28 reviews for:

Days Come and Go

Hemley Boum

3.98 AVERAGE


Comment s'extraire d'un tel livre ?
Face à tant d'humanité, d'inhumanité, et d'émotions, comment passer à autre chose (j'aurais bien dit "tourner la page" mais j'aurais eu peur de faire un mauvais jeu de mots) ?
Dans son roman, Hemley Boum donne vie à la voix de trois générations de femmes, toutes ayant leur récit à partager. On s'immisce alors dans la société cammerounaise, peu clémente envers les femmes, du moins, celle qui narrent ce roman. Les relations mères-filles sont également explorées tout au long des récits, retraçant leurs complexités et fluctuations, malgré des sentiments implacables.
Enfin, dans une deuxième partie, la plus jeune des narratrices témoigne de ses mois de torture aux camps de Boko Haram, décrivant leur réalité crue, ne laissant de côté aucune horreur subie.

Les jours viennent et passent, mais les livres comme celui-ci, lorsqu'ils viennent, ne les laissez pas partir.
challenging emotional sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

One of my New favorites!!
challenging emotional relaxing slow-paced

Thought-provoking with the contrast of politics and ideals and engaging female characters, Days Come and Go is about mothers and daughters and this universal love whether biological or adopted. The non-linear narrative truly knocks away expectations and forces you to listen to Boum’s women and understand what compels them. The specter of colonialism still affect Cameroonian women, this novel first alternates between elderly, dying Anna who followed Catholic nuns to an upper class life and her daughter Abi whose affair ruptured her marriage as it open her soul and then the second half is more contemporary with Anna and her housekeeper Antie Astou’s daughter Jenny, and Jenny's friend Tina, join Boko Haram. Passion destroys but love rebuilds and restores through each woman’s life

A story told through multiple POV, it walks us through some history and culture of Africa and the modern day life in Cameroon and Paris. I found the writing to be lyrical and wondered how it would to read the original.
The story straddles cultures, the clash between the Western ideology and the reality of refugees within Africa. I am still processing parts of the story, especially the violence waged in the name of religion.
I received an ARC from Net Galley in return for my honest opinion. I do recommend this book.
emotional informative medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I appreciate learning about an unfamiliar country through literature written by one of it’s authors.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
informative reflective slow-paced
emotional informative fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Love love this book 📖