MASHALA]

THE STORY BREAKS OUT THE WHOLE SET OF ABUSE, THE SENSE OF UNBELONGING INTO A PLACE/HOME. IT BREAKS INTO MY HEART AND I CRIED DURING MY READING,

AND TO ADD MORE, IT WAS THE BIGGEST DEBATE IN MY SCHOOLING YEAR WHILE I WAS IN GRADE 12, WE DEBATED ON IT WITH MY CLASS MATES ALONG WITH OUR ENGLISH TEACHER, WE LOVED THE STORY AND REALLY DID, THOUGH STILL IN LOVE WITH IT.

I'M GIVING BUCHI EMECHETA 10/10.

AND I WOULD APPRECIATE IF ANYONE DOES HAVE A PDF COPY OF THE STORY TO KINDLY PLEASE SHARE IT WITH ME, VIA EMAIL ADDRESS TO www.ttebzamashala630@gmail.com

[Tebogo · Rating 5 out of 5]

#*A Must To Read*
This is a true touching story, I loved this book from the first day we read it in class in Grade 12. We had a precious time going through the story. Chester and Julia were were amazing not to mention the Arlingtons, I'm still in love with it, I need a copy of it in PDF format, please, manofhope97@gmail.com

[Linda Adjei · Rating 5 out of 5]

i want to read

[Bonolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best

[Divine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to enjoy it this much. Great story and ending.
Why did he actually think his dream was real, lowkey half the book would not have existed if he just asked his mum?

[Carol Lishman · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read and characters. Really enjoyed it although the African section and trip seemed a bit sketchy. Well worth reading and I will look out other works by this author

[Marta Rudnicka · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm addicted to Emecheta's writing atm.

[Must Read Africa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The New Tribe chronicles Chester search for his long lost heritage having been adopted by a white family. He longs to retrace his African roots and he gets his chance.