The House At Sugar Beach (2008)

Book Info

Author

Helene Cooper

Genre

Memoir & Autobiography

Rating

3.84 of 5 Votes: 1

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ISBN

0743266242 (ISBN13: 9780743266246)

Language

English

Publisher

Simon & Schuster

Shops

Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble

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About book The House At Sugar Beach (2008)

This was my book club choice for the month. I'm happy I read the book for many reasons. I love history, learning about new cultures, personal triumphs, and just a good read. This was all of those plus my nephew adopted a 5 year old girl (Sarah) from Liberia about 5 years ago when she was 5 years old. I know a little of the history she lived through and this only opened my eyes even more. Helene Cooper shares her life in this book and opens eyes to what it was like growing up in Liberia in the 80's and 90's. It is a story the world should read. A compelling memoir that grapples with a lot of really compelling ideas about identity and family and heritage. The author deals with seeing the country she grew up in essentially destroyed by civil war, but in the process focuses on preserving a record of a disappeared culture, even while recognizing the problems and injustices of the social system she grew up in. This one is going to stick with me for a while. I especially recommend the audiobook, which is read by the author, for the way that she recounts the conversation style and pronunciations in Liberian English.