The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted over at Freda’s Voice. The rules are simple and go something like this.
1. Grab a book, any book.
2. Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader (If you have to improvise, that’s ok.)
3. Find any sentence, (or a few, just don’t spoil it)
4. Post it.
5. Add the post url, not your blog url to the Linky.
6. Tweet it #Friday56 (not an official Freda’s Voice rule)
I don’t know why, but when I first saw this book at the bookstore I wanted to read it. Maybe it was the book cover the authors name – Yaa Gyasi. I don’t know, but I had to get it. When I began reading it, I was immediately drawn in and had a hard time putting it down (I found myself still reading at 1 am). Oh dear, not going to be able to get up for work. This is by far the best debut novel I’ve read in a long time.
Here’s an interview I found with Yaa Gyasi.
Displacement, Identity and Going Home: A Conversation with Yaa Gyasi
Abena sank down beside him and looked at the necklace. It shimmered gold and was cool to the touch.
Her father huffed loudly, trying to catch his breath. “This belonged to my grandmother, your great-grandmother Effia. It was given to her by her own mother.”
“Effia,” Abena repeated. It was the first time she had heard the name of one of her ancestors, and she savored the taste of the name on her tongue. She wanted to say it again and again. Effia. Effia.
“My father was a slaver, a very wealthy man. When I decided to leave Fanteland, it was because I did not want to take part in the work my family had done. I wanted to work for myself. I see how these townspeople call me Unlucky, but every season I feel lucky to have this land, to do this honorable work, not the shameful work of my family.
. . . Abena put on the necklace and hugged her father
The next morning Abena set out for the Kumasi, and when she arrived at the missionary church there, she touched the stone at her neck and said thank you to her ancestors.
Home going by Yaa Gyasi, pas 154-155
This sounds very interesting – I’ll have to add it to my tbr. 🙂
Check out my Friday 56 (With Book Beginnings).
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This book is sitting by my bed and I hope to get to it later this summer. I knew I had to buy it when all the rave reviews from trusted blogger sources started pouring in. Glad you’re enjoying it!
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I haven’t heard of this book but it looks interesting m! Thanks for sharing. Here is my Friday 56
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I’ve been known to grab a book because of the cover or author’s name too. Glad it turned out to be a winner for you:) Sometimes you have to take a chance to find those hidden gems.
My Friday 56 from Scar Tissue
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The writing is so eloquent! Happy weekend!
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This book sounds really different than anything I’ve read before. Thanks for sharing! Also, that quote by Frank Zappa is truly phenomenal .
Here’s mine if you’d like to check it out.
https://travellingthroughwords.wordpress.com/2016/07/08/book-beginnings-and-the-friday-56-3-egg-and-spoon-by-gregory-mcguire/
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Hi Tavleen, thanks for stopping by. So far I’m really enjoying this book and it is quite refreshing to read something different. I don’t feel like it’s the same slave story rehashed. When I saw the Frank Zappa quote I knew that that was the tag line.
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I would say that with a name like Yaa Gyasi one should write exotic prose. Glad you enjoyed it.
My Friday Quotes
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Thanks for sharing, and I will be watching for your review! Here’s mine: “IN TWENTY YEARS”
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Never heard of this one…. But it does seem like a good read. Africa is home!
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It just came out on June 7th.
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