While taking my Girl Scout troop on our beach camping trip, I finished up my bookclub pick, Ghana Must Go. It was too cold for me - and any sensible person - to get in the water in September, but I did get in the kayak. I drew the line at running into the water for a swim only fit for polar bears and pre-teen Cadettes. Instead, I sat in the sand and read, with one eye on my shivering scouts. And, like a kid, I read in my sleeping bag by flashlight after lights out.
Ghana Must Go by Taiye SelasiMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
From page 1 we know that Kweku Sai has died. The remainder of the book is the story of why he has died in this house in Ghana, and, as his son wonders, how a master surgeon can let himself die, not calling for help, because surely, he knows he's dying. We find out what has happened to the family through the separate views of his first wife, who lives alone; his oldest son, now also a surgeon who has married a colleague but not told his family; his twin son and daughter, who were once inseparable, but now distant physically and emotionally form each other; and youngest daughter, who is trying to find her own identity apart from being "the baby."
Taiye Selasi wove a beautiful story of how things can come apart even when everyone thinks they are doing the best that they can and has intentions of doing good for the rest of the family. I enjoyed her use of language - it's hard to describe how well she made use of the ellipsis (...) and still conveyed meaning that you understood.
We selected this for bookclub and it jumpstarted a lot of, ahem, let's say, discussion.
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