A champion of children, uwems collection shines a clear light on the harsh realities of life for many african kids. After reading the book, i am left wondering what all the hype was about. Various dialects are used masterfully to both reveal characters and set scenes. Oct 27, 2014 like all the children in this book, he was on the path of finding an answer to a torn identity and forced to say i be one of you. Jun 09, 2008 uwem akpans stunning stories humanize the perils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel theyve ever encountered africa so immediately. His debut collection of stories, say youre one of them little, brown, features the most delightful author bio i have ever. About say you re one of them book cover and spine photographs. Sep 18, 2009 say you re one of them uwem akpan say you re one of them is a collection of five short stories by nigerian author uwem akpan. Say youre one of them say youre one of them is in a word, haunting. The book is less a story collection than a powerful, frankly activist work of fiction that often succeeds in spite of its best intentions. One is defensive and inclusive, the other is offensive and exclusive, the two meanings can be found in all the stories. Uwem akpans stunning stories humanize theperils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel theyve ever encountered africa so immediately.
Akpan addressed his other vocation in an interview, saying, a key vatican ii document makes it very clear that the joys and anguish of the world are the joys and anguish of. His short story collection say youre one of them was published in 2008 by little brown and company. The eightyearold narrator of an exmas feast needs only enough money to buy books and pay feesin order to attend school. This story ends the book and is the source of the title say youre one of them, the command given by a desperate rwandan tutsi mother to her hutufathered child as machetewielding killers approach.
Uwem akpans debut story collection unfolds with grace and devastation. Read free book excerpt from say youre one of them by uwem akpan, page 1 of 12. About say youre one of them book cover and spine photographs. I was delighted to find these stories so rich that each one was like a novel. Say youre one of them is his first book, in which each of five stories is set in a different african nation. Official website of uwem akpan, author of say youre one of them, 2009 oprah book club selection. Has reading say youre one of them changed the way you think about these issues. Because of this, along with powerful plots and sympathetic narrators, say you re one of them is an unforgettable, beautiful, authentic and wise literary call to action. Uwem akpan addressed his other vocation in an interview, saying, a key vatican ii document makes it very clear that the joys and anguish of the world are the joys and anguish of the church. Has reading say youre one of them changed the way you think about these issues or your perceptions of africa.
It is a great thing that these seven stories, having been chosen for a certain famous book club, will now receive a flood of richly deserved attention. Because of this, along with powerful plots and sympathetic narrators, say youre one of them is an unforgettable, beautiful, authentic and wise literary call to action. Free download or read online say youre one of them pdf epub book. He had to work on community computers and lost much of his work to computer viruses, until a friend who believed in his writing was able to give him a laptop to allow him to really work on this. Say youre one of them is a collection of five shortstories by uwem akpna, a jesuit priest from africa. Jun 05, 2008 say youre one of them is a heartbreaking collection of short stories or, rather, two novellas and three short stories, each set in a different country in africa. This jesuit priest cum writer uwem akpan has done for vulnerable african children what i think many writers, legion of documentaries and western mass media have not. The storys portrait of a family living together in a makeshift shanty in urban kenya, and their attempts to find gifts of. In say youre one of them, akpan teleports readers out of their chairs and into the lives of children trying to survive these dire circumstances. Wellwritten, thoughtful, brutal, and often nothing short of astounding, this debut will have you looking at africa in a whole new light and like its children, fighting to hold on to hope. As the story begins, jiganas family is intact, if barely, crammed inside their makeshift shanty, hoping for a lavish holiday meal.
Jul 27, 2008 uwem akpans debut story collection, say youre one of them, is also an attempt to give witness. From the towns ancestral origins in 1890 to the fateful day of the assault, paradise tells the story of a people ever mindful of the relationship. I have a much clearer understanding of the people of africa and their struggles from reading this book than i have ever had from the news and movies. Luxurious hearses a story from say youre one of them by uwem. Say youre one of them is a heartbreaking collection of short stories or, rather, two novellas and. The main characters of this fiction, cultural story are. Say youre one of them uwem akpan say youre one of them is a collection of five short stories by nigerian author uwem akpan. Akpans book is highly recommended and will leave readers wanting more of his dark, carefully moralistic and quite extraordinary tales. An exmas feast tells the story of eightyearold jiganas family struggle to. It was supposed to be the work of an original voice from nigeria a catholic priest who weaved stories about africas complexity with the skill of a basketmaker. The eightyearold narrator of an exmas feast needs only enough money to buy books and pay fees in order to attend school. Pdf say youre one of them book by uwem akpan free download.
In all cases, a child is either the narrator or the point of view. Uwem akpan a family living in a makeshift shany in urban kenya scurries to find gifts of any kind for the impending christmas. Say youre one of them book whatcom county library system. As the book begins deep in oklahoma early one morning in 1976, nine men from ruby pop. Uwem akpan this singular collection of five stories takes the reader inside nigeria, benin, and ethiopia, revealing in beautiful prose the harsh consequences for children of life in africa. I read each paragraph, afraid, anxious of the next. Say youre one of them by uwem akpan little, brown and company, 2008 368 pp. Uwem akpans first published short story, an exmas feast, appeared in the new yorkers debut fiction issue in 2005. Has reading say you re one of them changed the way you think about these issues or your perceptions of africa. It was chosen by oprah in september as her book club selection. I found myself objecting out loud, rooting for the children, not wanting to believe that the evil would prevail.
Official website of uwem akpan, author of say youre one. Do you guys have the full book of say youre one of them. This collection of five stories set in various african countries reveals the harsh consequences for children of life in africa. This story ends the book and is the source of the title say you re one of them, the command given by a desperate rwandan tutsi mother to her hutufathered child as machetewielding killers approach. Weve all tsktsked over the headlines about ethnic and religious slaughter in many african countries. Say youre one of them quotes showing 15 of 5 i think fiction allows us to sit for a while with people we would rather not meet. Say youre one of them shines a light on the poverty and violence that exists in many african nations. The stories are set in different african countries, each one depicting its own problems. Fault lines guardian first book award 2008 the guardian. Or with a change of emphasis, it can be read as say. Uwem akpans debut story collection, say youre one of them, is also an attempt to give witness.
Before i bought say youre one of them, i had heard the hype about the book. Say youre one of them by uwem akpan, paperback barnes. Akpan addressed his other vocation in an interview, saying, a key vatican ii document makes it very clear that the joys and anguish of the world are the joys and anguish of the church. Even when his twelveyearold sister takes to the streets to. It can be read as say your one them, as in, when the bad guys come, say your one of them to save yourself. Containing five stories, each set in a different african country, this collection won the 2009 commonwealth writers prize africa region and the 2009 beyond margins award. Unflinching evil in say youre one of them the debut shortstory collection by nigerian writer and jesuit priest uwem akpan offers a sobering view of a. The storys portrait of a family living together in a makeshift shanty in urban kenya, and their attempts to find gifts of any kind for the impending christmas holiday, gives. The storys portrait of a family living together in a makeshift shanty in urban kenya, and their attempts to find gifts of any kind for the impending christmas holiday, gives a matter of fact reality to the most extreme circumstances. Akpan is a gifted writer, but theres no question his bread and butter, and what drives these stories, are the abject. Say youre one of them is so touching i hesitated a long time to buy this book because i prefer novels to short stories.
Say youre one of them is a heartbreaking collection of short stories or, rather, two novellas and three short stories, each set in a different country in africa. Say youre one of them is a collection of short stories by nigerian writer uwem akpan, first published in 2008. Jul 04, 2008 say youre one of them by uwem akpan 304pp, abacus. In say youre one of them, a jesuit priest named uwen akpan personalizes the violence in a series of hardhitting, fastmoving stories that make us understand. They make this an annoyingly arty book, hiding more than not behind hemingwayesque timesignatures and puerile repetitions about war and memory and everything else, for that matter being hell and heaven both. Say you re one of them is a collection of three short stories and two novellas set in varying countries in africa, all told through the narration of vulnerable children during moments of extreme upheaval in their lives. A busload of refugees argue over who should get the one remaining seat. Say you re one of them say you re one of them audiobook, by uwem akpan. Uwem akpans stunning stories humanize the perils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel theyve ever encountered africa so immediately. The danger of having a dual ethnic identity could not be better captured than in the experience of monique and her toddler brother jean in my parents bedroom.
Usually when im not caught up inside the lives of characters ive created and i cant or dont want to disrupt the dream. Even when his twelveyearold sister takes to the streets to raise these meager funds, his dream cant be. This singular collection of five stories takes the reader inside nigeria, benin, and ethiopia, revealing in beautiful prose the harsh consequences for children of life in africa. The storys portrait of a family living together in a makeshift shanty in urban kenya, and their attempts to find gifts of any kind for the impending christmas holiday, gives a matteroffact reality to the most extreme circumstances. The first edition of the novel was published in january 1st 2008, and was written by uwem akpan. Say youre one of them oprahs book club and millions of other books are available for. Akpan focuses on the damage done to children in particular, relating atrocities through their tragically limited understanding.
Say you re one of them say you re one of them is in a word, haunting. Uninhibited, despairing, tragic, frustrating, bleak, vivid, provoking. Say youre one of them book the seattle public library. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 358 pages and is available in hardcover format.
Read free book excerpt from say you re one of them by uwem akpan, page 1 of 12. Say you re one of them is a collection of short stories by nigerian writer uwem akpan, first published in 2008. Akpan is a priest and started writing during his seminary days. In say youre one of them, a jesuit priest named uwen akpan personalizes the violence in a series of hardhitting, fastmoving stories that make us understand it in a new, visceral way. A collection of five stories by uwem akpan, a nigerian pastor, say youre one of them is a hardhitting social commentary on the plight of african children. Say youre one of them luxurious hearses nigeria summary.
Say youre one of them by uwem akpan the book brothel. He travelled into the depth of these childrens darkness with a candle light to reveal to the world how. Say youre one of them by uwem akpan book club discussion. Jun 09, 2008 the opener of this debut collection, an exmas feast, is one of the more upbeat entrieswhich isnt saying much, since its eightyearold narrator describes sniffing shoe glue to ward off hunger in a nairobi shanty town while his 12yearold sister proudly moves from street prostitution to a brothel. Luxurious hearses a story from say youre one of them. Akpans stories, told from the viewpoints of children the innocent victims are powerful, vivid and deeply moving. Akpan, a nigerian jesuit priest currently assigned to a seminary in zimbabwe, doesnt. Containing five stories, each set in a different african country, this collection won the 2009 commonwealth writers prize africa region and the 2009 beyond margins award stories an exmas feast. Jul 03, 2008 all of the children in the book are faced with tough decisions, which is just part of what makes say you are one of them such a fascinating read. A young boys sister works the streets to pay his school fees.
Each is told from the perspective of a child in an african country. David sacks in 2005, uwem akpans first short story, an exmas feast, was published in the new yorker s debut fiction issue, signaling the arrival of a breathtakingly talented writer. Uwem akpans stunning stories humanize the perils of poverty and violence so piercingly. Nov 03, 2009 uwem akpans stunning stories humanize theperils of poverty and violence so piercingly that few readers will feel theyve ever encountered africa so immediately. Say youre one of them oprahs book club by uwem akpan. About the book say youre one of them by uwem akpan. In 2007, akpan taught at a jesuit college in harare, zimbabwe. Say youre one of them book deschutes public library. This study guide consists of approximately 55 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of say youre one of them. Say youre one of them is a collection of three short stories and two novellas set in varying countries in africa, all told through the narration of vulnerable children during moments of extreme upheaval in their lives.