Ancestor Stones (2006) is a novel by British writer Aminatta Forna about the experiences of four women in a polygamous family in West Africa.
 First edition (UK) | |
| Author | Aminatta Forna |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Published | 2006 |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury (UK) Atlantic Monthly Press (US) |
| Publication place | Scotland |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 317 |
| ISBN | 9780747584797 |
| OCLC | 65203382 |
Reception
editUzodinma Iweala of The New York Times, reviewing Ancestor Stones, "wanted to know more: how the characters feel about one another, not just how they feel about the chaotic events they’re describing."[1] Bernardine Evaristo, writing in The Guardian, described this book to be "a wonderfully ambitious novel written from the inside" and concluded "This is her [Forna's] first novel, but it is too sophisticated to read like one."[2]
Ancestor Stones has also been reviewed by Booklist,[3] Choice Reviews,[4] Library Journal,[5] Publishers Weekly,[6] Kirkus Reviews,[7] African Business,[8] Entertainment Weekly,[9] and The New Yorker.[10]
Awards
edit- 2007 Hurston/Wright Legacy Award Debut Fiction - winner[11]
- 2008 LiBeraturpreis - winner[12]
- 2010 Aidoo-Snyder Book Award - winner (best creative work)[13]
References
edit- ^ "Sunday Book Review: As It Really Was". New York Times. 24 September 2006. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ Evaristo, Bernardine (2 July 2006). "Books: Wives and daughters". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ "Ancestor Stones: Reviews". catalog.wccls.org. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
Forna conveys the complexity of life in small African villages ..
- ^ "Ancestor Stones". kcls.bibliocommons.com. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
Ancestor Stones reads much like a memoir but--perhaps for that reason--is less compelling than her earlier work.
- ^ "Ancestor stones". Buffalo and Erie County Public Library. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
Because of the shifting time periods, the array of names, and the complicated family connections, the characters blend together, and it is difficult to identify each from one story to the next. However, Forna, .. beautifully crafts an intimate portrait of the evolution of one West African community.
- ^ "Ancestor Stones". Publishers Weekly. PWxyz LLC. 17 July 2006. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
Forna's work sheds light on the history of a long-struggling nation.
- ^ "Ancestor Stones (starred review)". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Media LLC. 15 July 2006. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
Forna (The Devil That Danced on the Water, 2003) creates, through the voices of these wizened creatures, a richly patterned mosaic of African culture and history.
- ^ "Ancestor Stones". African Business (322). IC Publications: 64. July 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2017.[dead link]
- ^ "Ancestor Stones". Entertainment Weekly. Time Inc. September 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2017.[dead link]
- ^ "Ancestor Stones". The New Yorker. 82 (37). Condé Nast: 91. November 2006. Retrieved 1 February 2017.[dead link]
- ^ Thompson, Bob (3 November 2007). "Arts & Living: Books: New Chapters In the Story of Africa's People Are Honored". The Washington Post. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ "LiBeraturpreis 2008 goes to Aminatta Forna (in German)". boersenblatt.net. 19 August 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ^ "Aidoo-Snyder Book Prize". africanstudies.org. African Studies Association. Retrieved 31 January 2017.