Customer Reviews

Powder Necklace: A Novel (Wsp Readers Club)

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Powder Necklace is a debut novel from Ekua Brew-Hammond with a Bildungsroman-ish vibe featuring Lila, a quiet and shy teen living with her divorced, immigrant mother in modern London. Although she is a good student, she is somewhat of an outsider, a bit withdrawn and largely friendless. Her life is turned upside down when her mother misinterprets an innocent encounter as a carnal act of disobedience. Her mother seemingly overreacts by shipping Lila unaccompanied to Ghana the next day.

Lila has a keen eye and it is in these first-person passages where the author excels in the depiction of her experiences with Ghanaian society and tradition. The imagery and voices allowed this American reader to experience culture shock along with Lila during the airport arrival, her aunt's lodgings and hospitality, the boarding school ordeal and all events in between. Within six months, the ever-observant Lila adapts to the ingrained "quid-pro-quo" lifestyle, survives the scarcity of water, endures the torment of enemies, and learns the value of friendship. As quickly as she was dispatched to Africa, her mother then suddenly recalls her to London and upon rebelling there in the worst ways, she is again abruptly whisked away to live with her distant "thrice-a-year phone-calling" father and his family in New York City. At this point, the direction of the novel veers unexpectedly toward evangelical themes when a travel-weary Lila struggles to make sense of her parents' actions, their relationships, the effects their decisions have on her life, and the age-old "why me" question.

At its core, the novel explores issues of identity, dislocation, and belonging as Lila is thrust into differing and difficult situations in the UK (London), Ghana and the USA (New York City). It is in these places and from deep within her heart that she must find her own voice and the inner strength to survive often without the shelter, guidance, and protection of her dysfunctional family. A side note: This novel should probably be marketed or labeled as Young Adult because there were too many unanswered questions, underdeveloped adult characters, and a neatly wrapped ending (which also felt a bit forced and abrupt); however, even from an adult viewpoint, it was still an enlightening and educational story - the boarding school experiences are truly unforgettable. Recommended for all with an interest in cross-cultural experiences featuring a female, coming-of-age, teen protagonist.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO Literary Book Reviews
April 29, 2010

"Everything happens for God's good reason is the cliche my mother has drilled in my head since I was old enough to ask "Why?". This is the first sentence of the novel Powder Necklace and starts the reader off into Lila's world of inconsistency based on her parents, in particular her mother's decisions.

Lila is a London teenager living with her mom. Her parents have been divorced since she was young. Lila's father lives in New York with a new wife and their twin son and daughter. Ghana is the country of origin for Lila's parents. One day Lila's mother finds her in the living room watching television with a boy when no one is supposed to be in the house. Lila's mother sends her to Ghana. Lila's Aunt Irene is able to get her into Dadaba Girls' Secondary School. Lila then goes back from Ghana to London with her mother, then from London to New York with her father, with return trips to London and Ghana.

The title of Powder Necklace comes from Lila's time in Ghana. A powder necklace meant you had bathed - your mother or father had sent you water - but there were girls who had no water that still wore powder necklaces. My interpretation of the girls wearing powder necklaces was that regardless of where you stand in terms of class and money, you can still have pride in yourself and hold your head high no matter what the circumstance.

There are so many things that happen in this coming of age story that you'll have to read it yourself to get the full impact. The author has managed to deal with so many issues in one novel - culture, class, divorce, fate, introspection - in a way that will make you laugh, be sad, or make you reminisce if you're past the teenage years. There's a great reading guide for groups as well as a Q & A with the author at the end. I highly recommend you read this novel, it's one you will think about long after you finish.

I'll tell you why I love Powder Necklace: A Novel (Wsp Readers Club):

*It tells the story of a heroine I'm so proud of -- a sharp, honest young girl making the turbulent journey of adolescence across three continents

*It offers a new perspective on important issues that need fresh examination including:
o the superiority complex Westerners have regarding the so-called
"Third World"
o the effect of single parenthood on girl children in particular
o what it means to grow up American/British/etc when your parents
are trying to raise you as a good African/Jamaican/Trinidadian/etc

*It was written over 6 years of immense professional & spiritual change in my life

*It's my first novel -- my baby!

I loved this book. I stumbled upon it on Facebook one day and knew I had to read it.
As a British born Ghanaian living in the UK, I connected so much with the characters especially Lila. I found the book hilarious and at times sad. The descriptions of Ghana are accurate and the twi even helped me learn some of my mother tongue! I was never bored!
Be careful reading this on public transport. You will have a constant smile on your face! Well done Nana Ekua!

I truly was taken in from page one. The story of Lila, who is of Ghanian descent, but has been raised in London spoke clear of the struggles of origin and culture. By culture she is British, so it is a shock to her system when her Mom, in a fit of anger, sends Lila to Ghana to live with an Aunt for a while. Lila struggles to fit in at her Ghanian boarding school. She sticks out like a sore thumb and struggles with daily tasks that her cohort members have been performing for years as they grew up in Ghana. Lila begins to make a life for her self and then is abruptly brought back to London only to struggle to reassert herself in the life that has become a little bit foreign to her, as she also tries to reform her bond with her mother. Lila again faces a major crisis of culture and origin when she is sent to the U.S. to spend a summer with a father she only knows based on sometimes monthly phone calls. The novel is rich in is character development as well as it is descriptions of the places and peoples of three distinct countries/cultures. I definitely hope this author writes more novels!!!

This book is a unique piece of modern literature. Weaving the experiences of a young girl in her quest to understand her identity in three distinct worlds, Powder Necklace takes you on a beautiful journey. Nana Brew-Hammond's voice is clever, lyrical and humorous. I was so engrossed in Lila's world, I read the whole book in two days, and wanted more. This is a must read!

As an African residing in the west, I could relate to Lila's experience being uprooted to a different culture and trying to assimilate. I grew up in Africa and i live in Boston now. Nana was able to spiritually detach me out of Africa and in turn, I experienced Africa and its cultural nuances that Nana describes in the book, from a distance. I laughed a lot reading this book. I loved it, it was humorously offensive, and the characters were very colorful. I loved the mother and the aunties the most. The father was a typical African father; stern and authoritative but yet so loving. Nana, you are a wonderful writer and i cannot wait to read your next book.

Young Lila is in for a culture shock when her mother catches her at home after school with a school mate and is convince that the young man will `spoil' her. Almost in an instant she is shipped from the comforts of her strict English home and off to Ghana. The thing that she once took for granted are now the very things that she longs for as she is required to put up with inhumane living conditions. Just when she starts to get used to her new lifestyle she is shipped back home, but even that reunion is short lived when her father decides that it's time for her to meet his side of the family...in New York City. Within one year Lila travels three countries and this is all before she blooms.

There are two books that become instant classics for me. One is coming of age tales, there is nothing like a good coming of age tale. The second is a good cultural tale. I found it utterly fascinating how different each culture was, but each held their own cultures and values true and dear to heart. I was in love with how the story was told through this young girls eyes. What was truly amazing to me was how resourceful these young girls were. In their culture, when there is a massive drought and there is no water for baths, these young girls would paint a string of powder around their necks to indicate that their parents shipped them water, even when this was a hoax and they truly didn't have any. I think that every young girl should read this book to see just how privileged they are and how simple things such as a nice shower can be taken for granted. This book was written with the explicit focal point of changing lives and I believe that it will do just that.

Reviewed by:
Nikkea Smithers
RWA Bookclub President
[...]
rwabookclub@yahoo.com

Powder Necklace is a book about an observant and precious girl trying to understand her role in her family, school, and the greater world at large. I enjoyed the journey to Ghana, England, and America - and seeing the main character change and grow with each step. I think young girls and adults will be able to relate to this coming of age tale that inspires us to embrace, and be proud of, what makes us unique. Moreover, it reminds us that unwelcome events often lead us to the very place we want to - or need to - be. I look forward to reading more from Brew-Hammond! This is a notable debut.

To protect her daughter from the influences of boys and the fast life, Lila's mum sends her to school in Ghana. In her mum's mind, the move to stay with Auntie Irene was for her good, especially after seeing her in the living room with a boy. As innocent as the visit or play time was, Lila's mum was not hearing that. It was settled that she was sending her to Ghana.

Auntie Irene and a few of her classmates offered her tidbits on how to make her time in Ghana a little less complicated. Unfortunately, Lila learned that Ghana was as complicated as a Rubik's cube. Her classmates call her "broni" (translation: white girl) because of where she comes from and her looks. It is almost like the haves and have not with Westerners being the haves. Where does this crazy thinking come from?

Born in Ghana and raised in London, Lila is not used to drinking water which is bad in scent, taste and color, or food being filled with weevils (pantry pest beetle). But in Ghana, it's all part of her world. At Dadaba School, having water meant you had someone who loved you, money and a relationship with God. If you had no water, then you were poor and you couldn't bathe. Many of the girls who had no water would go through the final act of bathing, the final act being powder on your neck.

At the end of Lila's first week at Dadaba School, she wrote to her mum begging her to allow her to come home. Her mum's response will be one turning point in Lila's life; "Lila, it doesn't matter what did or didn't happen anymore, I just need time." Another pivotal point was Lila's mum calling her to come home, not because she missed her but to meet her new man. I applaud Lila's thought process about life, relationship and people's motives, especially that of her mother.

Powder Necklace by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond was a fantastic journey of a girl coming-of-age story across three continents. The dynamics she dances with from London to Ghana to New York is truly what kept this reader turning page after page. Lila starts out in the story as a frightened little girl with many questions and small ideas about faith, to a young lady who's able to answer many of her own questions about her mother and knowing she is born again and has triumph over much. Her new mantra is "What doesn't kill you will make you strong." Powder Necklace will definitely be a 2011 book of the month discussion for our book club.

Reviewed by Missy for Urban Reviews