Reviews by Rosemary (3)

So much has changed

The Year of Facing Fire

I enjoyed reading this book. I felt she concentrated a lot on her situation while her brother was really going through such a dire situation. It struck me how much things have changed. Testing HIV positive was literally death sentence then (and a very hard, cruel death). Today if treatment is compliant, it is the same as any other chronic illness. Life expectancy and quality of life is good. Still strange to me that such enormous strides have been made in the treatment of HIV/AIDS but cancer research is still so far from effective treatment. The book is worth reading especially to empathise with the effect on the rest of the family

Thoroughly enjoyed this book

Water

Jenny has revised the book, I really enjoyed it. I felt her physical affair with her 25 year old neighbour was a bit unnecessary but would recommend this book.

Mixed feelings

The Girl who survived her mother

I have mixed feelings about this book, there is no doubt that the author was cruelly treated by her mother, I cannot help feeling that perhaps the mother had some sort of mental illness and actually needed help herself. The daughter talks about her ongoing therapy for anxiety and depression and mentions that her grandmother was also not caring or maternal. This is unusual in African families. The book is worth reading and easy to read but I cannot really say I thoroughly enjoyed it.