Ancestor Stones

By: Aminatta Forna

Narrated by: Adjoa Andohis

Length: 12 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

Aminatta Forna, whose moving and gorgeously written memoir garnered international attention, has seamlessly turned her hand to fiction in Ancestor Stones, a powerful, sensuous novel that beautifully captures Africa's past century and her present, and the legacy that her daughters take with them wherever they live. Abie returns home from England to West Africa to visit her family after years of civil war, and to reclaim the family plantation, Kholifa Estates, formerly owned by her grandfather. There to meet her are her aunts: Asana, Mariama, Hawa, and Serah, and so begins her gathering of the family and the country's history through the tales of her aunts. Asana, lost twin and head wife's daughter. Hawa, motherless child and manipulator of her own misfortune. Mariama, who sees what lies beyond. And Serah, follower of a Western-made dream. Set against the backdrop of a nation's descent into chaos, it is the take a family and four women's attempts to alter the course of their own destiny. A wonderful achievement recalling The God of Small Things and The Joy Luck Club, it establishes Aminatta Forna as a gifted novelist.

©2006 Aminatta Forna. Recorded by arrangement with Grove Atlantic, Inc. (P)2015 Audible Inc.

A Truly Worthwhile Experience

What did you love best about Ancestor Stones?

The story and the narrator who acted out the characters extremely well.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Ancestor Stones?

It's written in vignettes. Getting to know the realistic characters and the amazing situations in each chapter

Have you listened to any of Adjoa Andohis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Who was the most memorable character of Ancestor Stones and why?

Sarah

Any additional comments?

A good read or audible. Well written, very creative, an eye view into the head of Africa past and present

Wonderfully Entertaining/Historically Educational

I loved this book. Ms Forna is an excellent story teller. The stories of the women's lives were so well written. Being in the final years of my life, I could relate to the emotional aspects of each of the womens' stories. In a world of men, women are continuously striving to find their own voice and their 'sisterhood.' These women did that through the worst tragedies of invasion, colonialism, partner betrayal, and country betrayal. Even when they did not known what the didn't know they forged forward. Through these stories I also gained more understanding of how the people of a country can 'not' 'see' the coming storm being generated via the deceit and lies of the leadership. I was in Sierra Leone just before the last horrific war. My then husband nor I saw the war-storm approaching. It exploded one week after I returned to the US to finalize plans to relocate to Sierra Leone. it was well over a year later before I saw my husband and son again. It is still sad to think of the life, friends and family we lost. However, seeing the lives and experiences of the women through their history and culture gave me new insights and understandings that I can apply to my experience with Sierra Leone, and also to what is happening now in my own country. We, the people here also do not have the luxury to stop living as if all is normal, but nor do we have the luxury of not 'seeing' and not fighting against the coming storm. Thank you Ms Forna for this wonderful book. As well, the narration was excellent. It was an I-Max movie in my head.

Lovely story great writing

I enjoyed the story but it was difficult to follow. I needed more clarity on time changes and names to keep up with the storyline.

A Masterpiece, soon to be a Classic.

What did you love best about Ancestor Stones?

I love the characters in all their various stages of life. I love them so much that I am completing a second "reading" now, something I never do. I also love the way Adjoa Andoh brings out the poetry of Aminatta Forna's writing. I have already recommended this book for my Book Group. I want to lead a discussion about how the women in this book adjust to all the vicissitudes of their lives with grace, resilience, humor, and choosing their own paths. This is a book with universal themes. Ancestor Stones is perfect for an audible book because Aminatta Forna calls upon nearly all your "mental senses" in her descriptions: sight, sound, taste, feel, and smell.

What did you like best about this story?

The title is excellent. The Ancestor Stones are actually representations of generations of women who come before, but the stones seem to offer a metaphor for the unique qualities of the women in the story. All these women grow up in the same compound with the same father, but each one had a very different experience. Each of their mothers came from a different family or village and shaped them to see the world differently. "Mothers" is one of the significant universal themes here.

Have you listened to any of Adjoa Andohis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes. I have listened to many of Adjoa Andoh's performances of adult books. I have loved every one of her performances including this one. Her versatility with accents and voices (both male and female) is remarkable. In the Audible database, look under the spelling of her last name as Andoh.

Any additional comments?

I would not change anything about this book. It is even better the second time because you can concentrate on the amazingly beautiful structure and recurring motifs in many of the individual stories. It is a book to be savored. I look forward to future books by author Aminatta Forna.

a great read

loved it. the pace was just right and I felt that I really got a glimpse I to the lives of the smen

I’m Homesick

I liked how all the lives of the family were connected, from one generation to the next and the next and the next.

Great story, horrible narration

This is a beautiful story, but it’s unfortunate that the narrator did not take the time or effort to learn the proper pronunciations of words and names or accents for even the simplest of words. Africa is made up of many countries and cultures and accents. Audible I expected better. The same accents and pronunciations for a story in Nigeria of an Igbo person and a story in Sierra Leone or A Temne.