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A Different Sun (2013)

by Elaine Neil Orr(Favorite Author)

3.66 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0425261301 (ISBN13: 9780425261309)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Berkley Trade

review 1: This lovely novel grew out of Elaine Neil Orr's desire to write a history of the first Southern Baptist missionaries in Africa. Orr's own parents were missionaries in Africa and she grew up in Nigeria. The historical note at the end of the book states that Orr had access to the writings of the first Southern Baptist missionaries in Africa. The novel takes place between 1840 and 1865. Emma Davis Bowman has grown up in Georgia the daughter of a slave-owning family. The novel explores the many stresses that a newly married young woman, whisked off to Africa, would experience in this time period. The culture shocks, the new language, the isolation, the forced dependence on her husband, her role in supporting her missionary husband, her own cultural baggage, etc. One of the g... morereatest challenges for the couple is to grapple with their unspoken paternalism and to come, ultimately, to appreciate and embrace the beautiful culture of the Yoruba people. The characters are well developed. The emotional and spiritual struggles and ultimate growth of both Emma and Henry Bowman are portrayed with compassion.
review 2: An interesting look at life as a new missionary in Africa in the 1850s. Emma comes from a slave owning family and travels to Africa to minister with her husband. She has struggles, of course, and finds her journal as a best friend. Her husband suffers from a reoccurring illness that puts her in a position of control which she does not want. Her expectations are challenged and she faces them the best she can, discovering herself along the way. less

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