Greetings you guys! Not only is it Friday, but it’s also holidays for my Mommy. Hooray! Here’s to hoping this short break there will be lots of time for reading and blogging. The last 3 holidays have been filled with renovations and anyone who has ever tried renovating, will know – reading is the least and the last of your concerns.
To get us in the mood for reading, we are busy with a readalong with a few of our fellow South African bloggers and Instagrammers. Seeing that tomorrow is heritage day here in SA, it’s just fitting that we read a South African Book. Our book of choice is a strong read with tales from South African women who refuse to be erased by the circumstances that render them invisible.
Things my Mother Left Me by Pulane Mlilo Mpondo on January 2022
Genres: Short Stories
Pages: 313
Format: Paperback
Source: Black Bird Books
Goodreads
‘We are the source, us, its children, daughters of the sun, the soil and the stars.’ I turn and look at her, convinced that my sister has lost her entire mind. ‘The magic of the earth, its heartbeat, its molten iron, it burns in us, we carry it in our wombs and wear it on our skin and hair. The very pulse of the earth is in us, and that is what they want. That is what they offer to the serpent and in exchange it satisfies their flesh and gives them whatever they desire.’ I stare at her, looking for the place where her madness may have left a sign, but find nothing, only my sister with the eyes I have known my whole life.”
Things My Mother Left Me is an anthology of three short stories and two novellas, which explore the ways in which the traumas of our mothers are inherited by and transferred through their daughters.
The story plots themselves are connected by thread of their genealogy and serve to illustrate the similarities and vast differences passed on through the generations.In each story, the main characters battle with and challenge various structural abuses such as rape, gender- based violence, class, parenting in unsafe environments, and the burden of complexion .
Mpondo guides the reader through each characters’ courageous navigation of their own experiences with limited resources and support, with only their will to survive to carry them. Each story addresses the vast experiences of a woman’s body and highlight the body’s policing while praising its self-defined agency.
We are all reading it together and read a couple of chapters a day. We then share our thoughts on Instagram, Twitter and whatever other social media sites we see fit. We aren’t very fit overall, but at least we are taking part. Let’s quickly go and say hi to @ Reading is my Super Power for First Line Friday and to Gilion @ Rose City Reader for Book Beginnings. Every Friday you can link up and share the first sentence of your current read (or the one you plan to devour over the weekend), as well as your initial thoughts and impressions.
Where are the children, where are my babies. I can’t find them, I can’t see through all the grey, it blinds me, it chokes me. I must find my babies, I can’t leave them behind in this grey that fills my home. The stench of petrol soaks everything. The fire is climbing up my mother’s maroon curtains, I have to take them down, they are all I have of her beside a pocket-sized Bible and my complexion.
A horrible position this sisi finds herself in. Even more horrible is that this is a reality thousands of women in South Africa find themselves in every day.
Our next stop will be to Freda’s Voice who hosts the Friday 56. Don’t show up empty handed though!
Grab a book (Yes, any book. But it might get you to your other Friday activities a bit quicker if you just grab the book you are currently reading)- Turn to page 56 or 56% on your e-reader
- Find a sentence or two (your other Friday activities might determine this)
- Post it!
- Remember to post your link on Freda’s Voice and to visit the other guys in the linky.
- And last but not least, don’t forget to list the title of the book and the author as well.
Our book actually don’t have a page 56, but page 54/55 reveals a few chills up your back:
Finally, it’s all over. Everything is buried as it should be.
The ringing phone brings me back to the room I am standing in. It’s too late for anyone to be calling at this hour.
“Lindelwa, it’s Mlambo.” “Mlambo?” “Yes, Mlambo. He is wandering about outside calling for you. He says he needs his eyes for the place he is going. He keeps asking where you have buried them.”
Creepy…. If you want to follow this readalong, you can find us on Instagram #thingsmymotherleftmereadalong
What are you reading this weekend? I'm still busy with the #thingsmymotherleftmereadalong - a powerful read by the talented Pulane Mlilo Mpondo @mlilo.mpondo. #weekendreading #sareaders Click To Tweet
For our next stop today, we will link with The Book Blogger Hop. The Book Blogger’s hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog. Every week, there will be a prompt featuring a book related question. It’s hosted by Ramblings of a coffee addicted writer and I guess he hops around like a bunny due to all the caffeine. Hence his name.
Long before my Mommy was married and became the proud parent of four legged kids and having a full-time job, she had loads of time to reread books. When she was at school, there was this Afrikaans series that she would read every single December holidays. Twelve books in the series and you would have thought by year 5 she would be fed-up. Nope, like clockwork. When December holidays start, she starts reading Die Keurboslaan series. Gosh, she loved it. This set belonged to her aunt and when she passed, it came to Mommy. She is very happy to have it on the shelf. Not sure if she will actually reread it this December holidays though – we already have a whole list of fun holiday reads to get through.
That sounds like an intense read. That’s wonderful that you have a favorite series that belonged to your aunt. Books are even better if they came from someone special.
That is very true Katherine! I have a few books from my aunt and my parents and they are all very dear to me.
Things my Mother Left Me is an intense read and a difficult book to explain. I will have to think on it carefully when I review it.
I have never re-read a book.
I focus on the new ones coming out. 🙂
Hi Elzabeth!
I used to love rereading books and hope there will come a time again where I will have ample time to read my favorites again!
Have a great week and thanks so much for the visit!
You are welcome.
I hope you can re-read your favorites too.
I love rereading books. I’m currently reading An Abduction Cold Case by Connie Queen and the first line is: “Kennedy Wells slammed on the brakes of her Mini Cooper as she looked out the driver’s-side window and squinted toward the dense woods.” Happy Weekend!
Hi Danielle!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your opening lines. If you are still busy with your book, I do hope you are still enjoying it!
My first line comes from As Secret as the Night by Danielle Grandinetti:
December 6, 1933. Chicago
Lucia Critelli lowered her head against the bitter wind that raced the cars down the city street.
Thanks for sharing Paula!
I bet you need tissues for this read!!! Sounds powerful! Happy weekend!
Hi Freda!
Actually, this book is a bit more frightful than sad! Something completely different and I hope I can do it justice when I need to review it.
Have a good week!
I’m glad you and fellow SA bloggers are reading something to celebrate Heritage Day. I wish we had something like that in the US so people would choose to read books about or by diverse authors.
Life does certainly put a damper on not only rereading, but reading as well. As evidenced by your renovation. There are so many new books out there just waiting to be read that I completely understand why some readers choose not to reread.
Thanks for commenting on my post. Sorry it took me a day to respond.
Oh Jenni! No need to apologize! If I manage to reply within a week, I actually feel quite proud of myself! LOL!!!
We are enjoying our readalong a lot and we are quite a diverse group of readers as well! That makes it even better.
I hope you will have a wonderful week ahead!
I hope you enjoy your readalong! I used to reread books a lot, but I just haven’t had the time lately. I used to read Dracula every year, but it’s been a while since I’ve done that. I’ve been craving that book, so I’m hoping to get to it again soon. Hope you have a great weekend! 😀
Hi Ashley! I have actually only read Dracula once and that on Librivox. I hope you will get some time to reread it sometime soon!
Wow, Things my Mother Left Me sounds so emotional and inspiring too. I’ve heard of generational trauma, and it’s something I need to learn more about.
Like you, I used to re-read more often, but not much anymore as there are so many new books to read.
Hi Wendy!
Things my mother left me is heavy read and filled with the South Africa I know nothing about. I find it fascinating!
I want to read the latest Robert Galbraith, but then I will have to reread the previous one to get up to speed again. So I reread might be in the pipeline for me!
My first line is coming from Where Grace Appears by Heidi Chiavaroli.
“The nature of secrets is that they long to be kept and long to be told all at the same time.”https://www.musingsofasassybookishmama.com/2022/09/first-line-friday-where-grace-appears.html
Hi there Kelly!
That opening sentence is a very true statement indeed. Thanks for sharing!
I’m finishing up In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore. It’s a really good book!
“The day had begun early with masses of people arriving at the Windsor Castle grounds. From [Louise’s] window’s viewpoint, the crowds extended as far as she could see.”
I hope you have a great weekend!
Hi there Nicole!
That opening line sounds really good, I’m going to take a look. Thanks for sharing!
I hope you have a great holiday!
Your Friday book sounds really good.
Have a great week!
I am so looking forward to holiday where I can just read and spend some time playing around on the blog again.
Have a good weekend Yvonne!
I hope you enjoy your read-along and have a fabulous holiday weekend! I am not much of a re-reader, but did reread The Buy-In by Emma St. Clair before reading the second book, The Bluff, earlier this year 🙂
Oh that I understand perfectly! If you haven’t read a series in a long time and want to start with the second one…. I really want to read the latest Robert Galbraith, but I haven’t read the previous one and the one before that, is like two years ago. Maybe more! So that means it’s three books I will have to read in succession. And it’s not as if they aren’t 700 – 800 pages….
Thanks Cindy! Hope you will have a great weekend as well.
What a fun and lovely way to celebrate reading as you prepare for your Heritage Day. Heartbreaking snippets.
Heritage day used to be much bigger than what it is lately, but at least I see a couple of people putting in the effort!
Have a good weekend.
Happy reading!
Thanks Lauren!
A read along sounds like great fun. It sounds like an interesting book from the quote!
I hope that the renovations are going well. I will be honest and say that we moved into a house that had only just been decorated so the most we have done is painted a couple of rooms (and when I say we, we paid my dad to do the bigger room downstairs…)
I love the history behind your re reads. How lovely to have family books.
Have a great weekend!
Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog
My post:
https://budgettalesblog.wordpress.com/2022/09/23/book-blogger-hop-have-you-ever-reread-a-book-if-so-why-did-you-decide-to-reread-it/
Hi there Emily! We’ve been renovating on and off for the past 5 years and I really hope we are done with it now.
I love playing around in my house and I’m always busy with new ideas and things. But this holiday, I just want to read and do crafts and no decorating at all.