Hello Beautiful People,
I always tell my students that the cheapest way to travel is via the words on a page. I myself, have a laundry list of places I’d like to go, things I’d like to see…a bucket list, if you will.
But alas, sometimes time and money and life get in the way. And the trips to London and Thailand and Capetown get postponed.
So…I read.
Truthfully, I’ve always wanted to go to Ghana. Perhaps it was because of my graduate work at NYU, for we discussed much of the culture in my World Drama Class. I’ve always had a fascination with the country, and, after reading Powder Necklace, I hope to go now more than ever.
At the heart of Powder Necklace is Lila, who lives and is raised in London, but is sent to live with her Aunt in rural Ghana, after her mother “catches” her watching television with a boy. And yes, they were just watching TV. So, in an effort to protect her daughter, perhaps from her own mistakes, her mother sends her back to the country from which she came.
In Ghana, we get into a glimpse of a life and world that is the polar opposite of London.
A life where water is a luxury…
Where school is a luxury…
Where you do not have the choice to keep your hair the way you want it…
Where you do not have much choice at all.
It’s a life that is different, yet vibrant.
And after six years, Lila leaves Ghana, only to return to her mother, mothers new husband, and a stepsister who’s nothing more than a surprise.
So, where does Lila wind up? Well, New York of course. It is one of the greatest cities in the world. And this, dear friends, is a great book. I’m not going to tell you the end, or the bits and pieces that I left out. I will tell you that you should pick it up today, you won’t regret it.
And teacher friends, be sure to bring this into your classroom! It’s Common Core Standards at its finest.
Live, Love, Learn,