The Seasons of Beento Blackbird

by Akosua Busia

From Simon & Schuster, The Seasons of Beento Blackbird is Akosua Busia's novel about love and heritage, perfect for any lover of fiction.

His father's death changes the life of writer Solomon Wilberforce, a best-selling novelist whose search for love and heritage sends him across Africa, America, and the Caribbean and into the arms of three different women.

Genres: Fiction, Ghana, Africa, African American, Contemporary, Female Authors

384 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

A Ghanaian actress who now lives in the U.S..

Reviews

[karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

finally! a book that romanticizes male infidelity!! shhh ladies, in our places, now... here's the thing - this book has a great story - particularly in the way it describes locations- therefore 4 stars. however, it has some of the most unrealistic characters imaginable. there are some major inconsistencies in the main character's emotional obliviousness vs. his very intense social awareness. he demonstrates a heightened sensitivity in certain scenes but seems unaware that having different wives in different corners of the world might somehow backfire and cause tension. but i am a sucker for a well-told story, so i am overlooking some flaws tonight.

come to my blog!

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Seasons of Beento Blackbird by Akosua Busia is about a man who gets a double helping of love. He has two wives, each of which he loves in a different way. His first wife lives in the Caribbean, the second one lives in Ghana. Solomon divides his time spending winters on a beautiful island with Miriam, his first and older wife, summers with the younger Ashia in Ghana, and the remaining time in New York where he works as a children’s book writer under the pseudonym Beento Blackbird. Both women are in agreement with the arrangement, though maybe not so wholeheartedly. It's complicated.

This book sparked one of the livelier discussions at my book club. The Seasons of Beento Blackbird got stronger mixed reviews than other books we have read. I really, really liked it. You could say I loved it. For me it was right up there with Water for Elephants and The Help. I loved the exotic locales, the unique story, and I really liked that charming bigamist Solomon (though for the record, I’m not a fan of bigamy or cheating). I thought Solomon truly loved both Miriam and Ashia. Others in the book club weren’t as easily captivated by Solomon. They didn’t care for his philandering ways and the fact that his selfishness put everyone in a difficult position. The book begs the question, can people truly give their hearts two different people at the same time? Were we mean to be monogamous or is it that we just haven’t learned to “share”?

Moral questions aside, this book is written with an enchanting writing style that is definitely worthwhile. Read other reviews at http://readinginthegarden.blogspot.com

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read - that raised for me lots of issues about women and relationships with men.

In this novel the male character has relationships with three different women and he spends one season a year with each of the women - in New York, the Caribbean and Africa.

Eventually things come together, not as he would have wanted, and so the relationships among the women either directly or indirectly prove to be very interesting.

[Myra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story of love, heartache and growth. The book is full of brilliantly written contrasts that takes the reader back and provides insights into why the characters think and behave as they do. The reader journeys from the West Indies to New York to Ghana through the seasons while gaining empathy for the characters and feeling pain for the women in Solomon's life. I was curious and captivated throughout the entire book. The perfect book.

[BernieMck · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. I read some, but mostly listened to the audiobook. Soloman is a successful author, who is being persued by his literary agent. His agent later learns, that not only is he married, but he in fact, has two wives, that he lives with seasonally. It was a beautiful soothing listen. I got more and more annoyed with the whole polygamy thing, as I got to know his wives better. It was definitely a good read. Yes, I recommend it.

[Chantal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely great, I am very visual and love being abale to see what I am reading. This book was a great escape and it flowed well. I have loan this book to people of different age groups and they all loved it. Great read, so disappointed the author, never wrote anything else. I read this book about 5 or 6 times already and plan to read it again.

[Melissa blackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book. She writes with such freedom. I associated more with Miriam and it made me want to escape to a tropical island! That the author was able to write about a man that many would quickly label as a "womanizer" as a sensitive loving soul was my favorite part! She made me fall in love with love.

[Dana "DWJ" · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is probably the best book I've ever read in my life. A great story that winds you between characters, it should be made into a movie! One of my definite favorites.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

My current comment: Thus far, it's written with more enthusiasm than skill. Also, I hate the main character (and I think the author feels that we should be sympathetic to him).

My update, upon finishing: The main character does get a bit of a come-uppance, but I'm still underwhelmed. Maybe my bigger problem with this book is that it feels like a mouthpiece for the author to explore her own ideas about race, gender, family, and nationality. Though those are all compelling topics, she doesn't have the skill to weave them into a fiction story that can hold itself together under the weight of them.

[Lisa Poeltl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story, and the characters were very well-developed. In the end, I wish I had found more of a reason for the title character's decision. It left me feeling badly for most of the women in his life.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

if i were to explain this book the guy would sound like a total player but it's more just about loving people in all different forms and for totally different reasons.

[Dalila John · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite books.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!!!

[Naa Ayele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is my favorite- as it merges cultural influences within the Carribean, Hhana, and New York it explores love from different cultural lens.

[Jalisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book pissed me off so much. I haven't hated a main character this much in awhile. He was selfish, unaccountable and a hotep. The Sam character almost pissed me off as much as Solomon because nothing about how she acted made any sense. The tropes in this book that flattened Ghana into a simple, noble Africa bothered me. Normalizing going after a 14-year old girl as a second wife disgusted me. So much about this book upset me, particularly in its treatment of non monogamy. I only finished because I had to for work. On a positive note it was fairly well paced given how long it was and got much more engaging in the second half. Would not recommend though.

[Savcj · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my absolute #1 favorite book. I’ve read it three times! I re-read it again every couple years because the characters are so rich. The landscapes (Caribbean, Africa, UK & America) are described so vividly. I don’t want to give too much away, but if you enjoy a great love story, a fantastic hero, redemption & passion- you will LOVE this beautifully written novel.

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the most beautifully written books that I have read. I can still picture the landscape of the country in the book. Lovely read!

[Rhonda L · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Read it long ago. May re-read

[scherzo♫ · Rating 3 out of 5]

15.1b independent in spring - Ghana author

page 165: "'Tell her that most black children outside Africa know that six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, but they don't know that one hundred twenty million Africans died through slavery. And they don't know anything about Africans before they were forced to be slaves.'"

page 180: "'Our children are taught that Africa is backward and underdeveloped. For one hundred years the white man removed Africa's craftsmen, chiefs, doctors, philosophers, our women and out children, to make other nations strong, and then they called us backward. They blasted out cities and destroyed our records, and now they tell us that we had no history before the slave trade, that we were merely savages.'"

[Ferris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook..................First of all, the narrator's voice was so lovely that the book was worth reading for that alone! However, this was a very good story about searching for identity, personally, culturally, historically, and geographically. The story was set in Ghana, an island in the Caribbean, and New York City. Solomon Wilberforce, the protagonist, is an unusual man with great talents who searches for himself amidst confusing psychological and cultural expectations. The writing style is very sensual and poetic.
The main characters are deeply engaging, as is the plot. An excellent read.

[Laurel · Rating 2 out of 5]

A writer must come to terms with the complicated life he has invented for himself. Traveling across continents Beento (Solomon)spends time in the Caribbean and Africa with two women he claims to love. Back in the U.S. his book agent proclaims her love for him and Solomon is faced with hard decisions. I found the writing in this book to be very lyrical, but the story was a bit flat.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of this book prior to my sister's recommendation and I loved it! It was definitely a book that I couldn't put down and hence why I finished it in 2 days! There were many twists and turns but the ending was very satisfying!

[Christina Azenab · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book by accident.. I kept it because Akosua Busia is somehow intertwined in my life by affiliation and she's Ghanaian like me. The warm feeling and the comfort of the book, took me away..

I'll keep it simple. THIS IS A MUST READ.


Akosua medaase bebr3, oyiwado))

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book!

[Gillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit too far-fetched at times, but entertaining nonetheless. Set in Africa, the Caribbean, and New York City...season to season.

[Adrianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my favorite books - a page-turner that combines a love triangle and pan african black culture

[Alice]

excellent

[Ian R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read it while on vacation...it was perfect. Easy to read and I flew right through it. Interesting subject matter...fluffy at best.

[Psalm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember having the biggest crush on Solomen...sigh

[Ivy Pittman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! I was not expecting Busia to be such a crafty writer. This was a brilliant display of culture and choices.