The Belly of the Atlantic

One of the best book i have read. Could not put it down. When sadness is told to in a way you smile when reading.

Full of lush, lyrical language, philosophical sayings and descriptions of village life on the island of Niodior off the coast of Senegal, the novel is fairly short but manages to cover a lot of ground. Narrated by Salie, a native of Niodior living in Paris, it covers themes of individualism vs. collective identity, gender roles, the impact of colonization, and identity. Also addressed are the role of Islam in the community of Niodior, especially on gender roles and the identity of women. This is a worthwhile journey through the two different worlds that Salie moves between as well as her own inner journey toward finding an identity of her own.

Arrived quickly, as described.

Love it

Stunning novel, beautifully written and translated, Diome's work chronicles the struggles of existing between two cultures. The language is poetic and poignant as she takes the reader through the narrator's relationship with both France and Senegal. Consigned to reporting soccer scores and game details to her younger brother in Senegal, the main character hopes to deter her brother from finagling his way to France to live his fantasy as a pro soccer player. Belonging to neither Senegalese or French culture, the older sister attempts to protect her younger sibling from the disillusionment, lack of conventional identity and societal expectations she has faced.

reason fior reading: anyone interested in west Africa and the immigrant experience the author shows the travais of those leaving their native country and emigrating to france

I ended up wanting to like this book a lot more than I actually did. It was a good cultural study of a country that I know next to nothing about. Simply reading this gives a hint of the lives of the people there; of course I had to do more research to understand the relationship between France and Senegal that's so talked about throughout the novel. Some of the important themes include colonization and the aftereffects of separating from the overpowering country. These are things that I know people around me don't think affect countries today. We're so absorbed in our little bubble that we barely think about how other cultures continue to experience oppression every day simply because they grow up believing that another culture is so much better than them. Salie was a good character but I feel like most of the people in this narrative were flat. This felt less like a story that had a beginning and end than a snapshot of their lives. While that is not necessarily bad, because I feel like it was well-written, it began to lose my interest. This may have also been because I have no real interest in reading about football or football matches, even if I might enjoy seeing them in real life. I did like how wonderfully the village life was described, contrasting the lives of immigrants who live in France. I also liked hearing about the different perspectives each character had on France or Senegal's place within the world. While I'd recommend this book to people who are looking to expand their reading or learn about other countries, I think that there might be better novels out there. I haven't experienced them for myself yet and obviously no book like that has entered the mainstream.

Great book!