Tiny Sunbirds Far Away

I came across this book by chance, after following a link to see what others who had also purchased a book I was then reading had also read. I have to say that I am so glad that I did. The story is told from the view point of 12 year old Blessing who lives a comfortable life with her mother, father and older brother in an upmarket compound in Lagos. When her father ups and leaves for another woman the family is forced to move in with Blessings eldery grandparents, who live in a village in the Niger Delta, with no running water, no electricity and the ever present threat of political uprising just a not-so-distant gunshot away. As well as dealing with the lack of modern day comforts, Blessing is also introduced to a world of religion and age-old customs that she finds both comforting and shocking respectively. All the characters are wondeful, with so much depth assigned to each of them that it is impossible not to love them all and by turns both laugh and cry with them as the author unfolds their story.
The narrator is amazing. She acts each character so perfectly and her diction is clear and delightful to listen to. I could easily tell which character was speaking at any one time from the voices that she gives them. It is so nice to listen to a book which is properly acted by the narrator, (another example of which would be the fantastic The Help), instead of just read out loud.
All round I would highly recommend this book, it is uplifting, funny, sad, informative, scary and heartwarming.

I was enchanted by this book. One of the best I have read / listened to in several years. The characters are extremely well crafted and the plot is full of surprises. I can't wait for Christie Watson to bring out another, perhaps a sequel. Adjoa Andoh's narration was superb, bringing the characters to life. This book made me feel that the Niger Delta is the first place and the last place on earth that I should want to visit.

Charming and Beautifully told by an amazing narrator. I brought this as part of the " buy two and get one free" offer and im so glad I found it and didn't over look it. Its a story I will always remember.