One World: A global anthology of short stories [Paperback]

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Author), Jhumpa Lahiri (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2009

This book is made up of twenty-three stories, each from a different author from across the globe. All belong to one world, united in their diversity and ethnicity. And together they have one aim: to involve and move the reader.

The range of authors takes in such literary greats as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Jhumpa Lahiri, and emerging authors such as Elaine Chiew, Petina Gappah, and Henrietta Rose-Innes.

The members of the collective are:

Elaine Chiew (Malaysia)
Molara Wood (Nigeria)
Jhumpa Lahiri (United States)
Martin A Ramos (Puerto Rico)
Lauri Kubutsile (Botswana)
Chika Unigwe (Nigeria)
Ravi Mangla (United States)
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria)
Skye Brannon (United States)
Jude Dibia (Nigeria)
Shabnam Nadiya (Bangladesh)
Petina Gappah (Zimbabwe)
Ivan Gabirel Reborek (Australia)
Vanessa Gebbie (Britain)
Emmanual Dipita Kwa (Cameroon)
Henrietta Rose-Innes (South Africa)
Lucinda Nelson Dhavan (India)
Adetokunbo Abiola (Nigeria)
Wadzanai Mhute (Zimbabwe)
Konstantinos Tzikas (Greece)
Ken Kamoche (Kenya)
Sequoia Nagamatsu (United States)
Ovo Adagha (Nigeria)

From the Introduction:

The concept of One World is often a multi-colored tapestry into which
sundry, if not contending patterns can be woven. for those of us who worked
on  this  project, ‘One World’ goes beyond the everyday notion of the globe
as a physical geographic entity. Rather, we understand it as a universal idea,
one that transcends national boundaries to comment on the most prevailing
aspects of the human condition.

This attempt to redefine the borders of the world we live in through the
short story recognizes the many conflicting issues of race, language, economy,
gender and ethnicity, which separate and limit us. We readily acknowledge,
however, that regardless of our differences or the disparities in our stories, we
are united by our humanity.

We invite the reader on a personal journey across continents, countries,
cultures and landscapes, to reflect on these beautiful, at times chaotic, renditions
on the human experience. We hope the reach of this path will transcend the
borders of each story, and perhaps function as an agent of change.

Welcome to our world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: New Internationalist; 1 edition (May 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1906523134
• ISBN-13: 978-1906523138
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One World: A global anthology of short stories, April 14, 2010

By 

K. S. MCCLEARY (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: One World: A global anthology of short stories (Paperback)

This anthology of short stories written by accomplished writers from around the globe is a compilation of the diverse experiences that people face in their daily lives. While the stories tug at the heart, the writing is thoughtful and provocative, the cultural insight rich, and the authors do an incredible job of transporting the reader to the various countries around the globe where these stories are set. I do not typically review books on Amazon, but felt the one review of this book is unjust in that it does not speak to the power of the stories or the immense amount of intercultural learning one gets out of reading this text.

As a professor of intercultural and comparative education, I plan to use this anthology in future courses as it speaks to realities that many people within Western cultures are not aware of or have not had exposure to. The stories are targeted and each chapter could serve as a basis for a different topic such as immigration and migration, gender and women's issues, poverty and inequality, and development.

Anyone who enjoys the writing of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Jhumpa Lahiri will get a great deal out of this selection of short stories by them and other writers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Short story heaven!!1, March 19, 2011

By 

Kellene Okonkwo "Lit lover" (LA, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: One World: A global anthology of short stories (Paperback)

One World cleary displays the talents of the greatest authors of this century. I enjoyed every single story in this book and was able to expand my list of international authors that I need to add to my library. I promise, if you love short stories you will surely enjoy this book to the max.

4.0 out of 5 stars One World: An Introduction, March 10, 2011

By 

Miss Crispy (Iowa City, IA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: One World: A global anthology of short stories (Paperback)

I felt it necessary to write a review to balance the negative review.

I teach high school literature classes, and I bought this book on a whim because the editor, Chimamnda Ngozi Adichie, is the author of a book I use in class, Purple Hibiscus. I didn't know if I would be able to use any of the short stories, but I tried a couple of them out on my kids this year ("Growing My Hair Again" and "Homeless"). The students responded quite well to them.

Granted, I would not use all of the stories with high school students--some are not appropriate and some are beyond their maturity--but it's a nice book to have on my shelf and to use to broaden the experiences of a bunch of white midwestern kids.

I would not sit down and read the anthology cover to cover (but, really, how many people read an anthology that way anyway?) Doing so would certainly make a person rather depressed, but it is important to see another point of view in the world. It's not all "Chicken Soup for Soul" in the rest of the world.