| Mikela's nightmare starts in the open plains of the Tanzanian Massailand where she and her twin sister Nadia experience female circumcision. Nadia dies shortly after and Mikela embarks on a blinded journey to escape a traditional marriage. She ends up in Mombassa where she finds refuge in an elderly lady's (Mama Eshe) home. While in Mombassa, Mikela runs into Francois, a French artist and photographer. She later moves to Nairobi to live in Bela's home, Mama Eshe's daughter. While in Nairobi, Mikela encounters Francois again.
Life in Nairobi is wonderful for only a short while. At the age of fourteen, Bela's husband Chege rapes Mikela, and two years later after a second rape she flees from their home. Now, she seeks out Francois who seems captivated by Mikela's unique artistic blend of Maasai and French renaissance paintings. The emotional scar of female circumcision and rape continue to haunt Mikela even as she meets Alex who falls in love with her; Mikela is unsure about her own emotions. | ||
|
Plot & Themes Tone of book? - very sensitive (sigh) Time/era of story - 1980's-1999 Kids growing up/acting up? Yes Ethnic/Regional/Religion Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book Ethnic/regional/gender life Yes Age group of kid(s) in story: - grade school Parents/lack of parents problem? Woman's story? Yes Main Character Gender - Female Profession/status: Age: - long lived adults Ethnicity/Nationality Main Adversary Identity: - Female Age: - 20's-30's Profession/status: How sensitive is this character? Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters Setting How much descriptions of surroundings? - 8 () Africa Yes Kind of Africa: - Black Africa Misc setting Writing Style Sex in book? Yes What kind of sex: - descript of kissing - touching of anatomy - rape/molest Amount of dialog - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog |
||