Official Review: A Bucket of Warm Water by Heather Allen

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Elaine5
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Official Review: A Bucket of Warm Water by Heather Allen

Post by Elaine5 »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Bucket of Warm Water" by Heather Allen.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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A Bucket of Warm Water is the story of the author and her husband's four year stay in the small African village of Dungu, Zaire. They are Canadians who were working for an NGO funded primarily by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Brendan worked as a medical transport pilot and Heather (Carole) as an English teacher.

Carole and Brendan had grown children and a content life in British Columbia when the opportunity to work in Zaire presented itself. They were ready for adventure and prepared to embrace an opportunity to improve their French language skills and make a contribution. The author caught my attention in the foreward when she wrote "What we couldn’t possibly appreciate was how deeply we would grow to love the people, how much we would learn in four short years, and how utterly grateful we would become for the experience." The book is a beautifully written memoir of that experience and that foreshadowing was one of many that highlighted the delightful unpredictability that life often brings. Our expectations are often surpassed and moments that seem small or insignificant can be life changing in retrospect. These truths came through loud and clear.

The author gently and insightfully writes about politics, disease, education (or lack of) for women, poverty, corruption and war through her own personal experiences in Zaire. When they first arrive in 1989, things are relatively stable in and around Dungu. This allows them to comfortably settle into village life and adjust to their new world. As time goes on, the political situation in Zaire and surrounding countries becomes less and less stable, creating situations that an average Canadian could hardly imagine. After buying green tomatoes from a young boy so that he could buy malaria medication, the author wrote "I longed for the security of Canada where children didn’t go hungry and mothers didn’t search every day for almost enough food to feed their family."

The writing is introspective, contrasting the Canadian and African cultures as lived by Carole and Brendon. The sense of community and generosity in Dungu versus the individual nature of North American culture stood out as a theme. Even the poorest families in Dungu welcomed refugees fleeing looting and riots in larger cities. If a guest was at the table, he was generously fed, even if it meant going without tomorrow. Other contrasts were also highlighted such as the reality and closeness of death versus our somewhat removed, antiseptic view of it. Another was the life and death nature of politics as opposed to it being "a mere abstraction to be debated over dinner."

The reader also gets to know others who live in Dungu through Carole's relationships. She makes meaningful connections and I enjoyed reading about her friendships. It was obvious that she came to love and care for several people as family. It was also wonderful to learn about some of the traditions and beliefs of this very different culture. For example, when a man drowned in the river, the community gathered to sing and light fires to entice the water spirits to return the body to them.

Unfortunately, there are several errors in the book that did detract from my enjoyment of it. One error that was found repeatedly seemed to be a formatting error where a new paragraph was started mid sentence. I also noted some missing words and typing errors.

Overall, I found this to be a beautiful book about a very human, life changing experience. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys memoirs and stories of personal growth. I would particularly recommend it to anyone with an interest in international aid. The errors in the book force me to deduct a star and rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.

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A Bucket of Warm Water
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Post by kandscreeley »

It's always enlightening to learn about another culture especially one such as this. It sounds like the author did a good job in the treatment of the subject even with the few errors. Thanks for the review.
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Post by greenstripedgiraffe »

This sounds like a wonderful memoir. It is wise to learn about other cultures, as it helps one become a more whole person. We can't all travel to the different countries, so a good memoir like this helps expand horizons. Thanks for the review! :tiphat:
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Post by Elaine5 »

Yes, it is a wonderful memoir and it was a wonderful way to learn about another culture. Enlightening indeed! Thank you both for your comments.
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Post by gali »

Sounds like an interesting memoir. It is great when one can learn about other cultures through the book. Too about the errors, though. Thank you for the great review!
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Post by Elaine5 »

Definitely interesting! Thanks for commenting.
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Post by RosesReviews »

Thank you very much for this review! This sounds like a wonderful book to read. You mentioned that,"the author gently and insightfully writes about politics,disease,education(or lack of) for women, poverty, corruption, and war...". After having heard in vivid detail of the atrocities in different countries, I worry about how detailed stories of war are for the more sensitive readers of this book. It sounds like a wonderful story of an amazing couple's life.
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Post by Elaine5 »

The book does describe real and disturbing situations related to war but not with graphic violence or bloody detail. It's not the gasp worthy descriptions that I have read in some books which is why I described it as "gentle". It really is a wonderful book.
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Post by kimmyschemy06 »

Sounds like a very interesting book. I love to learn about African culture and this seems like a great book to read. Too bad, though, about the errors. Good job on the review.
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Post by Elaine5 »

Thanks for your comments. I would recommend it in spite of the errors.
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Post by bookowlie »

Great review! The constrast of the two cultures sounds very interesting. It's a shame about the formatting errors. I also read a book a few months ago that had several incorrect paragraph breaks in the middle of senteces. It was maddening!
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Post by Elaine5 »

Thanks bookowlie! It is very interesting indeed.
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Post by jamesabr »

Carole's introspection of the environment she's in when she shifts from her English teaching job to the African village sounds like it's worth reading. It's been a while since I've sampled a work that concerned conflicts in an African country, so this will definitely be intriguing. I look forward to reading this based on your thorough review.
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Post by Scerakor »

This is one of those things that perhaps a lot of people dream of doing but either never get the opportunity or simply never take it for a variety of reasons. Maybe this book will encourage others to help out those of need or, at the very least, highlight some of the conditions that we tend to ignore as North Americans. Thanks for the review.
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Post by GCamer »

I agree with Scerakor. Many people wants to help but sometimes fear or just lack of motivation keeps them from taking that step. Going to a foreign country to volunteer is very rewarding. We could learn from the author about the life lessons she gained during their stay in Africa.
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