This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Rich Follett for Readers' Favorite
The fascinating novella The Forbidden Customs of Africa by Mubanga Chipalo recounts the experiences of Andrew and Mary Hamazila and their son John, blinded by smallpox, during three decades of British colonial rule in Zambia. As Andrew and Mary come to terms with their son being sent to a newly opened school for the blind in Rhodesia in 1912, the world is changing around them: the 'forbidden customs' of the title are being replaced by Her Majesty’s laws and centuries-old tribal customs are being overshadowed by Christian beliefs and practices. As Andrew struggles to embrace change that he cannot avoid, he reveals sterling character traits and untapped wisdom that will guide his family nobly for generations to come.
In a colloquial, folklore-centered style reminiscent of celebrated Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, Mubanga Chipalo draws true-to-life characters facing organic challenges against a backdrop rich with cultural references, the result being that the reader’s experience is as informative as it is entertaining. There is an irresistible universality in protagonist Andrew Hamazila’s struggle to embrace change – an inherent “Everyman” set of limitations which transcends time and culture. Chipalo has created in Andrew Hamazila a man we can both criticize and admire, partnered by a loving wife who gently urges him toward painful but inevitable realizations leading to personal growth and new found wisdom.
The Forbidden Customs of Africa by Mubanga Chipalo offers an enchanting, utterly absorbing chronicle of a culture facing an uncertain future and searching for a new identity in the presence of colonial rule.
