A Cowrie of Hope

by Binwell Sinyangwe

In A Cowrie of Hope Binwell Sinyangwe captures the rhythms of a people whose poverty has not diminished their dignity, where hope can only be accompanied by small acts of courage, and where friendship has not lost its value.

Genres: Africa, Zambia, Fiction, African Literature, The World, Contemporary, Literature

152 pages, Paperback

First published December 29, 2000

About the author

Binwell Sinyangwe (born 1956) is a Zambian novelist writing in English.

He studied industrial economics in Bucharest.

Reviews

[Jenny (Reading Envy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally checking Zambia off my around the world novel, this slim novel was published in 2000 but is set in the 1990s, when Zambia had an economic crisis going on, and this "new disease" that is causing chaos.

"The nineties. The years of the rule of money. The years of havelessness, bad rains and the new disease. The harsh years of madness and evil!"

The central story is about Nasula, who has been widowed and left in poverty by her in-laws. Her daughter Sula is her only hope, but she can't afford to send her to school. She goes on a journey to try to get the money.

"Marriage and men are not salvation but the ruin of any woman who can't stand on her own two feet."

I liked the mother quite a bit; she never gives up. This is a pretty optimistic story but set in a realistic setting.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a beautiful story very simple and quick to read. The ending makes it look like a fairy tale with a moral that seem to say no matter what you're going through, if you remain true and faithful to your inner self anything good can happen. It was a bit predictable but definitely a pleasant read.

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written story and I ached for the protagonist, a desperately poor Zambian woman who only wants to see her daughter get an education and have a better life than she did. Nasula's daughter is an excellent student who graduated at the top of her class from the local school and got admission to a prestigious high school, but Nasula needs to come up with 100,000 kwacha to pay for her daughter's school fees, and she has not a penny in the world. So she decides to go from her remote village to Zambia's capital, Lusaka, to sell the only thing of value she has -- a 90kg sack of beans which are rare and much sought after in Lusaka. The beans should bring a price of 120,000 kwacha, enough to pay the school tuition, buy school supplies and get back home to the village. Unfortunately, within hours of Nasula's arrival in Lusaka, the beans are stolen, leaving her at a loss and her daughter without a future.

Unfortunately, I don't think the end of the story is terribly realistic. The moral seems to be that if you have pure motives and persevere, you will find powerful people in high positions who are scrupulously honest and eager to help you. I don't know a lot about Africa but I do know that corruption in most African countries is endemic in all segments of society. I am not at all convinced that in real life Nasula could have gotten the help that she did.

[Anetq · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of the poor mother persevering through all kinds of humiliation and trouble to get her only daughter to school - and as such heartwarming, but also a bit stereotypical in it's portrayal of the pure and goodhearted poor and the evils of (the men of) the world. But Karma (and AIDS) come for some of the meaner ones, and even the corrupt police inspector has a decent boss. On the one hand it reads like a fairy tale, on the other the descriptions of poverty seem very real - even if they are described with much flourishing and selfawareness, which I find a bit odd:
But misfortune had not caged the woman's soul. Poverty, suffering and never having stepped into a classroom had not smoked her spirit and vision out of existence. Her humanity continued to be that which she had been born with, one replete with affection and determination. It was this which fanned her desire to fight for the welfare of her daughter.
-> A bit verbose and heavy in style, methinks - but I like the story.

[Richard Cho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takes place in Zambia during the 90s, the period of great transformation for the country (the government dead set on modernizing the country, at least its capital city Lusaka.)

The poverty and and its merciless affect on provinces is the theme.

The main character, Nasula, is the mother of Sula (she has her own legitimate name but throughout the story, she is called Nasula, emphasizing her role as the mother.) She is widowed, has no money, and is afraid that her daughter might turn out to be as poor and as illiterate as she is. She needs to acquire enough money for her daughter's education. Sula is such a nice girl, with wisdom and courage beyond her age.

Although the government is modernizing certain places of Zambia, rural areas suffer from various afflictions, such as unpaid debts, unfavored weather, and AIDS.

Nasula farms beans, and after learning that the sole bag of beans she has saved can be sold at a good price in the marketplace in Lusaka, she embarks on a journey. There is a con-man in the marketplace.

Amidst all the travails, she has companions with kind hearts. Helping each other is the key. And the more important key to better humanity is staying brave and resilient at the right time.

The novel was written by a Zambian writer, and his use of English was interesting to me. Not very different from American English, yet, there are nuances one can't miss, especially the endearing words one expresses toward loved ones.

The level matches the typical reading levels of junior high students, and if they are looking to read a novel about African country written by an African writer, this book may be a good fit.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might have been the first book from and about Zambia I've read. The writing is not overwhelmingly good, but I really liked the atmosphere it transported and I got so involved with the character of Nasula and her fight as a single parent mother for the future of her daughter, that I didn't care if everything was plausible, I just wanted her to succeed. I also learned some new things about this country and that's something I always enjoy while reading.

"The nineties were difficult years. They were the years of money first or else no friendship. And they were the years when the new disease of the world, the advent of the eighties, decided to sit down on a stool by the riverside and fish people like cisense (*a fish similar to a sardine)."

#NovellasInNovember2019

[Ivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

FIRST LINE REVIEW: "The whirlwind of desperation inside her was carrying, pushing her like a blade of grass towards the unthinkable." Typical example of almost hyperbolic metaphors and similes in this short novel from Zambia. While it was interesting to get some perspective on this country's struggles with poverty, there was an excessive amount of repetition and needless detail (always letting us know if something was in the north, south, east or west, for example, even the walls of a building).

[Nyashadzashe Chikumbu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Cowrie Of Hope traces the struggles of a mother fighting the harsh , unforgiving , selfish male dominated society to ensure the triumph of her daughter. These are the ninities as the book brings out , a time when people can only think about themselves let alone the girl child , But Nasula stubbornly defies the status quo in order to send her daughter to school. A Cowrie of Hope is beautifully written , full of rich imagery, colourful allusions and wise sayings. It makes a good read , even though the end is fairly take like , you can't help but smile at the success of the girl child.

[Wilde Sky · Rating 3 out of 5]

An impoverished woman tries to find a way to fund her daughter's schooling.

The basic idea for this book was worthy, but the writing was clunky / repetitive and the ending was unbelievable (too good to be true).

Rating 2.5

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

In A Cowrie of Hope, Sinyangwe does well in capturing the emotions tied to the ordeal of a single mother, and a dutiful child; the two who understand each other even with little words.

[Innocent · Rating 5 out of 5]

each one deserves a chance in life, it doesn't
matter who you are or what you have gone through... each one is capable of achieving their dreams

[Tonymess · Rating 3 out of 5]

African Literature features quite heavily on my list of books that come from random countries that feature a natural UNESCO World Heritage site. This month I was off to Zambia and chose the novel “A Cowrie of Hope” by Binwell Sinyangwe. He’s a widower raising a son and two daughters, he studied Industrial Economics in Bucharest, Romania and now lives in Lusaka in Zambia.

This short tale is a revelation of Zambia in the 1990’s and as I travel the globe through various writings I come across wondrous tales of resilience and triumph over hardship. To tell a story of a single mother who lives day to day but can’t afford to send her daughter to school with compassion and an underlying tension is a great achievement.

For my full review visit http://messybooker.blogspot.com.au/

[Wim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed reading this short novel, in the first place because of the beautiful language, mainly in the descriptions and in the dialogues. I marveled at the nicely translated dialogues from local language to English, reflecting the dignity and respectful social ways of Zambian people.
When the main character got to Lusaka at the market, the story line pushed me to continue reading until the end. I expected a happy ending, but was not really sure of it. Nice book.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a book!

Story of a mother’s tenacity and relentlessness to see her daughter educated in the 90s. Poor, destitute, widowed: all she has left is hope. This book explores the economic turmoil of Zambia in the 90s, and the effect of that economic crisis on the day to day lives of the poor.

Whilst this book showcases the harsh realities of those times, it ends on a note of hope.

Well worth a read, would definitely recommend.

[K's Bognoter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elementært bevægende, enkelt og ligefremt fortalt historie om en mor, der vil give alt for at sikre sin datter en fremtid – og som på trods af sin position på samfundets absolutte bund alligevel bevarer sin menneskelige værdighed.

Læs hele boganmeldelsen på K’s bognoter: http://bognoter.dk/2018/05/29/binwell...

[Modiegi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The unconditional and sacrificial love of a mother is what this book is all about. Mothers have hearts of gold and will do anything to ensure that their children get everything they never had in life,especially a good education. In Africa education is often seen as a luxury. The protagonist tackles every obstacle in her way to ensure that her daughter gets the education she knows she deserves.

[Phumlani · Rating 2 out of 5]

i found it a tad bit predictable, still a good book, i felt like i was in Zambia as i read along.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story about a mother fighting for her daughter's future. Through the book, I learned a lot about Zambia in the 1990s.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoughts coming shortly

[W :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not me crying over a bag of beans! 🫘

🌟 4.5

‘They were lucky, those who went to school in the sixties, seventies and eighties, when education was not paid for and everything needed was provided free. Now in the nineties, things are different, and we must accept what is happening to us. It won’t help even if we complain and grieve. Who will listen to us?’ ‘I say stop talking like that.’

This book follows Nasula, a single mother in 1990s Zambia, struggling to find money to feed, clothe and educate her daughter. It goes into the incessant struggles women faced at that time to live autonomously. Corruption, lack of education and disease trapped families in an inescapable cycle of poverty and Nasula was determined to outrun it.

It was just one series of unfortunate events followed by another. But Nasula was so tenacious. Everyone calls her Nasula, “Mother of Sula”. This is a very common thing in Zambia, but as the story is from her perspective, it’s interesting that we don’t even learn her birth name until about 90% of the way through the book. As a woman in traditional Zambian culture, your role as a mother is of utmost importance. To be called “Mother of [child]” is a sign of respect, and it reflects how her identity is so deeply entwined with her role as Sula’s mother. She dedicates her life to Sula, and it really shows true, unconditional motherly love that’s willing to sacrifice everything for her child’s future.

Her name, Nasula, meant mother of Sula, and the meaning of Sula, her daughter’s name, was ‘let things be’. But Nasula, she who was supposed to be the mother of letting things be, would not let things be over her daughter’s schooling.

She doesn’t want Sula to end up in the same situation. Dependent on men to survive. The story critiques the patriarchal system that constantly fails women. Yet, throughout the book, people uphold this system and exploit it to advance themselves at the expense of others. The selfishness of this society, put alongside Nasula’s selflessness, really highlights the stark contrast.

I loved how education is portrayed as a form of liberation. The cowrie shell becomes a symbol of small, fragile hope and a metaphor for Nasula’s resilience. Even when everything seems lost, she clings to the belief that things can change. It was also so rare to see a non-Christian Zambian woman. Although a very faithful and spiritual woman, she doesn’t subscribe to any religious systems that would actively stifle her. She understands that she is the only one in control of her life and that she must be active in causing change if she wants the best for herself and her daughter.

This book was such a journey. I feel like I just trekked across Zambia with Nasula! Although I was familiar with these locations (especially in the Lusaka section), Sinyangwe does a great job of immersing you in this character and time period. It’s a short story, but you really feel like you know these people. And you won’t be able to put it down until you see Nasula succeed. All in all, a fantastic story about maternal love and resilience in a world where the odds are stacked against you. Give it a read.

[Tutankhamun18 · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very simple plot with quite simple characters. Had beautiful descriptions of the surroundings that were very emotionally charged and reflective.

„Do you think there is a woman anywhere who is wholly happy? If there is, that woman must be stupid. Nasula, only imbeciels and sweet idots have a life whose happiness does not hang in the balance. A true woman with such a life does not exist. Stop being foolish. Just look your troubles in the eye and atop longing for your own death.“

„The people of Chilswazo were the devil. Gossip was what they broke their fast with, lunched and suppered on.“

Page 7 connection to Jane Eyre.

Themes of motherhood, poverty, friendship, education, perserverance, hope, determination, good vs evil and bribery.

[Sookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An absolutely heartwarming ending to a what starts off as a tale of woes and misery. A widow struggles to raise money to send her young daughter to the school. Education is no more free, AIDS is rampant and she is losing family members to the disease, there is no help from her husband side of the family either to support in times of utter despair. Poverty is a tangible entity for many and its no different in this novella.
Indeed there is a cowrie of hope at the end, an optimistic end to the story that went downhill pretty fast and my heart went out for Nasula, the mother. But through grit and perseverance, she managed to achieve what she set out to do.

[Karen]

Nasula, the poor widowed mother of a poised and promising girl in 1990s rural Zambia, has no money to pay her daughter’s school fees. What follows is a primer in intense, streamlined, emotionally urgent storytelling, as Nasula perseveres through obstacle after obstacle, until she’s practically worn to a literal bone, to ensure her daughter receives an education. A reminder that the 1990s, which seemed like an era of easy prosperity to many people in the West, were terrible years in other places. And a good reminder that sometimes short books with hard-driving problem-based plots can be incredibly absorbing reads.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aptly named The Cowrie of Hope, as cowries represent womanhood, fertility, birth, and hope, and the story tells of a mother and daughter struggling with poverty and never giving up hope.

Sinyangwe’s novella offers a sad but likely frank depiction of life in Zambia in the 1990s with its economic difficulties and the start of the AIDS epidemic.

Sinyangwe effectively uses personification especially in the descriptions of the buses and road Nasula travels on back to her village. Like the road “everything is good and bad”.

It’s difficult to read a book in translation because you can never know how well it was translated.

[Heather Phillips]

I really enjoyed this story as a way to get to know Zambia before I visited it for the first time. This is the story of the lengths a mother will go to better the life of her child, and the incredible things she may have to overcome. Not only was it a story of great character, but the scenes describing the city and country made me feel like I got to know a bit about the country, and how the place can impact the people. Although a bit like an allegory, which in parts felt a bit make believe, overall this was a great story that I thought of for months after.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the unique style of this book. It does not read like typical European fiction: it isn't, and the writer's style helps us to taste a very different world. I found his descriptions take the reader to the places, both rural and urban, and his use of metaphor, simile and exaggeration contribute to the "fairy" tale quality of the story.
(There must be a thesis waiting to be written about the significance of beans in literature!)
For me this book is an important contribution to African Literature.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delivers a strong anti-colonial message centered on resistance to the legacies of colonial rule in Zambia: neocolonial economic exploitation, cultural erosion and patriarchal oppression. Nasula's fight for her daughter's education mirrors the larger struggle of a people to reclaim dignity, agency and self-determination. A radical critique of colonialism and the colonial economic systems that most harshly affect women, this story of a single mother's journey to do anything it takes to see the dreams of her child take root, is a must read.

[Namubiru Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Binwell Sinyangwe
Hope
Nasula and Sula, mother and daughter
Belita Bowa, an illeterate orphan, poor and a widow strives to educate her only daughter Sula her only ray of Hope in life to get her out of poverty and suffering.

[Runal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book captures the story of a really strong woman who recognizes the importance of girl education and would go through any hardships to provide that to her daughter. It was a nice and simple story.

[ALEX]

WOOOOOOOOW