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It's not badly written. technically. It's just so miserable. And I don't mind a book with grim subject matter, but this book feels like the misery is piled on for effect, and I'm not convinced the situation it depicts is realistic, although it may be which is even worse.

One thing that bugs me is a lot of the publishers' and literary reviews, make out that the book is about ambiguous feelings around motherhood. It's not. The woman in the book wanted to be an engaged, loving mother but there was an extreme, unusual, but I think unfortunately not unheard of, factor. There is another book that deals with this topic that I read previously and also found disturbing, and when I read reviews for that book I could hardly believe how many people were stubbornly taking away the opposite message probably because they didn't want to believe, and it's always easier to blame the mother.

Maybe this book is doing a public service. But I really did not enjoy the subject matter or the treatment of it.

 This is the first time I've read a published memoir when I actually know one of the authors. There may be many people who had childhoods similar to Argentine, but few of them are in the position to write books - in English - about them, and for this book to happen, Dawn, the other author and Argentine's dear friend, had to meet, these women both had to have the hearts to reach out to each other across different cultural backgrounds, and Argentine's memories and stories (some of which must have been very emotional to relive) have come together with Dawn's way with words, and enough familiarity with the Congo and rapport with Argentine to paint the picture for us in a way that lets the story unfold, in such a beautiful, vivid way, with humour and heart, but not glossing over any of the tension and pain and fear (and moments of sheer horror), in such a way that Argentine's heart and soul and voice can reach out to us, too. 

Argentine's childhood memories begin with a little girl who wanted to be able to do everything the other children did, but her legs didn't work, but she tried anyway, even though she had to go on her hands and knees. Her only hope is the Centre pour Handicapés in far off Goma, but when she gets there, against the odds, the struggles are far from over, because the Centre has certain expectations that you will see put the families of the disabled in terrible dilemmas. At no point are the struggles actually over, not even at the end of the book, (not even now in the relative safety of Canada where yes, the avocados are $2 and probably not even as nice as the ones in Masisi), and that is something you realize as you read, because this is a true story, and speaks to life. It speaks to a deep meaning within life, because when you are disabled, and poor, and living in a war zone, there is no hiding from the reality that time and time again, you will have to throw yourself on the kindness and mercy of others, but also, the relationships that come from this are golden, because you meet the best people this way, and sometimes they seem to come out of nowhere like angels when most needed! Argentine's mother's, and Argentine's own courage and caring and resourcefulness are demonstrated again and again, and you see how all of these, and their ability to reach out to others, were needed, for this story to come out as well as it did. 

I hope many people will have the chance to read it! I will try to entice you with the beginning that says "I wanted to tell you about my mother and brothers and all my family. I wanted to tell you about my life in Congo, so you will know one thing for certain. I am not on my own - and neither are you.... Travel with me to the hills of Masisi..."