Adrienne Benson

Set in the cities and villages of Kenya, The Brightest Sun by Adrienne Benson is about mothers and daughters. It is about three specific women and their relationship to life in Kenya. The emotions - both the joys and the heartbreaks - in this book are universal. The feeling of not fitting in and the need to belong is also a universal one. It is these emotions that make the story of these women such a compelling one.

Read my complete review at rel="nofollow" target="_top">http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2018/09/the-brightest-sun.html

Reviewed for NetGalley.… (més)

This was the perfect book to finish on Mother's day, as it focuses on three different mothers. Two of them have the added challenge of also trying to adjust and make a living in a country not their own. The country is Africa, Kenya but also travels to s few other places on the continent. I am not going to rehash the plot because the book summary does that. So I'll just say one mother comes from a line of "bad mothers" women who are not naturally nurturing. Another is a member of the Massai tribe, a tribe that puts a great deal of pressure on women to bear children as those who sre barren are considered unlucky. This mother becomes a mother in a different way. Our third mother is married to s man and moves to s different location every three years or so. All these mothers will eventually play important roles in each other lives.

Beautiful descriptions of Africa, flora, fauna as well as the insidious effects of drought. The roles of a mother, how difficult but rewarding that can be, how hard for those who struggle with that role. Elephsnt mothers have their daughters with them for life, not so as one of our mothers says in the book, daughters go away and mothers must let go. This book gives us much to cheer about, but also much to grieve about, also much to think . How important mothers are in a child's early life, and how the effect from bad or negligent mothering can follow one through their life. It also contains one of the most emotive expressions of grief I have ever read.

The characters were wonderful, realistic, identifiable. My two favorites were the Massai mother Simi and Adia a shared daughter. I didn't dislike any of them but felt for these two the most, related to them best. A beautiful combination of making a home in a home that is not your own, and the descriptions of a bautiful but chsngesble Africa. And mothers, mothers everywhere no matter how you became one, whether human or not, mothrrs of fur babies, if you nurture and love, you are valuable.

ARC from Edelweiss.… (més)