Review of "Dumb" Orphans
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Abigail Counterman
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Review of "Dumb" Orphans
[Following is a volunteer review of ""Dumb" Orphans" by Allan Low.]
“Dumb” Orphans: The Bundu Bunch Trilogy, by British author Allan Low, is a trio of novels mainly aimed at children/teenagers, but it is a great read for all ages! There is no profanity or sexual content. The author’s storytelling is propulsive, carrying all the way through the three separate books.
Book One is called Aiyasha’s Bottomless Briefcase. The narrator is seven-year-old Sipho, who lives in an orphan hut on the outskirts of a (fictional) community in the southern part of Africa with six other orphans between the ages of five and seven. Their “mother” is fifteen-year-old Aiyasha. They also gain two-year-old Elah (referred to as “it” by the main adult character in this book!). They all are orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. The author describes the orphan family’s living conditions and daily life in such a detailed way that it is easy to picture. His British voice comes through in the spelling and some phrases. He also includes some lovely alliteration in several places in the text, which I enjoyed. Does the narrator’s voice actually sound like the way a seven-year-old thinks and talks? Sometimes, but when it didn’t, I was only a little distracted. I was really struck by how independent, self-sufficient, and creative these children are; survival necessitated all of them working together, with each contributing their own talents and interests. Book One is broadly about how the government and infrastructure were unable to handle the HIV/AIDS epidemic from a health perspective and also from a socioeconomic/cultural perspective, with families and livelihoods destroyed, and orphans left to largely fend for themselves. The Bundu Bunch, as they named themselves, were failed by corrupt adults locally, and by their country as a whole. The theme of education being one of the main tools that people have to raise themselves out of terrible circumstances carries through this book and the others in the trilogy.
Book Two is called Aiyasha’s Appeal. Elah, now five years old, becomes the narrator. Without giving away too much of the story, I can say that there is a “white savior” who becomes a true ally. There is a big journey. The orphans continue to face stigma and prejudice, but they also continue to rise above it, as they grow up. Again, I didn’t really feel like I was reading the words of a five-year-old as the story unfolded (the voice is more articulate and aware of things beyond themself than most five-year-olds I’ve met!). The author chose to use Aiyasha’s name in the titles of all three books, yet she is never the narrator! The story brings in references to current First World technology and social media.
Book Three is called Aiyasha’s Magical Legacy. Elah is still narrating. The orphans are all grown up! There are oblique references to COVID. I suppose it’s not really a spoiler to say that the orphans give back to their community, social justice is fought for, threads from the first two books are tied up, and the story comes full circle.
These books are clearly about fictional people and places but with definite elements of truth based on the author’s own work with an organization on the ground in South Africa. Of course, these books are not flawless; I think that having different children narrate the different books makes sense (although two are narrated by Elah), but it’s difficult to both tell the story well and sound like a kindergarten-age child, and this introduced an element of inconsistency that was slightly distracting to me throughout the trilogy. However, I really enjoyed reading this trilogy, and would rate it 4 out of 5.
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"Dumb" Orphans
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
“Dumb” Orphans: The Bundu Bunch Trilogy, by British author Allan Low, is a trio of novels mainly aimed at children/teenagers, but it is a great read for all ages! There is no profanity or sexual content. The author’s storytelling is propulsive, carrying all the way through the three separate books.
Book One is called Aiyasha’s Bottomless Briefcase. The narrator is seven-year-old Sipho, who lives in an orphan hut on the outskirts of a (fictional) community in the southern part of Africa with six other orphans between the ages of five and seven. Their “mother” is fifteen-year-old Aiyasha. They also gain two-year-old Elah (referred to as “it” by the main adult character in this book!). They all are orphaned by the AIDS epidemic. The author describes the orphan family’s living conditions and daily life in such a detailed way that it is easy to picture. His British voice comes through in the spelling and some phrases. He also includes some lovely alliteration in several places in the text, which I enjoyed. Does the narrator’s voice actually sound like the way a seven-year-old thinks and talks? Sometimes, but when it didn’t, I was only a little distracted. I was really struck by how independent, self-sufficient, and creative these children are; survival necessitated all of them working together, with each contributing their own talents and interests. Book One is broadly about how the government and infrastructure were unable to handle the HIV/AIDS epidemic from a health perspective and also from a socioeconomic/cultural perspective, with families and livelihoods destroyed, and orphans left to largely fend for themselves. The Bundu Bunch, as they named themselves, were failed by corrupt adults locally, and by their country as a whole. The theme of education being one of the main tools that people have to raise themselves out of terrible circumstances carries through this book and the others in the trilogy.
Book Two is called Aiyasha’s Appeal. Elah, now five years old, becomes the narrator. Without giving away too much of the story, I can say that there is a “white savior” who becomes a true ally. There is a big journey. The orphans continue to face stigma and prejudice, but they also continue to rise above it, as they grow up. Again, I didn’t really feel like I was reading the words of a five-year-old as the story unfolded (the voice is more articulate and aware of things beyond themself than most five-year-olds I’ve met!). The author chose to use Aiyasha’s name in the titles of all three books, yet she is never the narrator! The story brings in references to current First World technology and social media.
Book Three is called Aiyasha’s Magical Legacy. Elah is still narrating. The orphans are all grown up! There are oblique references to COVID. I suppose it’s not really a spoiler to say that the orphans give back to their community, social justice is fought for, threads from the first two books are tied up, and the story comes full circle.
These books are clearly about fictional people and places but with definite elements of truth based on the author’s own work with an organization on the ground in South Africa. Of course, these books are not flawless; I think that having different children narrate the different books makes sense (although two are narrated by Elah), but it’s difficult to both tell the story well and sound like a kindergarten-age child, and this introduced an element of inconsistency that was slightly distracting to me throughout the trilogy. However, I really enjoyed reading this trilogy, and would rate it 4 out of 5.
******
"Dumb" Orphans
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Looking Glass Friends by E L Neve
