No sweetness here

by Ama Ata Aidoo

A collection of 11 stories, these range from the politics of wigs to the joys of motherhood. In them, the author writes about life in post-colonial Africa, inviting the reader to confront life as it is and rise to the challenge of injustice and ignorance. Ama Ata Aidoo has written various plays "The Dilemma of a Ghost/Anowa" and a novel "Our Sister Killjoy". The books in this series are for the general reader, but are also suitable for schools and universities.

Genres: Short Stories, Africa, Fiction, Ghana, African Literature, Literature, Feminism

134 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1970

About the author

Ama Ata Aidoo was a Ghanaian author, poet, playwright, politician, and academic. She was Secretary for Education in Ghana from 1982 to 1983 under Jerry Rawlings's PNDC administration. Her first play, The Dilemma of a Ghost, was published in 1965, making Aidoo the first published female African dramatist. As a novelist, she won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in 1992 with the novel Changes. In 2000, she established the Mbaasem Foundation in Accra to promote and support the work of African women writers.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Salma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so unexpected!!!

It's actually made me love Ama Ata Aidoo so much more than I already did. It was a beautifully written book that made me feel the African vibe.

The stories were basically set on normal African believes, settings and of course happenings in typical Ghanaian homes and societies.
It was descriptive and understanding in addition to having a whole pile of lessons to teach.

The characters were well defined, relatable and simply fantastic. They felt so real to the extent that I almost believed them to be alive.

The settings were all fit each story perfectly, took me to the old times even way before I was born. Took me to the characters' world as well which was astounding if you ask me.

Overall, my favourite stories would have to be No Sweetness Here,For Whom Things Did Not Change and Other Versions.

Loved it!
Would recommend this to everyone!!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting POV’s I rarely get to read/hear from in these stories. I needed to read the post script to understand a lot of the context and content, and some of the writing wasn’t particularly accessible or interesting to me.

[Aisha (thatothernigeriangirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across this audio by chance because “Chimamanda” and having read two works by Ama Ata Aidoo prior, I had an idea of how interesting the story would be.
In this short story, Aidoo managed to pack in a lot of feelings - pain, sorrow, love, joy, disappointment, pride, Interest- all from the female perspective.

Then again the story wasn’t lacking in culture. A couple of words in a particular Ghanaian language was present as well as hints to certain customs in the Ghanaian culture. The story eventually broke my heart because I was unconsciously expecting a happy ending for Mami Ama but alas, it was not to be

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie read the title story on Guardian Books podcast.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aidoo does a great job of showing some of the current issues that are at the heart of modernization in Ghana today. These short stories have quite the range of perspectives to give a broad picture of what it looks like to be Ghanaian, whether you are living in a small village in the north or are living the city life of Accra. It also looks as the views of both men and women, elders and children, and this unique blend gives a very universal flavor to her themes and messages.

In "Everything Counts" there is a line that says "one did not really go to school to learn about Africa" (2). I had the opportunity to do research at a secondary school in Ghana and found that this was more true than not. The library shelves were full of donated copies of English Romantic Poets, European explorations of Africa, and outdated United States history textbooks. Although I think they are incorporating more African literature into the curriculum, there is definitely a shortage of literature appreciation in the Ghanaian community until reaching the university level (which is not an option for the vast majority of the population). I cannot help but think there is a lot of truth to what Aidoo is saying here.

Another thing I find refreshing about this collection of plays are the different variations on form that Aidoo plays with. Having a story about telling a story seems more organic and authentic than some of the other novels that have come out of Africa. The slang can be hard to keep up with, but for the most part this is very accessible to a Western audience unfamiliar with the context of these stories. This one of the best reads I have had yet in West African literature.

It is also nice to get a female voice out of Africa, particularly West Africa. I have a soft spot for her the themes and the subjects she takes on. It also probably helps that I love Ghana. :)

[Michaela Y-M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been meaning to consume more work by postcolonial authors and Aidoo did not disappoint. I loved how she was able to incorporate her own Ghanian oral traditions of storytelling into a written format with short stories that traverse a wide range of issues such as education, class, urbanization, politics, and gender. The personal and intimate are political! Aidoo also trusts the reader, which is something I appreciate. There are plenty of words in Akan, discussions on regional differences, and references to African revolutionaries. These are stories which I will continue to replay in my head and recommend.

[دينا Ezz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only reason why I could ever love my collage, case it made me read such amazing classic works that I have no idea about them ♥

[Saad Abdulmahmoud · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Sweetness Here van Ama Ata Aidoo is een bundel korte verhalen die zich afspeelt in Ghana, vlak na de onafhankelijkheid. Hoewel het land officieel vrij is, laat Aidoo zien dat het dagelijkse leven van gewone mensen nauwelijks verbetert. Politieke onafhankelijkheid blijkt geen garantie voor sociale rechtvaardigheid, menselijke waardigheid of economische vooruitgang. Thema’s als koloniale erfenis, genderongelijkheid, klasseverschillen, corruptie en culturele vervreemding lopen als een rode draad door alle elf verhalen heen.

Aidoo’s stijl is direct, soms ironisch en vaak pijnlijk eerlijk. Ze maakt veel gebruik van dialogen, lokale spreektaal en innerlijke monologen, waardoor maatschappelijke spanningen voelbaar en menselijk worden. De verhalen zijn sober geschreven, maar emotioneel geladen, en laten zien hoe grootse politieke veranderingen weinig betekenen voor mensen aan de onderkant van de samenleving.

Overzicht en thematiek van de verhalen
De bundel bestaat uit de volgende verhalen: Everything Counts, For Whom Things Did Not Change, In the Cutting of a Drink, The Message, Certain Winds from the South, No Sweetness Here, A Gift from Somewhere, Two Sisters, The Late Bud, Something to Talk About on the Way to the Funeral en Other Versions. Elk verhaal belicht een ander perspectief, maar samen vormen ze een kritische spiegel van het postkoloniale Ghana.

In “Everything Counts” keert een jonge vrouwelijke intellectueel terug naar Ghana na haar studie in het buitenland. Ze raakt gefrustreerd door de obsessie met westerse schoonheidsidealen, met name het dragen van pruiken. Wat begint als een ogenschijnlijk oppervlakkige discussie over uiterlijk, groeit uit tot een diepgaande identiteitscrisis. Het dragen van pruiken wordt een symbool voor culturele zelfverloochening en postkoloniale onzekerheid. Dit komt scherp naar voren in het citaat: “Perhaps her people had really missed the boat of original thinking after all?” Het verhaal behandelt thema’s als feminisme, culturele vervreemding en postkoloniale identiteit.

“For Whom Things Did Not Change” laat zien hoe weinig de onafhankelijkheid heeft veranderd voor arbeiders zoals Zirigu, een oude bediende in een government rest house. Ondanks de nieuwe politieke realiteit blijft hij gevangen in dezelfde ondergeschikte positie. Door gesprekken met zijn vrouw Setu en een jonge intellectueel wordt duidelijk hoe groot de kloof is tussen politieke idealen en sociale werkelijkheid. Zirigu’s vraag “What does ‘Independence’ mean?” vat de kern van de hele bundel samen.

In “In the Cutting of a Drink” bezoekt een man uit een dorp de stad Accra. Hij raakt overweldigd door het stedelijke leven vol lichten, drank, dans en losser wordende omgangsvormen. De stad wordt gepresenteerd als een plek van modernisering, maar ook van morele verwarring en culturele vervreemding, waar traditionele normen onder druk komen te staan.

“The Message” volgt een vrouw die naar haar dorp reist om het nieuws van een overlijden over te brengen. Tijdens haar reis wordt ze geconfronteerd met bureaucratie, onverschilligheid en haar eigen emotionele afstand tot haar gemeenschap. Het verhaal onderzoekt verlies, communicatie en de fragiliteit van traditionele familiebanden.

In “Certain Winds from the South” staat de ontwrichtende invloed van externe krachten centraal, zoals onderwijs, stadscultuur en politiek. Oude waarden botsen met nieuwe ideeën, wat leidt tot onzekerheid en sociale spanningen binnen dorpsgemeenschappen.

Het titelverhaal “No Sweetness Here” vormt het emotionele hart van de bundel. Een moeder probeert haar kinderen groot te brengen in armoede en teleurstelling. Ze beseft dat het leven na de onafhankelijkheid bitter is gebleven. De belofte van vrijheid heeft haar geen betere toekomst gebracht, wat krachtig wordt samengevat in de zin: “There is no sweetness here.” Thema’s als moederschap, armoede en ontgoocheling na de onafhankelijkheid staan centraal.

“A Gift from Somewhere” laat zien dat menselijkheid en solidariteit kunnen bestaan, zelfs in een wereld vol armoede en wantrouwen. Een onverwacht gebaar van hulp benadrukt de mogelijkheid van verbondenheid tussen mensen.

In “Two Sisters” maken twee zussen heel verschillende levenskeuzes. Hun verhalen tonen hoe vrouwen sterk afhankelijk zijn van huwelijk, economische omstandigheden en sociale verwachtingen. Het verhaal benadrukt de beperkte keuzeruimte van vrouwen in een patriarchale samenleving.

“The Late Bud” doorbreekt het idee dat succes jong moet komen. Een vrouw vindt pas op latere leeftijd erkenning en zelfstandigheid, wat het belang van geduld en vrouwelijke zelfontplooiing onderstreept.

“Something to Talk About on the Way to the Funeral” speelt zich af tijdens een reis naar een begrafenis. De gesprekken onderweg bestaan vooral uit roddels, sociale kritiek en hypocrisie. De dood vormt slechts de achtergrond voor commentaar op de levenden en hun tekortkomingen.

Tot slot benadrukt “Other Versions” dat waarheid afhankelijk is van perspectief. Eén gebeurtenis wordt op verschillende manieren verteld, wat de subjectiviteit van herinnering en interpretatie blootlegt.

In No Sweetness Here maakt Ama Ata Aidoo duidelijk dat politieke onafhankelijkheid geen garantie is voor geluk of rechtvaardigheid. De bundel geeft een stem aan vrouwen, arbeiders en gewone mensen die vaak worden genegeerd in nationale succesverhalen. Aidoo toont dat politieke verandering niet automatisch leidt tot sociale verbetering. Dit wordt ook scherp verwoord in het citaat: “The big men we saw yesterday were bad. These we see today are worse.” Hiermee bekritiseert ze de nieuwe elite die na de onafhankelijkheid de plaats van de koloniale machthebbers inneemt.

Ama Ata Aidoo levert met No Sweetness Here een krachtige en confronterende bundel af. Ze presenteert geen helden en geen eenvoudige oplossingen, maar toont het alledaagse lijden van mensen die vastzitten tussen traditie en moderniteit. Haar feministische perspectief is een groot pluspunt: vrouwen worden realistisch neergezet als mensen die proberen te overleven binnen een patriarchale en economisch ongelijkwaardige samenleving. Ook mannen worden kritisch belicht, vooral wanneer zij hun nieuwe macht misbruiken.

Hoewel de toon soms somber is, vormt dat juist de kracht van het boek. Aidoo dwingt de lezer na te denken over fundamentele vragen: wat betekent vrijheid werkelijk, en voor wie? No Sweetness Here is literair sterk, maatschappelijk relevant en nog steeds actueel. Het is een onmisbare bundel voor lezers die geïnteresseerd zijn in postkoloniale literatuur, Afrikaanse geschiedenis en sociale rechtvaardigheid.

[Adam Boisvert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ama Ata Aidoo is currently my favorite writer of African Literature (which might not be saying much, since I make no claims of being familar with the genre). Her stories do a good job of pointing out what's wrong while still being hopeful for the future. Some of the stories deal with village life and some have a more urban setting (and many deal with a character transitioning from one to the other), but they all present an Africa that is modern and changing. The titular story, No Sweetness Here is actually my least favorite of the bunch, but Two Sisters and For Whom Things Did Not Change were both quite good.

[Khadija · Rating 5 out of 5]

wohoo Africa and the long way of modernization!!a changing and modern Africa is in its way to born...Ama Ata Aidoo is the best one to describe this change and what it brings to the lives of the people...if there was and may be there is no sweetness in Africa there is the salt essential for life may be just the salt that comes from tears and pain and black present but this all is too important for the future ;the brighter future of Africa and africans a brightness coming from the long years of struggle and endurance under occupation and now under the pressure of willing to change and follow the train of mother civilization::Hello Africa and Thank you MADAM Aidoo:)

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

These 11 stories explore a lot of universal themes, like tradition vs. modernization, family, parenthood, marriage and class structure as they relate to the people of Ghana. Aidoo's writing is often sparse, but poignant. She writes from both the male and female perspective as well as child's perspective, giving insight into many aspects of Ghanian culture during a time of great change. I'm still not a big lover of short stories, but I do think this collection showcases a great voice coming out of West Africa.

[Karen A. Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most thoughtful and adept collection of short stories I've come across.

Aidoo skillfully weaves the problems and conflicts of post-colonial and transitioning Ghana into the telling of stories of ordinary Ghanaians who are navigating this beautiful country cusped between tradition and modernity.

I am now intrigued to read more of her work. Esp. since she is particularly interested in the precarious plight of women who are arguably the most affected by transitioning states.

[viola · Rating 3 out of 5]

a little too high-brow for me, but at least i can admit it. also, a little too...full-of-dialogue-and-almost-nothing-else for me, but i'm assuming this is related to the previously mentioned high-brow problem.

but mostly the issue is that i don't know enough about ghana to put any of this in context. i should have read the history book i'm working on now first.

[Stuart Aken · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clearly not my sort of book. I found much of the language more or less incomprehensible due to the patois. It was difficult for me to find points of contact with the characters and I felt no real empathy with any of them. Obviously, this is a cultural issue and probably more to do with me than that the quality of the book.

[Brian Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is probably one of those most depressing things ever. An african woman wants a divorce but loses her son due to the culture then after the son is bitten by a snake and dies. she is left alone with nobody and no money. "what do you do when your only water pot breaks." is probably the line

[roni · Rating 4 out of 5]

lady ghanaian authors!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Powerful stories of life in Ghana, which I read while I was there in 1996.

[she.likes.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the short stories in this book.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interrelated short stories of post-colonial life in Ghana circa 1970.

[Tove · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably a good book, I just couldn't get through it...

[Krysta · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazingly poetic insider's look at thoughts, struggles, perspectives, lives of Ghanaians. Excellent.

[Boakye]

no sweetness here indeed

[Melita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written and, at times, funny.

[Fornia · Rating 1 out of 5]

what did i just read and why

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I overall enjoyed this novel. Each story was long enough for those who liked it and short enough for those who didn't, not to mention there was a variety of them. I thought this novel was going to focus more on colonization, but instead it talks about an array of themes in the black/African community. It discusses religion, family, colonization, witches, death, birth, school, work, government/law, and beauty standards. This novel is one of the better things that I have read in a while and I am not ashamed to admit that.
Favorite story- The Late Bud
I don't think I have ever physically cried after reading a story before this one. Maybe it's because the topic hit home for me. This book says "No Sweetness Here," but this ending disagrees.
Honorable Mentions- No Sweetness Here, A Gift From Somewhere, and Something to Talk About on the Way to the Funeral
The first story was sad while the second was bittersweet. The last one I liked because it focuses more on the relationship made versus the biological one.
Least Favorite- The Message
One critic I have with Aidoo's writing is that she thrusts you into the story without context as to who the characters. In several stories, I felt like characters from others stories were in different chapters. It was unclear what the ending to this chapter was for me, but I think it was a happy one.

[Joseph Anim Darko · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a collection of 11 stories that talk about the struggles of African women to find their voices in a male-dominated society, the challenges of interracial relationships, and the impact of Western education on African identity. We all want to be treated differently (in a good way) when being harassed or tormented, yet Ama emphasized that once certain people get into a position of power, they forget who they used to be, and then turn around to give the same torments or even more to others. Isn't that funny that a prisoner still calls others prisoners? You will find Ama's "No sweetness here and other stories" very interesting and insightful.
The books I have read authored by Ama Ata Aidoo center mostly on African communities, race, and gender. The stories in "No Sweetness Here and other stories" are collectively thought-provoking and insightful, and offer a glimpse into the complexities of African society; the irony of independence, and the diverse experiences of its people. There is a lot to learn from Ama's books (Heritage, culture-pride, and root - especially Africans)

[Uche Ezeudu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful masterpiece that shows us post-independence and post-colonial Ghana. In an array of eleven short stories, Ama Ata Aidoo takes us on a journey where we see the after-effect of colonization on Ghanaians, where there is a clamouring of Ghanaian women to look more like their white counterparts even employing the aid of bleaching creams and also how the white skin or something even akin to it holds as much power.
We also see how young women would discard their morals to follow men old enough to be their fathers in order to afford the nicer things of life.
Ama Ata Aidoo places such importance on education as we see play out in the different characters across these stories. At the core of this book lies feminism and we see female characters, strong leads whose stories are told; their struggles are captured as with child bearing, divorce and survival. Of course, this is a book about women and their male counterparts.
The stories are quite easy to read and very thought-provoking but it doesn't lack in humour; a perfect balance I must say 🤗

[Myrtle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuinely phenomenal. I can’t believe I haven’t been reading AAA since birth. It was like coming home, which unironically is on if the major themes of her writing. I made a real attempt of reviewing whilst I read, so this will be abridged. Her vision of her culture, her people, her women, her men, their mothers, their faults, their betrayals, their shortcomings is as clear as glass. Her work is elevated by compassion but also honesty. There are no fragrant angelicisations but also no exaggerated vilifications. She’s somehow the artist standing away from the crowd in order to observe, but also seamlessly mingling with HER people and representing their lives. Many stood out to me but I now realise that to distinguish particular stories is to cheapen what is a profound anthology that has to be considered together in order to be comprehended cohesively. RIP AAA

[fridayinapril · Rating 4 out of 5]

"And yet she was there as a lecturer. Talking about one thing or another. Perhaps it was on automation as the newest weapon from the industrially developed countries against the wretched ones of the earth. Or something of the sort."
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Aidoo's collection encompasses short stories that take place in the Ghana of the '60s which reminded me of a bit of home. It is a portrait of a post-colonial Africa that is quite familiar to me in its struggles and challenges.
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Aidoo's writing is beautifully simple and subtle, you barely notice the social commentary she intertwines in her stories, but it lingers there between the pages. This book was a great introduction to her work and made me want to read more of it.
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4/5
#fridayinaprilbookreviews

[C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stumbled on this among my grandmother's books - what a treasure. So I had been meaning to read it this year after I found it, then heard shortly after that that Ama Ata Aidoo had passed. So then I DEFINITELY had to get around to reading it. I am a short story collection reader! This is a great one! Aidoo writes about Ghana and now this collection is over 50 years old. But it's still a great one to pick up. Some things might go over my head, but that is understandable, I haven't read much from Ghana or even from the 1970s? But wow, this must have been fresh stuff 50 years ago! It still seems so.