Obligations to the Wounded by Mubanga Kalimamukwento

Rating:

4 Stars

Themes:

Short Stories, Domestic Fiction, Africa

Thoughts:

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I didn’t realise that these short stories would be as hard hitting as they were. I appreciate the blurb warned us and I did expect some harsh truths about the expectations on girls and women in a different culture. Kalimamukwento did a really good job of getting across the pressure of children bearing the hopes and expectations of their parents, especially where the parents move to try give their children a better life. It was also really interesting to see how periods are treated in a different part of the world and the way in which the journey into adulthood/womanhood is marked. I also found it interesting to see the way that same sex relationships are seen in Zambia and the difference to how they are treated in my own country. Overall, these are great short stories for a brief insight into a different culture and a great step into further reading in this part of the world.

Favourite Quote:

"Yeah, but she's your mother, Funso, and she needs you," he says,

the first defense of people who actually have mothers, as if the title of mother has no accompanying expectations like care and attention or not abandoning their children for drinking sprees, not moving out when their youngest is nine to live with a faceless father and then a revolving door of boyfriends, only to show up to their daughter's wedding over a decade later with scaly tears and a too-long hug,"

With thanks to University of Pittsburg Press and Netgalley for my advanced digital copy of this book.