The Civilized World: A Novel in Stories
by Susi Wyss, March 29, 2011."Does being born on a Monday have any special meaning in your culture?" Janice asked.
"It's just our tradition to name children after the day of the week on which they're born, though many people think a person's qualities can be predicted by their name. Monday-borns are said to be quiet."
(from the story, "Monday Born")
Publisher's description: This stunning literary debut is a novel in stories set in Africa and the United States that follows two Ghanaian and three American women as their lives intersect in unexpected and explosive ways. "
My comments: The stories follow Adjoa who leaves Ghana to open the Precious Brother Salon in the Ivory Coast, about Comfort and her American daughter-in-law Linda, about the American Ophelia, and also about another American, Janice, who moves to Ghana. The stories reflect the author's background working in Africa for almost 20 years. She brings her knowledge of the culture and the women to nine short stories that make up this novel. Highly recommended for those interested in women's fiction and in African cultures.
Paperback: 256 pages. Publisher: Holt Paperbacks (March 29, 2011)
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
Genre: fiction, literary fiction
Objective rating: 4 out of 5
