A short story collection of Africa's emerging writers
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Newlyweds' Window: The 2022 Mukana Press Anthology of African Writing is a short story collection of Africa's emerging writers. According to the description, "Africa’s stories have largely been relegated to themes of poverty, and war; yet there is so much more brilliance, texture, and layers to our stories." Thanks to the publishers, the world will be introduced to the beauty and nuance of African writing.
Here is a lovely excerpt from "Gasping for Air," the first short story:
"I open my fridge and the cornea and lenses are beautiful, the eyes that
stare back at me from different transparent containers—different
colors, different shades, different sizes—glorify me, all ninety-eight
of them. I admire the colors—brown, black, gray, blue. The blues are
few, while beautiful brown eyes fill up everywhere. The transparent
containers are arranged neatly, one on top of the other. They belonged
to people whom the earth would rather not see, and I feel the earth’s
heart beating with glee and thanks every time I see them. They tell the
story of my contribution to God’s green earth. They are something,
these eyes."
Overall, The Newlyweds' Window: The 2022 Mukana Press Anthology of African Writing is a wonderful collection that should be sold and available everywhere. One highlight of this book is how it introduces readers outside Africa to a new generation of writers who write beyond the typical themes seen in books about Africa. After reading the description, I was so excited to read this collection. I did take off 2 stars, because none of the stories really appealed to me or interested me, which was disappointing. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of diverse books in general, you can check out this book, which is available now!
The Newlyweds' Window: The 2022 Mukana Press Anthology of African Writing is a short story collection of Africa's emerging writers. According to the description, "Africa’s stories have largely been relegated to themes of poverty, and war; yet there is so much more brilliance, texture, and layers to our stories." Thanks to the publishers, the world will be introduced to the beauty and nuance of African writing.
Here is a lovely excerpt from "Gasping for Air," the first short story:
"I open my fridge and the cornea and lenses are beautiful, the eyes that
stare back at me from different transparent containers—different
colors, different shades, different sizes—glorify me, all ninety-eight
of them. I admire the colors—brown, black, gray, blue. The blues are
few, while beautiful brown eyes fill up everywhere. The transparent
containers are arranged neatly, one on top of the other. They belonged
to people whom the earth would rather not see, and I feel the earth’s
heart beating with glee and thanks every time I see them. They tell the
story of my contribution to God’s green earth. They are something,
these eyes."
Overall, The Newlyweds' Window: The 2022 Mukana Press Anthology of African Writing is a wonderful collection that should be sold and available everywhere. One highlight of this book is how it introduces readers outside Africa to a new generation of writers who write beyond the typical themes seen in books about Africa. After reading the description, I was so excited to read this collection. I did take off 2 stars, because none of the stories really appealed to me or interested me, which was disappointing. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of diverse books in general, you can check out this book, which is available now!