Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Penguin Press
Pages
238
Description
Biography & Autobiography. Family & Relationships. Nonfiction. HTML:�??Fuller brings Africa to life, both its natural splendor and the harsher realities of day-to-day existence, and sheds light on her parents in all their humanness�??not a glaring sort of light, but the soft equatorial kind she so beautifully describes in this memoir.�?� �??Bookpage A story of survival and war, love and madness, loyalty and forgiveness, Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness is an intimate exploration of Fuller�??s parents, whom readers first met in Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, and of the price of being possessed by Africa�??s uncompromising, fertile, death-dealing land. We follow Tim and Nicola Fuller hopscotching the continent, restlessly trying to establish a home. War, hardship, and tragedy follow the family even as Nicola fights to hold on to her children, her land, her sanity. But just when it seems that Nicola has been broken by the continent she loves, it is the African earth that revives and nurtures her. Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness is Fuller at her very best. Alexandra Fuller is the author of several memoirs: Travel Light, Move Fast, Leaving Before the Rains Come and Don't Let's Go to the Dogs T… (more)
Collection
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2011
Physical description
238 p.; 9.6 inches
ISBN
9781594202995
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Media reviews
“Cocktail Hour” is disturbing in places, funny in others. It pulses with life and love. Nicola’s voice threatens to drown out everyone else’s, but fortunately she’s hilarious, creative, opinionated, ribald and tragic.
User reviews
LibraryThing member SilversReviews
We all should have our own Tree of Forgetfulness.....what a wonderful thought.
"People often ask why my parents haven't left Africa. Simply put they have been possessed by the land. Land is Mum's love affair and it is Dad's religion." Page 117
From the beautiful landscape of the Isle of Skye in
This book is beautifully written with wonderful descriptions of feelings, daily living, and African landscapes. You will also be given a history lesson of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.
The novel is also quite entertaining. You will love the stories, connect with the characters, feel their pain and mainly their love of the land in Africa even though Tim always said and was reminded by Nicola...."But I thought you said Africa was for the Africans." Page 210
I thoroughly enjoyed this book......vicariously living the life of the Fullers was fun but frightening. I can't begin to give all the details in this short review.....you will definitely need to read it. You will love it. 5/5
"People often ask why my parents haven't left Africa. Simply put they have been possessed by the land. Land is Mum's love affair and it is Dad's religion." Page 117
From the beautiful landscape of the Isle of Skye in
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Scotland to the lush lands of East Africa....you will be taken on a journey with Nicola Fuller through her childhood and her adult life.This book is beautifully written with wonderful descriptions of feelings, daily living, and African landscapes. You will also be given a history lesson of Rhodesia/Zimbabwe.
The novel is also quite entertaining. You will love the stories, connect with the characters, feel their pain and mainly their love of the land in Africa even though Tim always said and was reminded by Nicola...."But I thought you said Africa was for the Africans." Page 210
I thoroughly enjoyed this book......vicariously living the life of the Fullers was fun but frightening. I can't begin to give all the details in this short review.....you will definitely need to read it. You will love it. 5/5
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LibraryThing member St.CroixSue
Sequel to Fuller’s memoir, Don’t Let’s go to the Dogs Tonight. Selected by The New York Times Book Review as a Notable Book of the Year Fuller returns to Africa to recount the story of her mother Nicola Fuller of Central Africa. Mishaps and tragedies; a story of courage in a changing Africa.
LibraryThing member etxgardener
Alexandra Fuller's first book, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonifht focused on her own experiences growing up in Africa during its turbulent transition from colonial dependency to independence. In that book, her parents, at least to me, did not come off in the most attractive light. They seemed to be
Nicola huntingford, while born in Scotland during World War II, spent most of her childhood and young adult life in colonial Kenya. While she did not have a lot of formal education, she was smart and largely self-taught in farming. birding and the many skills necessary to srurvive on the African veldt. She was also an excellent horsewoman, a resourceful woman (probably absolutely necessary for living in Africa), full of high spirits and incredibly brave whether or not you approve of her principles. A quote from early on in the book seems to sum her up. Outfitting her two daughters for a fancy dress children's party in Rhodesia during the bush war for African independence, Nicola does a mental check list before walking out the door: "Bullets, lipstick, sunglasses. Off we go. Come on, Bobo, quick march."
This intrepid woman marries fellow ex-pat Tim Fuller in 1964 and embarks on a life, first in Kenya and then in Rhodesia, Malawi, and finally in Zambia, trying to make a living farming from the inhospitable conditions in sub-Sahara Africa. Along the way there is lots of liquor, plenty of laughs, but also danger (all those guerilla wars) and the heartbreak of losing three children, the last of which almost causes her to give in to total madness.
Ms Fuller also clearly loves Africa, and probably in some ways mourns a way of life that has utterly vanished. Her descriptions of the land with it's people, animals and distinctlive odors are compellling. However, she always looks at Africa and her parents with clear-eyed honesty. While acknoweldging their failures and foibles, she also loves them dearly, which is what makes this book such a joy to read that one hates to see it end.
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typical colonialists, clinging to the old ways of oppressing the African majority while trying to maintain all their old privleges. In this latest book, however, Ms. Fuller turns her focus on her parents, in particular her mother, and this time they are shown in a much more attractive light.Nicola huntingford, while born in Scotland during World War II, spent most of her childhood and young adult life in colonial Kenya. While she did not have a lot of formal education, she was smart and largely self-taught in farming. birding and the many skills necessary to srurvive on the African veldt. She was also an excellent horsewoman, a resourceful woman (probably absolutely necessary for living in Africa), full of high spirits and incredibly brave whether or not you approve of her principles. A quote from early on in the book seems to sum her up. Outfitting her two daughters for a fancy dress children's party in Rhodesia during the bush war for African independence, Nicola does a mental check list before walking out the door: "Bullets, lipstick, sunglasses. Off we go. Come on, Bobo, quick march."
This intrepid woman marries fellow ex-pat Tim Fuller in 1964 and embarks on a life, first in Kenya and then in Rhodesia, Malawi, and finally in Zambia, trying to make a living farming from the inhospitable conditions in sub-Sahara Africa. Along the way there is lots of liquor, plenty of laughs, but also danger (all those guerilla wars) and the heartbreak of losing three children, the last of which almost causes her to give in to total madness.
Ms Fuller also clearly loves Africa, and probably in some ways mourns a way of life that has utterly vanished. Her descriptions of the land with it's people, animals and distinctlive odors are compellling. However, she always looks at Africa and her parents with clear-eyed honesty. While acknoweldging their failures and foibles, she also loves them dearly, which is what makes this book such a joy to read that one hates to see it end.
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LibraryThing member whitreidtan
Bobo has written another AWFUL BOOK. Huzzah! Huzzah! Now before you think I am condemning this long awaited follow-up prequel/sequel to her memoir Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, you should know that this is in fact how her family refers to her fantastic first book. Cocktail Hour Under the Tree
Nicola Fuller grew up in Kenya while Britain was still ascendant on the African continent and her attitudes were shaped by life under a ruling minority. She is a fascinating, expansive, extravagant, over the top personality who shines as the emotional center of this book. With insight from her mother and extensive, casual interviews over cocktails under African sunsets, Fuller tells of her mother's childhood, young adulthood, charmed early life with Fuller's father, and the increasingly dangerous times and tragedies they survived. While this sequel does cover some of the same ground as her first memoir, it adds a whole new dimension to both Tim and Nicola Fuller, painting them more sympathetically than they were previously portrayed. And given the love that shines out from the pages of this book, this portrayal is probably the more accurate.
Woven throughout the tales of her mother's life, are events of great historical significance. These forays into modern African history never come off as dry but instead as shaping the everyday life and tragedies of everyone around them, not excluding the Fullers themselves. Fuller does not whitewash the colonial sympathizing sentiment with which she grew up. She details the atrocities of a war that touched many people she knew and that constrained her own childhood. The acknowledgement that the African continent and the countries on it are complicated is a constant subtext. Nicola Fuller is also complicated, full of contradictions, and enduring just like the land she so loves.
This memoir/biography is really a love story on many levels: the Fullers' love for Africa, Bobo's love for her mother, and Nicola's and Tim's steady love for each other. It is enchanting and funny, heartbreaking and nostalgic, a tale acknowledging and mourning the past but content to move into the future complete with cocktails served under the tree of forgetfulness (an actual tree on the banana and fish farm where Nicola and Tim live now). A lushly gorgeous rendering of a specific time and place, this was a charming, intimate, and delightful read.
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of Forgetfulness is a worthy successor to her first critically acclaimed memoir. Knowing I had this book coming up on my list for review, I hurried to read Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight about Fuller's African childhood because I am completely and totally compulsive about reading things in order (and I had owned the first book, unread, for well over a decade). Less obsessed readers do not need to do so though as this tale, centered around Fuller's dramatic and entertaining mother Nicola Fuller, easily stands on its own. Nicola Fuller grew up in Kenya while Britain was still ascendant on the African continent and her attitudes were shaped by life under a ruling minority. She is a fascinating, expansive, extravagant, over the top personality who shines as the emotional center of this book. With insight from her mother and extensive, casual interviews over cocktails under African sunsets, Fuller tells of her mother's childhood, young adulthood, charmed early life with Fuller's father, and the increasingly dangerous times and tragedies they survived. While this sequel does cover some of the same ground as her first memoir, it adds a whole new dimension to both Tim and Nicola Fuller, painting them more sympathetically than they were previously portrayed. And given the love that shines out from the pages of this book, this portrayal is probably the more accurate.
Woven throughout the tales of her mother's life, are events of great historical significance. These forays into modern African history never come off as dry but instead as shaping the everyday life and tragedies of everyone around them, not excluding the Fullers themselves. Fuller does not whitewash the colonial sympathizing sentiment with which she grew up. She details the atrocities of a war that touched many people she knew and that constrained her own childhood. The acknowledgement that the African continent and the countries on it are complicated is a constant subtext. Nicola Fuller is also complicated, full of contradictions, and enduring just like the land she so loves.
This memoir/biography is really a love story on many levels: the Fullers' love for Africa, Bobo's love for her mother, and Nicola's and Tim's steady love for each other. It is enchanting and funny, heartbreaking and nostalgic, a tale acknowledging and mourning the past but content to move into the future complete with cocktails served under the tree of forgetfulness (an actual tree on the banana and fish farm where Nicola and Tim live now). A lushly gorgeous rendering of a specific time and place, this was a charming, intimate, and delightful read.
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LibraryThing member BillPilgrim
I also read and greatly enjoyed Fuller's first memoir, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, which is mostly about her childhood growing up in Rhodesia at the end of its colonial rule. This book is about her parent's lives, mostly her mother's. Or, at least, her mother is the greater source of
Her mother refers to the first memoir as That Awful Book, and while the author is talking to her parents about their lives, her mother is frequently telling her that this something she can put into another Awful Book. We hear about her mother's childhood in Kenya, a brief stay in England where she attended a secretarial school (Mrs. Hoster's College for Young Ladies), meeting her husband at the airport when returning to Kenya, and then their life together, in Kenya, England, Rhodesia, and eventually Zambia. It was a life full of hardships and heartaches. Her mother struggled with depression (and was apparently bi-polar), but made it through. It is all told with good humor.
This book is a very quick read (easily accomplished in a weekend)
and quite enjoyable. It is told with good humor. The atrocities that were committed by the Europeans against the Africans are not overlooked or minimized. In the waning days of colonialism, many white settlers left realizing that their way of life would be ending. The Fullers did not leave. To do so would have been cowardly and traitorous. They loved the the land, and stayed in Africa to make a life for themselves after the end of white rule.
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material for the book. As was "Don't Let's Go" this book also is fascinating and well written. Her mother refers to the first memoir as That Awful Book, and while the author is talking to her parents about their lives, her mother is frequently telling her that this something she can put into another Awful Book. We hear about her mother's childhood in Kenya, a brief stay in England where she attended a secretarial school (Mrs. Hoster's College for Young Ladies), meeting her husband at the airport when returning to Kenya, and then their life together, in Kenya, England, Rhodesia, and eventually Zambia. It was a life full of hardships and heartaches. Her mother struggled with depression (and was apparently bi-polar), but made it through. It is all told with good humor.
This book is a very quick read (easily accomplished in a weekend)
and quite enjoyable. It is told with good humor. The atrocities that were committed by the Europeans against the Africans are not overlooked or minimized. In the waning days of colonialism, many white settlers left realizing that their way of life would be ending. The Fullers did not leave. To do so would have been cowardly and traitorous. They loved the the land, and stayed in Africa to make a life for themselves after the end of white rule.
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LibraryThing member LivelyLady
Slow start to this eventually engaging rememberance of the author's parents and her life in Rhodesia. After I got into the pattern of how it was told, I could concentrate on the characters who were mainly her mother and father. This author also wrote LET'S NOT GO TO THE DOGS TONIGHT.
LibraryThing member LynnB
I read Ms. Fuller's previous memoir, Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight twice. It grabbed me -- fine writing, great story, learning about life in colonial Africa. It also left me with a sense of unease. I didn't understand why parents Nicola and Tim would stay in a country they weren't born in,
In Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness, Ms. Fuller examines her parents' lives (mainly her mother's) with the same compelling, witty writing style that grabbed me once again. And this "back story" really rounded out the first book for me. By bringing her parents into focus, she has deepened the story of her own life. We see people deeply committed, not to their entitlements, but to the land and occupation they dearly love.
If you read Don't Let's Go..., you must read Cocktail Hour..., whether you liked the first book or not! Either way, it will enrich your understanding of white people's life in Africa at the end of colonialism, and your appreciation for families who love each other no matter what.
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thereby putting their children in so much danger. The photo of five year old Alexandra reassembling her father's shot gun haunts me still.In Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness, Ms. Fuller examines her parents' lives (mainly her mother's) with the same compelling, witty writing style that grabbed me once again. And this "back story" really rounded out the first book for me. By bringing her parents into focus, she has deepened the story of her own life. We see people deeply committed, not to their entitlements, but to the land and occupation they dearly love.
If you read Don't Let's Go..., you must read Cocktail Hour..., whether you liked the first book or not! Either way, it will enrich your understanding of white people's life in Africa at the end of colonialism, and your appreciation for families who love each other no matter what.
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LibraryThing member ashmolean1
Brilliant book that grabs you from the beginning and wont let you go. Read in one day.
LibraryThing member Alie
I really enjoyed "Cocktail Hour" even though I haven't read Fuller's other book. I feel like I walked away learning a lot about Africa during British colonialism, in addition to a great story full of laughter and heartache. Now I'm interested to read Fuller's other book because this one was so
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intriguing. Overall, a very good read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Panopticon2
I picked up this book after hearing the author being interviewed on CBC Radio's "Dispatches", about her childhood in Africa during the dying days of British colonialism. However, this book serves as a biography of her mother, a British woman born and raised in colonial Kenya. It's a grippingly
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well-written portrait of a vanished world. To her credit, the author doesn't shy away from depicting her parents' casual racism and unerring belief that white British rule was good for Africa (to the point that they took up farming in Rhodesia and supported the white-led government of Ian Smith). In the end, her mother paid dearly for such calcified views - as a direct result of her refusal to leave Rhodesia and the life her family had carved out for itself there, three of her children died in infancy. There's a lot of grief, stubbornness and struggle in this story, but joy and laughter as well. I really enjoyed it. Show Less
LibraryThing member bobbieharv
I LOVED Don't Let's Go To the Dogs Tonight and I LOVED this just as much. My only caveat is that it seemed to be written for Fuller's mother, to make up for what her mother called That Awful Book. Even so, it seemed as candid and honest as the first book: not pulling any punches, but adding depth
Fuller is an amazing writer.
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to her mother's life so that we (and Fuller as well, presumably) understand her better and appreciate the person she became, after all the tragedies in her life.Fuller is an amazing writer.
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LibraryThing member mahallett
i found the early part tedious but i continued and it improved. complex portrait of parents who love africa and are thus in conflict with black africans. i'm sure all original people hate colonizers. but those days are past. are colonizers actually as corrupt as original politicians? we could all
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learn from each other. i don't believe that all the problems in africa come from colonization. Show Less
LibraryThing member readyreader
Another mesmerizing memoir from Ms. Fuller. Her courageous and persevering parents certainly endured more than their share of sadness and hardship. Having just finished reading Peter Godwin's "The Fear, Robert Mugabe and the Downfall of Zimbabwe," I am wondering how the Fullers escaped the
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persecution of Mugabe and his thugs. Ms. Fuller's writing is very lyrical, almost poetic in some cases and I look forward to her next book. Show Less
LibraryThing member quirkylibrarian
The companion memoir to Don't Lets go to the Dogs Tonight, author Alexandra Fuller delves into her mother's life. This "fierce, splendid" woman figured prominently and reluctantly in the first book and here we see how she became so. Fuller's matter-of-fact, unapologetic writing style flows quickly
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and draws the reader in with her vivid recollections of life in Africa. Recommended Show Less
LibraryThing member MelissaMcB
I had a hard time rating this one. I think if I had only read this and not her first, Let's Not Go to the Dogs Tonight, I would have rated it higher. I love her writing and the stories, but a lot of it was a repeat of her first book. She expanded on some things, but I felt like I paid twice for the
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same thing. Show Less
LibraryThing member DowntownLibrarian
Life in colonial Africa, and after it was no longer colonial. Insightful, revelatory, and funny.
LibraryThing member lynndp
(Borrowing heavily from the book jacket) Cocktails Under The Tree of Forgetfulness is a daughter's telling of her mother's life from her birth in Scotland in 1944 through her adventures in Central Africa ending in 2010 during the author's extended visit to Zambia to spend time with her inimitable
There are several themes
- the probable mental illness of Nicola (manic-depression) in spite of which she recovers and continues to care for her family through the tragic death of three small children
- her parents love of Africa, "the warmth and freedom, the real open spaces, the wild animals, the sky at night as well as their acceptance of the extension of colonialism into apartheid by the Ian Smith-led government of Rhodesia. Along with 250,00 white Rhodesians "they were unwilling or disinclined to question the government policy that gave them preferential treatment over six million blacks, instead preferring to believe that theirs was a just and justifiable life of privilege."
- the cruelty of the war over apartheid, both for the blacks and for the sacrifices made by the white population who wanted only to live out their lives on the frontiers of Africa. I had not heard of the biological aspects of the war against the blacks - injecting cans of food with thallium, salting the river water with cholera and warfarin, and the intentional anthrax poisoning with anthrax of over 10 thousand men, women and children living in the Tribal Trust lands.
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parents, the self-styled "Nicola Fuller of Central Africa" aka Mum or Tub to her husband, the author's father Timothy Fuller, aka Dad. BTW, Dad seems to be the only family member to escape a potentially embarrassing nickname according to the List of Main Characters. (I'd need to reread to confirm this.)There are several themes
- the probable mental illness of Nicola (manic-depression) in spite of which she recovers and continues to care for her family through the tragic death of three small children
- her parents love of Africa, "the warmth and freedom, the real open spaces, the wild animals, the sky at night as well as their acceptance of the extension of colonialism into apartheid by the Ian Smith-led government of Rhodesia. Along with 250,00 white Rhodesians "they were unwilling or disinclined to question the government policy that gave them preferential treatment over six million blacks, instead preferring to believe that theirs was a just and justifiable life of privilege."
- the cruelty of the war over apartheid, both for the blacks and for the sacrifices made by the white population who wanted only to live out their lives on the frontiers of Africa. I had not heard of the biological aspects of the war against the blacks - injecting cans of food with thallium, salting the river water with cholera and warfarin, and the intentional anthrax poisoning with anthrax of over 10 thousand men, women and children living in the Tribal Trust lands.
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LibraryThing member jpe9
I read this together with her previous memoir, "Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight," and I enjoyed thinking about how these two books overlap (quite a lot) and how they differ. The earlier one centers on the life of the author herself, with her mother as a strong presence. The later book centers on
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her mother, and to a lesser extent, her father. Both books give an interesting perspective (that of the well-lubricated retreating colonizers) on central African history of the 20th century. The first book is more even in quality. The second book has a few annoying tics (sorry, I thought the repeated use of the phrase "two million percent" was tiresome), but it has some really great passages that more than make up for the tics. Show Less
LibraryThing member sushitori
Overall, nice tales out of Africa, complete with a crazy family and wild adventures featuring a very resilient bunch of colonists. Not knowing much about the history of the African continent made it a little hard to follow since the family moved around through so many African countries. The lack of
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a timeline also made it a little confusing. Show Less
LibraryThing member LibraryCin
3.5 stars
Alexandra Fuller is writing primarily about her mother's life, but also a bit about her father's in this book. Her mother, Nicola, was born in Scotland, but lived most of her life in Central Africa. Nicola loved to sing and enjoyed drinking, but was prone to depression at times.
I enjoyed
Alexandra Fuller is writing primarily about her mother's life, but also a bit about her father's in this book. Her mother, Nicola, was born in Scotland, but lived most of her life in Central Africa. Nicola loved to sing and enjoyed drinking, but was prone to depression at times.
I enjoyed
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this. In addition to the biography itself, it was interesting to learn a little bit about what was going on in Africa at the time. It's quite short and fast to read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Sovranty
First book I've read by this author, and can't say I'll be seeking out another. It was testing to following and didn't really seem to have a point. There were a few funny parts; however, these could have just as easily been short stories as opposed to being a detail within this memoir. While there
The war over apartheid and historical commentary on the political state of Africa in its entirety serves more as a reason for the family's many moves than significantly informational. The importance and the struggle of this time frame come off as being grossly underwhelmed as Alexandra Fuller focuses on her parents' lack of reaction, to the point of offense at times. Denying and downplaying the significance does not better the situation; but then again, many people have similar coping mechanisms. It is almost like the historical bits are asides, a less important factor to the life and attitude of focused character (the matriarchal "Nicola Fuller of Central Africa"). Perhaps this is the definition of a memoir and why I don't read very many.
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is an illusion of chronology, the bird-walks into memories get confusing and end abruptly.The war over apartheid and historical commentary on the political state of Africa in its entirety serves more as a reason for the family's many moves than significantly informational. The importance and the struggle of this time frame come off as being grossly underwhelmed as Alexandra Fuller focuses on her parents' lack of reaction, to the point of offense at times. Denying and downplaying the significance does not better the situation; but then again, many people have similar coping mechanisms. It is almost like the historical bits are asides, a less important factor to the life and attitude of focused character (the matriarchal "Nicola Fuller of Central Africa"). Perhaps this is the definition of a memoir and why I don't read very many.
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LibraryThing member Ameise1
This was an enjoyable reading. I liked the very personal insight of Fuller's family history, especially that of her mother, and their view of some African political events which were told in the world press differently. These very personal memories make this story so diversified and interesting.
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It's amazing how Nicola Fuller always found a way back to life even though with all those tragic moments she escaped into her own world. I admire her strength for every comeback. There were parts which made me reflective but there were parts I had to laugh out loud. Show Less
LibraryThing member bugs5
Pretty good book but not as good as the first. It is best to read her first book before reading this one.
LibraryThing member roses7184
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness is a gorgeously written memoir about Alexandra Fuller's life. I had no idea when I first picked this up that this was a continuation of her story, but I can say that reading this has sparked an interest in me to go pick up the first book! The way that
From the beautiful Isle of Skye in Scotland, to the vibrant and lush lands of East Africa, the reader is taken on a journey through Nicola Fuller's childhood and beyond. Alexandra Fuller treats her mother's story as something exotic, but funny at the same time. There were moments that had me giggling out loud, especially as Nicola Fuller is so unabashed about her point of view on things. She says such things as "Here's to us. There's none like us, and if there were, they're all dead."
This book is beautifully written. It swells with wonderful descriptions of the African landscapes and the people who live there. Fuller even goes so far as to incorporate some history lessons on the many wars that have taken place in these areas, since her family grew up in the middle of them. One of my favorite stories was of a "fancy dress party" where Nicola Fuller grabs her girls, grabs her automatic weapon, and packs them off to a party. Unfortunately poor Alexandra doesn't fit in the front (due to her too large costume) and later reflects on how, had they hit a land mine, she wouldn't have been able to tell this story today. Tongue in cheek is the best way to describe Fuller's tone, and I adored it.
Suffice it say that Nicola Fuller is one of those larger than life people who demand the spotlight, and her daughter gives it to her in this gorgeously written memoir. If you were a fan of Don't Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight I am sure you'll find more of the same here, or so I've gushingly been told my numerous people. If you haven't yet had a foray into the life of the Fullers, I'd suggest reading the title above first, then this one. It can definitely be read standalone but then you'll be left like me. Wanting more, and on a search for the first book.
Highly recommended! I give this memoir my gold seal of approval, and my readers know I generally don't read them much. Pick up a copy, and prepare to be swept away into Nicola Fuller's terrifying and exotic life.
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Alexandra Fuller writes about her family is so wonderfully vivid that it draws your right in. If it wasn't for the fact that I knew this was a memoir, I could almost believe that Fuller's life was fiction. That's how amazing her memoir really is.From the beautiful Isle of Skye in Scotland, to the vibrant and lush lands of East Africa, the reader is taken on a journey through Nicola Fuller's childhood and beyond. Alexandra Fuller treats her mother's story as something exotic, but funny at the same time. There were moments that had me giggling out loud, especially as Nicola Fuller is so unabashed about her point of view on things. She says such things as "Here's to us. There's none like us, and if there were, they're all dead."
This book is beautifully written. It swells with wonderful descriptions of the African landscapes and the people who live there. Fuller even goes so far as to incorporate some history lessons on the many wars that have taken place in these areas, since her family grew up in the middle of them. One of my favorite stories was of a "fancy dress party" where Nicola Fuller grabs her girls, grabs her automatic weapon, and packs them off to a party. Unfortunately poor Alexandra doesn't fit in the front (due to her too large costume) and later reflects on how, had they hit a land mine, she wouldn't have been able to tell this story today. Tongue in cheek is the best way to describe Fuller's tone, and I adored it.
Suffice it say that Nicola Fuller is one of those larger than life people who demand the spotlight, and her daughter gives it to her in this gorgeously written memoir. If you were a fan of Don't Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight I am sure you'll find more of the same here, or so I've gushingly been told my numerous people. If you haven't yet had a foray into the life of the Fullers, I'd suggest reading the title above first, then this one. It can definitely be read standalone but then you'll be left like me. Wanting more, and on a search for the first book.
Highly recommended! I give this memoir my gold seal of approval, and my readers know I generally don't read them much. Pick up a copy, and prepare to be swept away into Nicola Fuller's terrifying and exotic life.
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LibraryThing member amandanan
Excellent memoir of growing up and trying to thrive in Africa. Makes me long for an adventure and is a fantastic example of resilience.
Call number
FIC J Ful