Review of Send Her Back and Other Stories
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Loveth Onyekpe
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- Latest Review: Send Her Back and Other Stories by Munashe Kaseke
Review of Send Her Back and Other Stories
[Following is a volunteer review of "Send Her Back and Other Stories" by Munashe Kaseke.]
“Send her back and other stories” a collection of short stories by Munashe Kaseke is a deeply personal anecdotal fiction collection which takes the reader on a deep dive into the life lived by American immigrants. It “de-shells”the readers from the protective mask that comes with being completely separated from another person’s experience thereby allowing them to forge a deep emotional bond with the characters and their stories.
Fiction done right has been used for a long time as a looking glass from which reality can be examined, these stories by Munashe Kaseke has provided a platform where the life experiences of immigrants can finally be seen and hopefully understood. A space where empathy can prevail, where preconceived prejudices about immigrants can be shattered.
I like how this book portrays its characters as full human beings, as people capable of wrong and right , of hate and love. I like how it doesn’t follow the common plots of the typical immigrant story where they are either seen as all-righteous-suffering-saints or as criminals whose sole aim is to wreck havoc on America. These characters are actual humans with relatable red and green flags.
I really like the story “ return to the land of giant suns” the main character Makanaka was very relatable in the way she romanticized trivial things like eating a home-grown fruit after being away from home for a long time, the story reminded me of that nagging longing I sometimes feel when I haven’t been home for a long time, it reminded of how I sometimes imagine home to be more perfect than it actually is. I also liked the story “Ghost of my mother” and it’s funny because I feel like the two stories are direct contrast of each other. Where “return to the land of giant suns” creates a definite idea of home, “ghost of my mother” questions the idea of home and identity, it asks the question “where is home?” It questions the idea of identity as a pre-set concept.
Some of the stories carried with it a feminist undertone which I really liked. The story “unseen” basically brings to light the experience that most woman across the globe are familiar with, it once again reminds us how connected we all are by our stories. “Dear aunt vimbai” was an amazing story, my heart broke for Tendai and Nakai, for what could’ve been.
In all honesty, I can’t really think of anything I disliked in this book. It was easy to read, interesting and informative. I would give this book a five out of five, I think everyone should read it.
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Send Her Back and Other Stories
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
“Send her back and other stories” a collection of short stories by Munashe Kaseke is a deeply personal anecdotal fiction collection which takes the reader on a deep dive into the life lived by American immigrants. It “de-shells”the readers from the protective mask that comes with being completely separated from another person’s experience thereby allowing them to forge a deep emotional bond with the characters and their stories.
Fiction done right has been used for a long time as a looking glass from which reality can be examined, these stories by Munashe Kaseke has provided a platform where the life experiences of immigrants can finally be seen and hopefully understood. A space where empathy can prevail, where preconceived prejudices about immigrants can be shattered.
I like how this book portrays its characters as full human beings, as people capable of wrong and right , of hate and love. I like how it doesn’t follow the common plots of the typical immigrant story where they are either seen as all-righteous-suffering-saints or as criminals whose sole aim is to wreck havoc on America. These characters are actual humans with relatable red and green flags.
I really like the story “ return to the land of giant suns” the main character Makanaka was very relatable in the way she romanticized trivial things like eating a home-grown fruit after being away from home for a long time, the story reminded me of that nagging longing I sometimes feel when I haven’t been home for a long time, it reminded of how I sometimes imagine home to be more perfect than it actually is. I also liked the story “Ghost of my mother” and it’s funny because I feel like the two stories are direct contrast of each other. Where “return to the land of giant suns” creates a definite idea of home, “ghost of my mother” questions the idea of home and identity, it asks the question “where is home?” It questions the idea of identity as a pre-set concept.
Some of the stories carried with it a feminist undertone which I really liked. The story “unseen” basically brings to light the experience that most woman across the globe are familiar with, it once again reminds us how connected we all are by our stories. “Dear aunt vimbai” was an amazing story, my heart broke for Tendai and Nakai, for what could’ve been.
In all honesty, I can’t really think of anything I disliked in this book. It was easy to read, interesting and informative. I would give this book a five out of five, I think everyone should read it.
******
Send Her Back and Other Stories
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Send Her Back and Other Stories by Munashe Kaseke
