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Bakery #2
When Hoopoes Go to Heaven
Ten-year-old Benedict is feeling happy. His family's new home in Swaziland has the most beautiful garden in the whole entire world, teeming with insects, frogs and his favourite cinnamon-coloured birds. Here, crouched in the cool shade of the lucky-bean tree, it's easy to forget the loneliness that comes from his siblings playing without him, easy to stop himself fretting about how to fix his Mama's failing cake-baking business. Of course, there are many things in Africa that cannot be put right by a boy who isn't yet big. But in Benedict's wonder-filled world, even the ugliest situation has a certain magic. Warm, funny and brimming with life, Where Hoopoes Go to Heaven paints a fresh and compelling picture of life in Swaziland that will capture your imagination and restore your faith in humanity.
300 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2010
10 people are currently reading
369 people want to read
About the author
Gaile Parkin
5Ìýbooks67ÌýfollowersBorn and raised in Zambia, Gaile Parkin has lived and worked in many African countries. Her first job was in a Soweto still simmering from the violent uprising of the school students who had begun to loosen apartheid's control of the education system in South Africa. More recently she has worked in Rwanda, counselling women and girls who had survived the genocide. A published author of numerous school textbooks and children's books, Gaile has only recently turned her hand to writing fiction for adults.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
May 18, 2016
Forced myself to finish this one so I could say I'd read a book set in Swaziland but really not great. I hadn't read which may have provided more information on the characters, but I should have been able to get more out of this one whether or not I'd read the other. It was more like being dropped into a scene of normal life than into a novel where something is actually happening for a reason. I gave the book one of its two stars for including bits of interesting cultural contrast between Swaziland, South Africa, and some other bordering countries. Overall, I would not recommend it.
May 5, 2016
This book explores the complexities experienced by a migrant family living with the reality of AIDS, the repressive regime of Swaziland where women are regarded and treated as the possessions of men, and the daily struggles of the family members and neighbours in 2001. The tale is narrated by Benedict, a 10 year old boy, who loves animals and tries to make sense of the events surrounding him.
The setting is authentic, the author's ear for local dialect and intonation adds to the tone of the story and the characters completely believable. The author presents the complex realities of the situation with a light touch without denying the seriousness of the underlying issues.
The setting is authentic, the author's ear for local dialect and intonation adds to the tone of the story and the characters completely believable. The author presents the complex realities of the situation with a light touch without denying the seriousness of the underlying issues.
May 12, 2013
I really enjoyed this, although it was a little slow going. The character of Benedict was adorable and I found the positive portrayal of all the lead characters refreshing. Good people trying to do the right thing by those around them. The background of Swaziland and the problems it's facing was informative and new to me. I found some of it upsetting (such as the way girls were treated or the aids statistics), but the overall tone of the book was positive and life affirming. Just what I needed in my reading...
April 20, 2016
In this companion to , Angel's ten-year-old grandson (slash adopted son) takes the stage as narrator. Benedict's interests lie not in cakes and problem-solving but in animals and insects and worrying about the fact that he's the family's oldest boy and thus has more responsibilities.
When I read Baking Cakes in Kigali, I struggled with the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink end of it: Angel is faced with problem after problem after problem, and then she solves problem after problem after problem. It left me rather exhausted and feeling as though I had whiplash. Here Parkin takes a different tack: while she works in a number of significant problems (often to serve as lessons), neither Angel nor Benedict is expected to solve them all. A woman mourning her long-dead stillborn child; a girl being abused by a teacher; AIDS; Angel's struggle to get her cake-baking business off the ground in a new country; a woman offered a marriage proposal as a second wife; the unwelcome mother-in-law who's moved in; a young boy teased for his lisp...and so on and so forth. It's still a little kitchen-sink-y, but because some of the pressure is off Angel & co. to solve things, it's not as overwhelming.
Swaziland, where this book is set, has a tragically high incidence of AIDS, and AIDS plays a role—albeit a relatively minor one—in Benedict's experience throughout the book. That minor role fits to tone of both books (pack in a lot of big issues but keep it light), although I had some questions about it. Hoopoes is set in 2001, which we know because the characters see the World Trade Center fall on television, but some of them also have cell phones, which is possible but not for 2001...I was left with the suspicion that it's set in 2001 largely to make Benedict's ignorance of all things AIDS related more realistic.
Altogether this was an easier read for me than Baking Cakes in Kigali, though my interest in Parkin's future books (theory: next one will be narrated by Josephine—definitely seemed like she was being set up for a future book) is passive. A little too much reliance on aggressive cuteness; e.g., repeated mentions of how Angel 'isn't an educated somebody' and Benedict's limited ten-year-old understanding of what things are. Still, I'm glad to see that Parkin can play with structure and setup, as that'll allow her more range in future books.
When I read Baking Cakes in Kigali, I struggled with the everything-and-the-kitchen-sink end of it: Angel is faced with problem after problem after problem, and then she solves problem after problem after problem. It left me rather exhausted and feeling as though I had whiplash. Here Parkin takes a different tack: while she works in a number of significant problems (often to serve as lessons), neither Angel nor Benedict is expected to solve them all. A woman mourning her long-dead stillborn child; a girl being abused by a teacher; AIDS; Angel's struggle to get her cake-baking business off the ground in a new country; a woman offered a marriage proposal as a second wife; the unwelcome mother-in-law who's moved in; a young boy teased for his lisp...and so on and so forth. It's still a little kitchen-sink-y, but because some of the pressure is off Angel & co. to solve things, it's not as overwhelming.
Swaziland, where this book is set, has a tragically high incidence of AIDS, and AIDS plays a role—albeit a relatively minor one—in Benedict's experience throughout the book. That minor role fits to tone of both books (pack in a lot of big issues but keep it light), although I had some questions about it. Hoopoes is set in 2001, which we know because the characters see the World Trade Center fall on television, but some of them also have cell phones, which is possible but not for 2001...I was left with the suspicion that it's set in 2001 largely to make Benedict's ignorance of all things AIDS related more realistic.
Altogether this was an easier read for me than Baking Cakes in Kigali, though my interest in Parkin's future books (theory: next one will be narrated by Josephine—definitely seemed like she was being set up for a future book) is passive. A little too much reliance on aggressive cuteness; e.g., repeated mentions of how Angel 'isn't an educated somebody' and Benedict's limited ten-year-old understanding of what things are. Still, I'm glad to see that Parkin can play with structure and setup, as that'll allow her more range in future books.
May 1, 2014
In the midst of the appalling tragedy that is HIV/AIDs in the African continent, ten year old Benedict is getting on with his life as ten year old boys the world over do. Both his parents are 'late', and with his two siblings and two cousins, who also have 'late' parents, he has been taken under the wing of his grandparents. The family has just moved from Tanzania to Swaziland for his Baba's work. Mama, or Angel as she is also known, is desperately trying to get her cake baking business going, which is not easy while attempting to settle into a new place.
Benedict is the type of child who will find something good or positive in any situation, and for him, his new home is a paradise. A beautiful garden rich with lizards, birds and butterflies, and with the recent tragedies in his young life, it doesn't take much for him to escape into his own special world. As an outsider at school, a kwerekwere, he finds solace in the garden, in reading King Solomon's Mines to improve his language knowledge and generally getting to know his new environment. Which includes the search for the buried treasure in aforementioned book Benedict is convinced is buried nearby. Being an inquisitive boy, determined to be good for his grandparents, and where death from HIV/AIDS is an everyday occurrence, he very quickly endears himself to the local funeral directors. Lots of doors open to Benedict and his family as a result of his charm, and with his open mind and his open heart, yet little or no understanding of the adult world around him, he is a happy little lad.
Despite the vast majority of the book being narrated through Benedict's eyes, the reader gets a very keen sense of the world the adults are living and surviving in - Benedict's grandparents with the responsibility of five grandchildren, the neighbours with their family, Mavis who works for Baba and Mama and has her own grief to deal with, the young man who looks after the animals, as well as a girl at his school.. Not a great deal happens in this book, and even though I kept waiting for some plot development, it didn't matter that it didn't. This is a story about people looking for the good and the happy in the lives they are leading and finding it. It is colourful, lively, warm and charming, and beautifully depicted in the cover.
Benedict is the type of child who will find something good or positive in any situation, and for him, his new home is a paradise. A beautiful garden rich with lizards, birds and butterflies, and with the recent tragedies in his young life, it doesn't take much for him to escape into his own special world. As an outsider at school, a kwerekwere, he finds solace in the garden, in reading King Solomon's Mines to improve his language knowledge and generally getting to know his new environment. Which includes the search for the buried treasure in aforementioned book Benedict is convinced is buried nearby. Being an inquisitive boy, determined to be good for his grandparents, and where death from HIV/AIDS is an everyday occurrence, he very quickly endears himself to the local funeral directors. Lots of doors open to Benedict and his family as a result of his charm, and with his open mind and his open heart, yet little or no understanding of the adult world around him, he is a happy little lad.
Despite the vast majority of the book being narrated through Benedict's eyes, the reader gets a very keen sense of the world the adults are living and surviving in - Benedict's grandparents with the responsibility of five grandchildren, the neighbours with their family, Mavis who works for Baba and Mama and has her own grief to deal with, the young man who looks after the animals, as well as a girl at his school.. Not a great deal happens in this book, and even though I kept waiting for some plot development, it didn't matter that it didn't. This is a story about people looking for the good and the happy in the lives they are leading and finding it. It is colourful, lively, warm and charming, and beautifully depicted in the cover.
January 24, 2013
If you like reading about characters who are good kind people trying to do the 'right thing' as decent human beings then this is a book for you. If you enjoy Alexander McCall Smith's novels or Kerry Greenwood's then you will probably enjoy this novel.
It's the story of a family in Africa, Swaziland this time, a family where the grandparents have to bring up their grandchildren because the parents are 'late'. Dead because of AIDs. This forms a serious background to a charming year in the narrator's life. His grandfather has to chase jobs to earn money to feed and educate the children so they move to Swaziland for a year. Young Benedict is fascinated by the lush vegetation, the animals and birds of Swaziland. He turns naturalist
Part of the charm of the novel is Benedict's 'voice' as he describes and tries to understand the world around him. He's only ten. He's suddenly gained a new brother and sister, he's still the middle child but he's the oldest boy meant to watch over his siblings and help the family. He takes this responsibility seriously so we learn that his Grandmother's cake baking business, which always brought in cash and made people happy isn't going well in Swaziland and he feels responsible. He wants to help get it going but Grandma is a foreigner and not supposed to work. This is one of the problems he faces and seeks a solution for throughout the year. He tries to help everyone, people, animals, insects and birds.
As readers, looking through Benedict's eyes we learn a great deal about Swaziland, its traditions and cultures. We also see how AIDs has devastated families, even communities, yet the government will not acknowledge its presence in the country.
A fast paced read this is not. The story is really a year in the life of... and moves at a gentle pace. However Benedict is such a loveable character that most readers will stay with the story, cheering his successes and smiling at his misundertandings and failures.
It's the story of a family in Africa, Swaziland this time, a family where the grandparents have to bring up their grandchildren because the parents are 'late'. Dead because of AIDs. This forms a serious background to a charming year in the narrator's life. His grandfather has to chase jobs to earn money to feed and educate the children so they move to Swaziland for a year. Young Benedict is fascinated by the lush vegetation, the animals and birds of Swaziland. He turns naturalist
Part of the charm of the novel is Benedict's 'voice' as he describes and tries to understand the world around him. He's only ten. He's suddenly gained a new brother and sister, he's still the middle child but he's the oldest boy meant to watch over his siblings and help the family. He takes this responsibility seriously so we learn that his Grandmother's cake baking business, which always brought in cash and made people happy isn't going well in Swaziland and he feels responsible. He wants to help get it going but Grandma is a foreigner and not supposed to work. This is one of the problems he faces and seeks a solution for throughout the year. He tries to help everyone, people, animals, insects and birds.
As readers, looking through Benedict's eyes we learn a great deal about Swaziland, its traditions and cultures. We also see how AIDs has devastated families, even communities, yet the government will not acknowledge its presence in the country.
A fast paced read this is not. The story is really a year in the life of... and moves at a gentle pace. However Benedict is such a loveable character that most readers will stay with the story, cheering his successes and smiling at his misundertandings and failures.
March 18, 2016
This second book, by Gaile Parkin Follows certain characters from the first one: Baking Cakes in Kigali. I have loved reading both of these books as the characters are so heartfelt. This books main focus is on Benedict Tungaraza , a young 10 year old boy who lives with his Grandparents , Angel, the baker of beautiful and meaningful cakes and Pius, a University professor, after having moved from Kigali, Rwanda for the grandfathers work, to Swaziland .
Young Benedict loves his new location which has a wonderful garden, and he is a big lover of birds and wildlife in general, so there is a lot to keep him busy, but he also comes up with a lot of other ways to do that.
We meet so many interesting characters, learn about the customs and the area where they are now living and delve into a lot of different issues that are going on with the other people in the story.
Such a well written and just an overall engaging read.
Young Benedict loves his new location which has a wonderful garden, and he is a big lover of birds and wildlife in general, so there is a lot to keep him busy, but he also comes up with a lot of other ways to do that.
We meet so many interesting characters, learn about the customs and the area where they are now living and delve into a lot of different issues that are going on with the other people in the story.
Such a well written and just an overall engaging read.
April 6, 2012
4.5 stars. I fell in love with Benedict, the book's main character, whilst I was reading this. He is such a sweet lad, sensitive and kind, with a great passion for wildlife and a love for his family coupled with a desire to help them succeed in life that come across vividly. The story gives an interesting insight into life and customs in Swaziland (and to a lesser extent, Africa in general) and is peppered with phrases and exclamations in the local language, which add to the flavour and sense of place. A quick and enjoyable read, recommended to anyone who enjoyed Baking Cakes in Kigali, Gaile Parkin's first novel, also about the Tungazara family and also fans of books like Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency.
February 18, 2018
The story has its charm but does meander a bit in a story with no climax of real end.
Benedict, the 10 year old main character, is bright likes animals and helping his grandparents (who have adopted him after the death of his parents). His world and naivety describes the family's life in Swaziland and includes many cultural aspects such as the difficulty of being non-Swazi, the absolute rule of the King, the rights of men to possess women, AIDS, TB and poverty. It is very much an anthropologic novel of the country.
Amongst the descriptions of cake making, there is the more serious storylines of ongoing molestation of a school girl by a teacher and the extremely high death rate that occurs when AIDS, TB and poverty is rife.
Benedict, the 10 year old main character, is bright likes animals and helping his grandparents (who have adopted him after the death of his parents). His world and naivety describes the family's life in Swaziland and includes many cultural aspects such as the difficulty of being non-Swazi, the absolute rule of the King, the rights of men to possess women, AIDS, TB and poverty. It is very much an anthropologic novel of the country.
Amongst the descriptions of cake making, there is the more serious storylines of ongoing molestation of a school girl by a teacher and the extremely high death rate that occurs when AIDS, TB and poverty is rife.
April 25, 2016
Much, much better than ; Parkin really seems to have hit her stride as a writer in this novel. It is a sequel, but it's told from the viewpoint of ten-year-old Benedict, one of the five grandchildren being raised by Angel and her husband. They've moved to Swaziland, following the grandfather's job as an...aid worker? That bit is still unclear, apart from the fact that he "makes a lot of money" and has to move every year or so--but then it would be unclear, to a ten-year-old. Parents work, and what they do is either unimportant or not really clear to the younger ones.
Benedict, however, feels all the weight of his ten years. Like many boys who are told they must be "the man of the house" and watch out for younger siblings after a parent's death, he has become too responsible, too fast. This sense of responsibility makes him try to heal the breaches he sees in lives all around him. And to be honest, I have to say he has a leetle too much success in that department. He never gets it wrong, never misunderstands a situation badly that cannot be rescued with suitable éclat. But, after all--it is fiction. And we know why people write fiction; it's so they can make things work out they way they want them to.
It was a relief that it wasn't all about Angel, this time; and it just struck me now that her name was supposed to be symbolic or something in Vol 1, considering that she was going around sprinkling magic problem-solving dust on everyone's life. In Vol 2, there are fewer adult characters shuttling across the page, and cake is not seen as the answer to all of life's problems. Again, some serious issues are dealt with: illness, abuse, death, separation; but since Benedict is the main character, and a child, he tends to get sent out of the room/house when the gritty details come under discussion. If I have one complaint, it's that the "born-again Christian" character is (as always, these days) portrayed as a total head-case. At least the Hindu characters are not portrayed as laughable germophobes.
Benedict, however, feels all the weight of his ten years. Like many boys who are told they must be "the man of the house" and watch out for younger siblings after a parent's death, he has become too responsible, too fast. This sense of responsibility makes him try to heal the breaches he sees in lives all around him. And to be honest, I have to say he has a leetle too much success in that department. He never gets it wrong, never misunderstands a situation badly that cannot be rescued with suitable éclat. But, after all--it is fiction. And we know why people write fiction; it's so they can make things work out they way they want them to.
It was a relief that it wasn't all about Angel, this time; and it just struck me now that her name was supposed to be symbolic or something in Vol 1, considering that she was going around sprinkling magic problem-solving dust on everyone's life. In Vol 2, there are fewer adult characters shuttling across the page, and cake is not seen as the answer to all of life's problems. Again, some serious issues are dealt with: illness, abuse, death, separation; but since Benedict is the main character, and a child, he tends to get sent out of the room/house when the gritty details come under discussion. If I have one complaint, it's that the "born-again Christian" character is (as always, these days) portrayed as a total head-case. At least the Hindu characters are not portrayed as laughable germophobes.
August 30, 2013
'n Pragtige storie in die lyn van Alexander McCall Smith. Benedict, 'n tienjarige seun, probeer sin maak van sy lewe in 'n 3e wêreld land as 'n weeskind wat deur sy grootouers groot gemaak word in 'n groot gesin.
Hy probeer sy bes om die lewe vir sy ouma en oupa beter te maak maar moet onderwyl kennis maak met die realiteite van 'n lewe in Afrika. Hy word blootgestel aan die implikasies van VIGS, armoede, seksuele mishandeling van kinders, dwelms, vroue verontregting, vreemdelinge haat, politieke korrupsie en tradisies wat soms nie meer sin maak nie, en ander wat nog steeds waardevol is.
Die verhaal word op 'n onderhoudende trant vertel en Benedict se ernstige en empatiese sien van die lewe neem mens mee op sy jaar in Swaziland.
Hy probeer sy bes om die lewe vir sy ouma en oupa beter te maak maar moet onderwyl kennis maak met die realiteite van 'n lewe in Afrika. Hy word blootgestel aan die implikasies van VIGS, armoede, seksuele mishandeling van kinders, dwelms, vroue verontregting, vreemdelinge haat, politieke korrupsie en tradisies wat soms nie meer sin maak nie, en ander wat nog steeds waardevol is.
Die verhaal word op 'n onderhoudende trant vertel en Benedict se ernstige en empatiese sien van die lewe neem mens mee op sy jaar in Swaziland.
October 31, 2014
Yebo! Benedict Tungaraza is the kind of boy whom you want to give birth to (or he could be your bhuti). The Tungarazas and the Mazibukos were living a roller-coaster life in Swaziland. Well, since the Tungarazas were kwerekwere from Tanzania, life hadn't been that easy. And the story of Petros' life was too depressing. Although there were some revelations about Krishna's monument being found in Swaziland, the puzzle was still incomplete.
Also, I quite fancy reading novels about Africa. I'm loving it!
Also, I quite fancy reading novels about Africa. I'm loving it!
April 4, 2015
I just loved this book! Written from the perspective of a young boy, it was a delight to see the events unfold with that childlike wonder and curiosity! I hadn't realized that this was the second book about this family, so a few details left me wondering. After reading this, I immediately ordered her first book "Baking Cakes in Kigali" and was equally enthralled. I consequently sent 2 sets as gifts to a very good friend and my mom. What an insightful look at an African family!
November 26, 2013
I enjoyed getting to know young Benedict better in this sequel to Baking Cakes in Kigali. Benedict is such a loveable little fellow and I laughed many times at his innocent reasoning on things he was trying to understand. However, I did find the book somewhat slow in its pace and not quite as good as its predecessor. Still, I'm glad I read it.
November 24, 2014
Wonderful, an absolute delight to read! I laughed out loud several times; was also close to tears for the depth of suffering in Africa. Such courageous and joyful people, often with so little to be happy about.
Unless you've been to Swaziland, you just won't understand how authentic this beautiful story actually is.
Unless you've been to Swaziland, you just won't understand how authentic this beautiful story actually is.
June 3, 2017
Not as good as Parkin's first book. It was a hard slog to finish. I wouldn't recommend this.
March 30, 2019
Maybe I liked this book because one of my daughters likes hoopoes. Maybe I liked this book because a few years back we visited, not Swaziland where the story takes place, but South Africa which surrounds Swaziland, and I could identify with the location and the people.
Probably, however, I liked this book because it is a well-written, thoughtful, uplifting book about a 10-year-old boy named Benedict. The story is told from Benedict's point of view. I admire the author's ability to get inside a 10-year-old mind. What adult can remember what it is like to think like a 10-year-old? Gaile Parkin seems to.
Benedict is a sensitive boy who feels the weight of responsibility for being the oldest son in his blended family of two older sisters and two younger brothers. He removes spiders from his sisters' room because they are afraid of anything that flies, creeps, or crawls. He lets his younger brothers play sports, an activity that interests him not at all. He enjoys spending time outdoors in the garden, observing all the creatures that scare his sisters. He is sad that his first Baba and Mama are "late," but he appreciates his new Baba and Mama who are now raising him and his siblings, even though they are really his grandparents.
Benedict notices everything, including the interactions among the people in his family and in his small social circle at school. He is interested in everyone's well being. Through Benedict's eyes and thoughts, we the readers follow the daily events in his corner of Swaziland. We see him try to understand how outsiders must find a way to fit in, how his Mama must find a way to become accepted in a foreign land so that her cake making business can get off the ground, how a young girl in his class must hide her shame from a teacher's abuse, how a young man on the farm who tends the cows seems to be getting thinner and thinner and coughing more all the time, and how he, Benedict, can find a way to overcome his terror of crossing the metal cattle guard at the entrance of the family farm.
Gaile Parkin has created a world of 10-year-old curiosity, naivete, and not fully formed cognitive and reasoning skills. Through Benedict's eyes, the characters of the book are very human, very warm, and very likable. I liked this book, and I liked Benedict. Kudos to Ms. Parkin for introducing us to such a thoughtful, respectful, and sensitive young boy who in turn introduces us to his world.
Probably, however, I liked this book because it is a well-written, thoughtful, uplifting book about a 10-year-old boy named Benedict. The story is told from Benedict's point of view. I admire the author's ability to get inside a 10-year-old mind. What adult can remember what it is like to think like a 10-year-old? Gaile Parkin seems to.
Benedict is a sensitive boy who feels the weight of responsibility for being the oldest son in his blended family of two older sisters and two younger brothers. He removes spiders from his sisters' room because they are afraid of anything that flies, creeps, or crawls. He lets his younger brothers play sports, an activity that interests him not at all. He enjoys spending time outdoors in the garden, observing all the creatures that scare his sisters. He is sad that his first Baba and Mama are "late," but he appreciates his new Baba and Mama who are now raising him and his siblings, even though they are really his grandparents.
Benedict notices everything, including the interactions among the people in his family and in his small social circle at school. He is interested in everyone's well being. Through Benedict's eyes and thoughts, we the readers follow the daily events in his corner of Swaziland. We see him try to understand how outsiders must find a way to fit in, how his Mama must find a way to become accepted in a foreign land so that her cake making business can get off the ground, how a young girl in his class must hide her shame from a teacher's abuse, how a young man on the farm who tends the cows seems to be getting thinner and thinner and coughing more all the time, and how he, Benedict, can find a way to overcome his terror of crossing the metal cattle guard at the entrance of the family farm.
Gaile Parkin has created a world of 10-year-old curiosity, naivete, and not fully formed cognitive and reasoning skills. Through Benedict's eyes, the characters of the book are very human, very warm, and very likable. I liked this book, and I liked Benedict. Kudos to Ms. Parkin for introducing us to such a thoughtful, respectful, and sensitive young boy who in turn introduces us to his world.
June 19, 2019
I don’t like when the narrator of the story is child, and after reading this book set in Eswatini (former Swaziland) I didn’t changed my mind. I liked descriptions of the nature and brief glimpse into the dynamics of life in Eswatini, but everything else in this book was too sweet for me - from story, characters to prose ... but I did get some serious craving for eating cake.
December 19, 2019
Vaikeasta aiheesta huolimatta hyvänmielen kirja, jonka avulla on helppo matkata Swazimaahan.
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August 11, 2018I'm fairly uppity about my African literature, preferring real African authors writing from Africa. I generally look askance at series like Alexander McCall Smith Ladies #1 Detective Agency. Then along comes this goofy series, about a Tanzanian lady who bakes cakes with her extended family. In this book, the Tanzanian family moves to Swaziland so that Baba can work as a consultant. A grandson, whose parents have died, describes his home with Baba and Mama in Swaziland as he sees it.
Wouldn't you know, for all the series hating,-- I just ate this book up, and I would have tried Mama's cake too if I could. The boy's filter of the awful reality of AIDS in Swaziland placed a little layer of velvet around the story. I learned gobs about Swaziland, and enjoyed doing so. Some references about Swaziland some American readers might miss. Hoopoe's is a child's eye view of a loving extended family making the best of a bad situation.
The ending suggests that another book is in the works...At the end the family leaves Swaziland for who knows where. I'm keeping my eye out for it.
Wouldn't you know, for all the series hating,-- I just ate this book up, and I would have tried Mama's cake too if I could. The boy's filter of the awful reality of AIDS in Swaziland placed a little layer of velvet around the story. I learned gobs about Swaziland, and enjoyed doing so. Some references about Swaziland some American readers might miss. Hoopoe's is a child's eye view of a loving extended family making the best of a bad situation.
The ending suggests that another book is in the works...At the end the family leaves Swaziland for who knows where. I'm keeping my eye out for it.
August 13, 2016
The Tungaraza family has moved to Swaziland due to Baba’s work as a consultant. 10 year old Benedict, the oldest boy in the family, is the central character in this. Benedict is feeling the responsibility of being the oldest and wants to be big, but there are still ways in which he is small. He longs to see his mother’s cake baking business succeed, which it hasn’t since the move. He’s trying to explore the world and understand things, but there are things that a 10 year old just can’t understand.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable sequel to "Baking Cakes in Kigali". Sometimes efforts to do more with a group of characters falls flat but this doesn't. Perhaps it is the fact that this one focuses on a different family member. As with the previous book, the AIDS crisis and programs, is woven in in an very tasteful way. The writing style is light and enjoyable and leaves me with a feeling that this is a family that I'd enjoy knowing.
This is a thoroughly enjoyable sequel to "Baking Cakes in Kigali". Sometimes efforts to do more with a group of characters falls flat but this doesn't. Perhaps it is the fact that this one focuses on a different family member. As with the previous book, the AIDS crisis and programs, is woven in in an very tasteful way. The writing style is light and enjoyable and leaves me with a feeling that this is a family that I'd enjoy knowing.
June 4, 2013
I have changed my mind a lot of times during the course of reading this book. I liked getting to know about the culture and customs in Swaziland and the issues in these people's lives and how it is affecting them. I loved Benedict and his soft seriousness, his empathy, caring and learning about animals and the way he was trying to fix other people's problems (even if some of the problems may have been heavy for a 10 year old). I liked a lot of the other characters as well. But it is incredibly slow going, not a lot happens in these pages in fact. It was also sometimes hard for me to keep track of the characters. The way the local language was portrayed felt a bit oversimplified (although who am I to tell, since I've never been to Swaziland?)
It seems that Baking cakes in Kigali is the prequel to this book, I haven't read that and I don't think it is necessary before reading this.
It seems that Baking cakes in Kigali is the prequel to this book, I haven't read that and I don't think it is necessary before reading this.
June 23, 2013
When I started listening to this I had no idea it was a sequel to Baking Cakes in Kigali which I listened to a few months ago. I started to recognize some of the characters and then realized that this story was about the same family, with cake making Angel as grandmother to the children left orphaned when both her own children died. This time we are in Swaziland where young Benedict - the oldest boy - takes it upon himself to help Angel to get her cake making business under way. Meanwhile he also helps other friends and neighbours to solve their own problems. A nice story, well told, with just enough of the serious issues facing Africa at the moment.
January 5, 2014
This was cute. I found it to be a fairly fast read, probably because I skimmed some of it. I realized 150 pages in that there wasn't going to be much of a plot developing--which was fine, as it's more of a 'day in the life' type of story. Benedict, the 10 year old protagonist, is a cheerful innocent whose life we follow, meeting family, neighbors and friends. Swaziland culture and customs come into play, which I found to be some of the more interesting parts of the story.
Overall, not bad, but in the battle for 'best heartwarming Africa stories' I think the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series comes out on top.
Overall, not bad, but in the battle for 'best heartwarming Africa stories' I think the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series comes out on top.
April 23, 2012
Where Hoopoes Go to Heaven....From the author of Baking Cakes in Kigali, this is the irresistible story of Benidict Tungazara, a ten-year-old boy who with his extended family just moved to Swaziland. A boy who loves beautiful birds, his mother's cakes, and making people happy... He tells his story of life in Swaziland as he sees it, in his own words and descriptions of life and people, it will capture your imagination and restore your faith in humanity. An enjoyable read. A good read after The Phantom of Jo Nesbo...have to keep one's equilibrium and sanity!
December 3, 2013
Unfortunately quite disappointing compared to the Baking Cakes in Kigali.
Yes, the author creates this lovely world and loveable character. But I feel that there is ABSOLUTELY nothing happening in the plot. Just the anecdotes of what happens in their daily life. Baking Cakes in Kigali was also actually very much the same, but somehow it worked with it. It doesn't work quite the same with this one unfortunately.
Yes, the author creates this lovely world and loveable character. But I feel that there is ABSOLUTELY nothing happening in the plot. Just the anecdotes of what happens in their daily life. Baking Cakes in Kigali was also actually very much the same, but somehow it worked with it. It doesn't work quite the same with this one unfortunately.
April 24, 2013
Not as good as Baking Cakes but loved it all the same. The character of Benedict was simply delightful, such a lovely boy who has such a good heart. Interesting to see the world through the eyes of a 10 year old. A little annoying at times but simple and nice too. Wished Angel was in it more. She's the ultimate heroine. X
February 25, 2017
I am glad that I read this book. Often I will bypass a novel that is set in a non-English speaking country, but I am always glad that I have made the effort. Written from the perspective of a 10 year old boy, you see how life appears through the eyes of a child living in Africa. Much different life than that of the US no doubt!
August 4, 2015
Great read, very different from my usual genres of fantasy, crime & horror. Written from the viewpoint of a 10 year old African boy, this novel covers complex subjects in a different way, both culturally and otherwise. Worth your time & I'm off to find the author's 1st book, Baking Cakes in Kigali.
November 26, 2017
WoW! This is one amazing book... so refreshing! The story is written from the perspective of a 10 year old boy in his daily African life and hope shines through every chapter. This book needs a new genre created for it. It's one of few that stand alone that don't fit the regular genres, at least in my humble opinion.
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