Review of 'A Girl Named Disaster (Orchard Classics)' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
This book I read for my daughter's school participation in Book Bowl. This is a 1997 Newberry Honor book. I listened to the unabridged audio cassettes narrated by Lisette Lecat.
The story is a coming of age for Nhamo, an African girl from Mozambique, who is wrongly accused of witchcraft and required by her family to marry a very bad man who beats his current 3 wives and has an unnamed disease. We know this from the backpage blurb. However, it took several cassettes to get to that point, as well as 80 pages into the novel. On instruction by her grandmother, Nhamo steals a boat and heads to Zimbabwe. The majority of the story is Nhamo's adventure on her own trying to get from her village in Mozambique to her father's family in Zimbabwe.
As for the narration, it is done by Lisette Lecat. My initial impression was she …
This book I read for my daughter's school participation in Book Bowl. This is a 1997 Newberry Honor book. I listened to the unabridged audio cassettes narrated by Lisette Lecat.
The story is a coming of age for Nhamo, an African girl from Mozambique, who is wrongly accused of witchcraft and required by her family to marry a very bad man who beats his current 3 wives and has an unnamed disease. We know this from the backpage blurb. However, it took several cassettes to get to that point, as well as 80 pages into the novel. On instruction by her grandmother, Nhamo steals a boat and heads to Zimbabwe. The majority of the story is Nhamo's adventure on her own trying to get from her village in Mozambique to her father's family in Zimbabwe.
As for the narration, it is done by Lisette Lecat. My initial impression was she was a British woman, and the feel was all wrong. It improved over the telling of the story. Ms. Lecat is South African born, but I think the novel would have been better served by an African woman narrating.
As before, I was asked to write questions for the book bowl studying. For this book, I wrote my index cards before writing this review. Page numbers from a copy of the book are indicated. Here are the questions I wrote. I apologize that the African words are not in italics as they should be.
As the story opens, Nhamo is eating these. What are figs? p1
The worst king of all from Grandmother's first story. Who was Mambo? p4
This killed Nhamo's mother. What was a leopard? p6 & throughout
The story takes place on this continent. What is Africa? Map
Social hierarchy required them to always eat first. Who are the men? p11
Nhamo saw this by the stream. What is a shadow/spirit leopard? p14
Nhamo's good-natured and pretty cousin. Who is Masvita? p3
The honorific name of Nhamo's grandmother. What is Ambuya? p9
Aunt Chipo and Aunt Shuvai were who. Who were Nhamo's aunts, her mother's sisters. p12
This disease struck the village and decimated the population of Mozambique. What is cholera? p28
Tradition required a girl who has her first menstruation to visit her to learn the secrets of womanhood. Who is the girl's aunt or Vatete? p18
The name of the witchfinder. Who is a muvuki? p33
The entire family traveled here to see the muvuki. What is the trading post? -p46
Nhamo and Ambruya listen to this at the trader's at the trading post. What is guitar music? p49
Name of Nhamo's mother. What is Runako? p51
Nhamo's father ran away after this. What is he killed a man? p53
The "ghost" required this payment. What is Nhamo marrying Gorem's brother, Gore? p 62
Grandmother stayed here under Nhamo's care while she was sick. What is the Portugese trader's porch? p67
Nhamo was to take Crocodile Guts' boat and row up the stream to Zimbabwe. What was Grandmother's plan? p78
These trapped Nhamo on shore the first time. What are hippos? p92
Nhamo ate these and named her first camp after them. What are guinea fowl? p102
Nhamo's island home was on this lake. What is Lake Cabora Bassa? p113 and others
Nhamo threw these to the njuzu for finding the island. What are Aunt Shuvai's bracelet beads? p123
Nhamo began her journey as a girl and ended her journey as this. What is a woman? p143
Nhamo considered the baboon with the twisted foot was she. Who is Tasviona? p150
Termites won't touch a boat made out of this. What is mukwa wood? p153 & others
Nhamo did this to pass time throughout her story. What was tell stories? Throughout
Nhamo kept the "picture" of her mother here throughout her travels. What is sealed in a jar with a tight fitting lid? p161
Nhamo did this so she could make a garden far from animals. What is lured the crippled baboon off the small island? p166
Fat Cheeks and Rumpy were members of this. What is the baboon troop that kept Nhamo company? p169
Nhamo was stung by this. What is a scorpion? p174
The scorpion sting caused these. What are hallucinations? Chap25
Nhamo first thought the major predator on the baboon island was this. What is a caracal? p197
The kudu was left by this unseen predator. What is a leopard? p201
Nhamo used these to quickly hollow out the mukwa log. What are hot coals? p 190
Nhamo suffered form this psychological problem after a long time on the baboon island. What is depression from loneliness? Chap28-30 (inferred)
Rumpy ruined these. What are Nhamo's food stores and platforms? p 206-7
These "visitors" saved Nhamo from dehydration. What are the njuzu girls? p210-11
Buds on the trees indicated this. What is the rainy season is on its way? p211
These were in the dried marsh at the Zimbabwe border. What are land mines? p222
Nhamo called this woman "Mother" in Efifi. Who is Dr. Masuku? p234
The main purpose of Efifi. What is science? p235
Nhamo killed one when possessed by Long Teats, and almost killed another. What is a black dog? p254
The Jongwe family lived in this town. What is Mtoroshanga? p269
Nhamo found out her father, Proud Jongwe, was dead, making her this. What is an orphan? p272 implied
Nhamo's great-grandfather was this. What is a nganga? p272
Nhamo's parents were married here. What is the Catholic Church? p282
Gorem's spirit's true revenge. What is the death of Nhamo's parents. p284
The year Nhamo's journey takes place. What is 1981? p299
Terms and Definitions from Glossary -- I didn't write too many of these out, just a few I thought were key to the story.
Nhamo's fictional story takes place after these real events. What are revolutionary/civil wars in Mozambique and Zimbabwe? p299
Nhamo's name means this. What is disaster? Title
A long history of mutual hostility exists between these two African tribes. What are the Shona and the Matabele? p300
The British and the Portugese. Who are Europeans who had much intervention in the governments in Africa? p300
South Africans whose language is based on Dutch. Who are the Afrikaners?
Mwari. What is the name of the supreme being of the Shona? p302
Ngozi. What is an angry spirit who requires a wrong righted? p304
Totem. What is the symbol of a family or clan? p306
Njuzu. What are water spirits?
Traditional healers. Who are nganga?
A sect of African Christians. Who are the Vapostori? p 305
