WINNER OF THE COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD 2011. 'Everything changed after Mama found Father lying on top of another woman.' Blessing and her brother Ezikiel adore their larger-than-life father, their glamorous mother and their comfortable life in Lagos. But all that changes when their father leaves them for another woman. Their mother is fired from her job at the Royal Imperial Hotel - only married women can work there - and soon they have to quit their air-conditioned apartment to go and live with their grandparents in a compound in the Niger Delta. Adapting to life with a poor countryside family is a shock beyond measure after their privileged upbringing in Lagos. Told in Blessing's own beguiling voice, Tiny Sunbirds Far Away shows how some families can survive almost anything. At times hilarious, always poignant, occasionally tragic, it is peopled with characters you will never forget.
Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away
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Review
'A must-read. Lyrical and beautifully drawn, a poignant coming of age tale, set in an Africa few readers will have experienced' Lesley Lokko. 'So good I had to lie down after reading it' Trezza Azzopardi. 'An excellent novel. It takes the reader deep into the reality of ordinary life in Nigeria and is also funny, moving and politically alert' Giles Foden, author of The Last King of Scotland. 'Christie Watson's debut novel, set in the troubled Niger Delta, does what fiction does best, it captures place and characters so well that you feel you are there. It is sincere, it is powerfully written, and it deserves to be read' Helon Habila, author of Oil on Water. 'The gripping, triumphant tale of a girl who chooses life over loss, in a sweet but savage world where oil is bled from the earth' Lola Shoneyin, author of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives. 'An immensely absorbing novel. It is both heart-wrenching and consoling' Chika Unigwe, author of On Black Sisters' Street. 'A fascinating, poignant story that had me laughing in places and deeply moved in others' Ike Anya. 'Watson's nuanced portrayal of daily life in Nigeria is peopled with flawed but tenacious characters who fight not only for survival but for dignity. Blessing is a wonderful narrator whose vivid impressions enliven Watson's sensual prose' Publishers Weekly. 'Through the lens of a young girl's coming of age, this breakthrough novel views the politics of contemporary Nigeria, portraying the clash between traditional and modern as it affects one extended family... Watson tells her story of culture clash without heavy messages, but the issues are sure to spark intense discussion, especially about the damage done to the environment and to the people by the powerful international oil industry in league with the corrupt government' Booklist.
Review
Selected as one of CNN.com’s 12 Good Summer Reads
“A sure-footed debut narrated by 12-year-old Blessing, a girl growing up too fast in the troubled Niger Delta.” —People Magazine
“[An] assured, absorbing first novel…Watson’s cleanly told coming-of-age story generates real narrative momentum.” —Cleveland Plain Dealer
“Watson is generous in her assessment of human nature, and her novel surprises even as its sense of danger is never truly at bay…[An] ultimately triumphant book.”—Miami Herald
“[An] impressive debut…Watson’s nuanced portrayal of daily life in Nigeria is peopled with flawed but tenacious characters who fight not only for survival but for dignity. Blessing is a wonderful narrator whose vivid impressions enliven Watson’s sensual prose.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“[An] absorbing first novel, told through the eyes of the bright and observant Blessing…a memorable debut novel about a Nigerian girl’s coming of age.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Confronting issues of race, class, and religion, this work ponders idealistic ignorance in a way that is reminiscent of Chinua Achebe’s No Longer at Ease. Watson’s story will appeal to readers of African and literary fiction.” — Library Journal
“Through the lens of young girl’s coming-of-age, this breakthrough novel views the politics of contemporary Nigeria, portraying the clash between traditional and modern as it affects one extended family.” —Booklist
“A first novel that knows how to tell a story, concocting a voice that lures us. Perfect pitch is not reserved for musicians; some novelists have it, too. From the very first page of her very first book, Christie Watson proves she possesses it, creating a voice that tells a tale we can’t put down.” —Barnes and Noble Review
“An excellent novel. It takes the reader deep into the reality of ordinary life in Nigeria and is also funny, moving and politically alert.” —Giles Foden, author of The Last King of Scotland
“Christie Watson’s debut novel, set in the troubled Niger Delta, does what fiction does best, it captures place and characters so well that you feel you are also there. It is sincere, it is powerfully written, and it deserves to be read.” —Helon Habila, author of Oil on Water, winner of the Commonwealth Prize
“Watson has written an immensely absorbing novel. It is both heart wrenching and consoling.” —Chika Unigwe, author of On Black Sisters’ Street
“A fascinating, poignant story that had me laughing in places and deeply moved in others.” —Ike Anya
“Lyrical and beautifully drawn, a poignant coming-of-age tale, set in an Africa few readers will have experienced. A must-read.” —Lesley Lokko, author of Sundowners, Saffron Skies, and Bitter Chocolate
“The gripping, triumphant tale of a girl who chooses life over loss, in a sweet but savage world where oil is bled from the earth.” —Lola Shoneyin, author of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 25 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away gives us a fascinating look at life through the innocent eyes of a twelve year old girl growing up in a small village in Warri, Nigeria.
Abruptly uprooted from all the modern comforts of life as she knew it, Blessing , her mother, and 14 year old brother are forced to move to the rural village of her mother's newly converted Muslim family in Warri. Initially shocked and horrified by the living conditions of this impoverished community, Blessing eventually learns to adapt, and then gradually to cherish her new life.
I won't go into more details about the events in this novel, so as not to give anything away, but I will say that this novel doesn't fail to deliver plenty of drama and excitement. The characters in this story are so realistically brought to life that I fell in love with every member of this family! At times I had my doubts that they were entirely fictional.
Set against the lush Nigerian backdrop, this riveting and beautiful tale completely took hold of my emotions and I cried so many different kinds of tears.
Christie Watson has obviously done her research for this debut novel and I will defiantly be keeping an eye out for future works from her.
Abruptly uprooted from all the modern comforts of life as she knew it, Blessing , her mother, and 14 year old brother are forced to move to the rural village of her mother's newly converted Muslim family in Warri. Initially shocked and horrified by the living conditions of this impoverished community, Blessing eventually learns to adapt, and then gradually to cherish her new life.
I won't go into more details about the events in this novel, so as not to give anything away, but I will say that this novel doesn't fail to deliver plenty of drama and excitement. The characters in this story are so realistically brought to life that I fell in love with every member of this family! At times I had my doubts that they were entirely fictional.
Set against the lush Nigerian backdrop, this riveting and beautiful tale completely took hold of my emotions and I cried so many different kinds of tears.
Christie Watson has obviously done her research for this debut novel and I will defiantly be keeping an eye out for future works from her.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Blessings seemingly perfect life is destroyed when her mother, Timi, comes home early and finds her husband in flagrante delicto with another woman. After the shouting and screaming, the reality of the situation is that the her father decides that he wants to be the new woman and moves out of the house. Blessing's mother tries to eke out a living for herself, Blessing and her son Ezikiel but she finds it very hard with the loss of her husband's income. But the final straw and deciding factor is the loss of her job because of the change in her marital status. The whole family moves to the Niger Delta, her mother's ancestral home, where Blessing is exposed to shocking realities that her leisured life is Lagos didn't prepare her for.
Blessing is shocked by the poverty and dirt that welcome her when she arrives her grandparents' home and soon realizes that the life she knew is gone. The other children she encounters are unwashed and uneducated and she wonders how she can survive this place. Her new life seems to be full of one change after another, one hardship after another and soon all her former hopes are extinguished.
I wanted to love this book. I lived in Nigeria for many years and anytime I see a book on the subject of Nigeria, I am immediately interested to read it. But I think that my personal knowledge of Nigeria that made certain things about this book jump out at me. As I read, it sometimes felt like I was reading a book by someone who had read a guide book on Nigeria and was throwing out information and random tidbits that did not always fit in with the story being portrayed. This made the book seem less authentic to me.
I loved Blessing, she was a sweet girl. She was smart, funny and extremely patient of those around her. I felt terrible for the poor treatment she received from her mother and it reminded me of seeing some of my friends' parents who treated their male and female children differently. Once Blessing and her family leave their home in Lagos, Timi treats her so differently, almost like she blamed her for their plight, while treating Ezikiel like royalty. That bothered me immensely and made me never warm to Timi for the rest of the story. Nothing Blessing did was right, nothing she did was okay, only Ezikiel received her unconditional love. I felt bad for her husband's mistreatment of her but the person she becomes afterwards left a bad taste in my mouth.
Another problem I had with this book was that Blessing was twelve years old but sometimes she sounded like she was six. I think the author in an attempt to portray a young voice, went too young. Lagos is a very socially and technologically advanced city. A child who grew up there would not be as naive as Blessing was sometimes portrayed. There is a scene where Blessing goes to visit her mother's boyfriend and sees a mounted flat screen TV and she is fascinated by it and wonders how it is on the wall. It was just too implausible to believe. If Blessing had lived in one of Lagos's many ghettos, I might be more inclined to believe her awe but she is the child of middle class parents who went to a very good school. Incidents like this were hard to believe. Also in an effort to make Blessing sound poetic, she sometimes comes across as unrealistic. When her brother is shot and she sees a friend dragging him home, she says, "I saw Ezikiel wearing a wearing a red hibiscus on his shoulder." Really?
All the men in this book but one or two don't fair very well. They are controlling, abusive, patriarchal and leave much to be desired. I felt like there could have been a much more balanced portrayal in that regard but oh well.
But Blessing and her grandmother saved this book for me. They presented another alternative on how to deal with pain and hardship. Their spirits remained unbroken by life and I admired both immensely. I loved Blessing's grandmother because she was the only anchor for a lost child when everyone else had let her down.
The end of the book was sweet and helped soften my feelings toward this book. Not a bad book but if your want an excellent book on Nigeria, I would go with Lola Shoneyin's The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives.
Blessing is shocked by the poverty and dirt that welcome her when she arrives her grandparents' home and soon realizes that the life she knew is gone. The other children she encounters are unwashed and uneducated and she wonders how she can survive this place. Her new life seems to be full of one change after another, one hardship after another and soon all her former hopes are extinguished.
I wanted to love this book. I lived in Nigeria for many years and anytime I see a book on the subject of Nigeria, I am immediately interested to read it. But I think that my personal knowledge of Nigeria that made certain things about this book jump out at me. As I read, it sometimes felt like I was reading a book by someone who had read a guide book on Nigeria and was throwing out information and random tidbits that did not always fit in with the story being portrayed. This made the book seem less authentic to me.
I loved Blessing, she was a sweet girl. She was smart, funny and extremely patient of those around her. I felt terrible for the poor treatment she received from her mother and it reminded me of seeing some of my friends' parents who treated their male and female children differently. Once Blessing and her family leave their home in Lagos, Timi treats her so differently, almost like she blamed her for their plight, while treating Ezikiel like royalty. That bothered me immensely and made me never warm to Timi for the rest of the story. Nothing Blessing did was right, nothing she did was okay, only Ezikiel received her unconditional love. I felt bad for her husband's mistreatment of her but the person she becomes afterwards left a bad taste in my mouth.
Another problem I had with this book was that Blessing was twelve years old but sometimes she sounded like she was six. I think the author in an attempt to portray a young voice, went too young. Lagos is a very socially and technologically advanced city. A child who grew up there would not be as naive as Blessing was sometimes portrayed. There is a scene where Blessing goes to visit her mother's boyfriend and sees a mounted flat screen TV and she is fascinated by it and wonders how it is on the wall. It was just too implausible to believe. If Blessing had lived in one of Lagos's many ghettos, I might be more inclined to believe her awe but she is the child of middle class parents who went to a very good school. Incidents like this were hard to believe. Also in an effort to make Blessing sound poetic, she sometimes comes across as unrealistic. When her brother is shot and she sees a friend dragging him home, she says, "I saw Ezikiel wearing a wearing a red hibiscus on his shoulder." Really?
All the men in this book but one or two don't fair very well. They are controlling, abusive, patriarchal and leave much to be desired. I felt like there could have been a much more balanced portrayal in that regard but oh well.
But Blessing and her grandmother saved this book for me. They presented another alternative on how to deal with pain and hardship. Their spirits remained unbroken by life and I admired both immensely. I loved Blessing's grandmother because she was the only anchor for a lost child when everyone else had let her down.
The end of the book was sweet and helped soften my feelings toward this book. Not a bad book but if your want an excellent book on Nigeria, I would go with Lola Shoneyin's The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
"Father was a loud man..." So begins the story, as told by the protagonist Blessing, of her childhood and of growing up in Nigeria. Christie Watson's "Tiny Sunbirds Far Away" takes the reader on a journey through Blessing's life into adulthood.
It is through Blessing's eyes that the reader experiences both her familial conflict and the political turmoil gripping Nigeria. Having left an urban setting, Blessing and her brother Ezekiel must adapt to her mother's hometown of Warri and the rural, less privileged lifestyle of their mother's family. Apprenticed to her grandmother, a renowned midwife, Blessing will find her life's calling. Both Ezekiel and Blessing's mother will face challenges as their lives change; their choices will significantly affect not only their own lives, but also those of other family members. As Blessing matures, she begins to appreciate the wisdom of her grandparents and the culture they represent. She also begins to recognize and to accept the real reasons that her mother returned to her childhood home.
"Tiny Sunbirds Far Away" is a beautifully crafted novel that incorporates Nigerian culture and civil unrest into the story of a girl's coming of age. Narrated in the first person, the maturing of the main character, Blessing, is skillfully handled. The initial apprehension she experiences at her life's change gives way to acceptance and her embracing the values her grandparents represent. As she gains maturity, she also accepts and understands the choices made by her mother. Ezekiel's frustration at his circumstances and his anger at his situation are presented so that the reader empathizes with him rather than condemning him. One can only weep at the results of his actions, and their impact on the other characters.
Throughout this fine novel, Christie Watson presents the reader with strong, interesting characters. Blessing's childhood companion Boneboy, her grandparents, and her grandfather's second wife are all fleshed out so that the reader "knows" them. The resilience and ingenuity demonstrated by these characters has one cheering them on, hoping for their success. Descriptions of events, political conflicts, and personal issues, as well as descriptions of the locales in which the novel is set, are realistic and believable.
"Tiny Sunbirds Far Away" by Christie Watson is one of the best novels I have recently read. It captured my attention from its first sentence and maintained my interest as I read it straight through and in one sitting. If you are looking for an outstanding read which addresses a girl's coming of age and triumphing under difficult circumstances, you should definitely consider this book. I will be looking forward to more of Christie Watson's writing.
It is through Blessing's eyes that the reader experiences both her familial conflict and the political turmoil gripping Nigeria. Having left an urban setting, Blessing and her brother Ezekiel must adapt to her mother's hometown of Warri and the rural, less privileged lifestyle of their mother's family. Apprenticed to her grandmother, a renowned midwife, Blessing will find her life's calling. Both Ezekiel and Blessing's mother will face challenges as their lives change; their choices will significantly affect not only their own lives, but also those of other family members. As Blessing matures, she begins to appreciate the wisdom of her grandparents and the culture they represent. She also begins to recognize and to accept the real reasons that her mother returned to her childhood home.
"Tiny Sunbirds Far Away" is a beautifully crafted novel that incorporates Nigerian culture and civil unrest into the story of a girl's coming of age. Narrated in the first person, the maturing of the main character, Blessing, is skillfully handled. The initial apprehension she experiences at her life's change gives way to acceptance and her embracing the values her grandparents represent. As she gains maturity, she also accepts and understands the choices made by her mother. Ezekiel's frustration at his circumstances and his anger at his situation are presented so that the reader empathizes with him rather than condemning him. One can only weep at the results of his actions, and their impact on the other characters.
Throughout this fine novel, Christie Watson presents the reader with strong, interesting characters. Blessing's childhood companion Boneboy, her grandparents, and her grandfather's second wife are all fleshed out so that the reader "knows" them. The resilience and ingenuity demonstrated by these characters has one cheering them on, hoping for their success. Descriptions of events, political conflicts, and personal issues, as well as descriptions of the locales in which the novel is set, are realistic and believable.
"Tiny Sunbirds Far Away" by Christie Watson is one of the best novels I have recently read. It captured my attention from its first sentence and maintained my interest as I read it straight through and in one sitting. If you are looking for an outstanding read which addresses a girl's coming of age and triumphing under difficult circumstances, you should definitely consider this book. I will be looking forward to more of Christie Watson's writing.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Most Touching Story
Sunbirds Far Away is the story of Blessing, a girl who lives a modern life in Lagos, Nigeria. At 12, a change of fortune happens to the family and they must depart for life in the... Read more
Published 13 hours ago by Lynn Ellingwood
Different and interesting topic.
I enjoyed this book completely. The characters - especially Ezikiel and Blessing - were well developed and matured throughout the story. Read more
Published 9 days ago by B. Brunette
A lovely book
When twelve-year-old Blessing's mother finds her father sleeping with another woman, the family falls apart. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Marjorie
great book great deal
I chose this for our April Book club and I would recommend it highly. Very interesting story from the start, hard to put down.
Published 1 month ago by Kay Ruiz
Very well written and very interesting stuff here.
Blessing is a 12 year old girl and this novel is about her life changing on a dime. She went from living in a big city with her parents as a family to living with at her... Read more
Published 2 months ago by K. Cade
Great characters
"Tiny Sunbirds Far Away" starts in Lagos but soon moves to the rural, oil producing Niger Delta. This allows Christine Watson's young narrator, 12 year old Blessing, to view the... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Ripple
Stunning Debut Novel
Blessing and Ezikiel are lucky children. They are one of the few Nigerian families to live comfortably due to their parents' professional jobs. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Sandra Kirkland
Such an excellent novel - A must read
This novel is just so powerful. I just finished and want to read again. Christie Watson is a very gifted writer. The characters in this story will forever be alive to me. Read more
Published 8 months ago by cjm
Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away
The story was written well but very slow. The characters in the story could have been developed more to give the reader more insight of how Nigeria culture is.
Published 8 months ago by J. Acheon
Tiny Sunbirds
I loved this book. I am fascinated with Africa and also began reading it to see how much the Mississippi Delta area is like the Niger Delta region. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Michelle Garrison Williams
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