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The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood | |||||||
 
| 80% Recommended by our customers. Publisher: Simon & Schuster Catalog: Book Release date: 2008-09-02 Media: Hardcover Number of pages: 368 Ean: 9780743266246 Book Isbn: 0743266242  Tip: compare prices with similar booksAuthor:
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Helene Cooper is "Congo," a descendant of two Liberian dynasties -- traced back to the first ship of freemen that set sail from New York in 1820 to found Monrovia. Helene grew up at Sugar Beach, a twenty-two-room mansion by the sea. Her childhood was filled with servants, flashy cars, a villa in Spain, and a farmhouse up-country. It was also an African childhood, filled with knock foot games and hot pepper soup, heartmen and neegee. When Helene was eight, the Coopers took in a foster child -- a common custom among the Liberian elite. Eunice, a Bassa girl, suddenly became known as "Mrs. Cooper's daughter." For years the Cooper daughters -- Helene, her sister Marlene, and Eunice -- blissfully enjoyed the trappings of wealth and advantage. But Liberia was like an unwatched pot of water left boiling on the stove. And on April 12, 1980, a group of soldiers staged a coup d'état, assassinating President William Tolbert and executing his cabinet. The Coopers and the entire Congo class were now the hunted, being imprisoned, shot, tortured, and raped. After a brutal daylight attack by a ragtag crew of soldiers, Helene, Marlene, and their mother fled Sugar Beach, and then Liberia, for America. They left Eunice behind. A world away, Helene tried to assimilate as an American teenager. At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill she found her passion in journalism, eventually becoming a reporter for the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. She reported from every part of the globe -- except Africa -- as Liberia descended into war-torn, third-world hell. In 2003, a near-death experience in Iraq convinced Helene that Liberia -- and Eunice -- could wait no longer. At once a deeply personal memoir and an examination of a violent and stratified country, The House at Sugar Beach tells of tragedy, forgiveness, and transcendence with unflinching honesty and a survivor's gentle humor. And at its heart, it is a story of Helene Cooper's long voyage home. |
| User Reviews: |
 Written on October 23, 2008 Summary: Outstanding and thoughtful memoir Ms. Cooper's memoir was a thoughtful and sensitive look into the complex relationship among Africans in Liberia. Her book provided me with a vivid picture of Liberian society before and after their recent major coups. The book was instructive from a historical perspective, while at the same time very moving and personal. The book was eye-opening and I hope others enjoy the experience of reading it. Written on October 21, 2008 Summary: A poignant and heartfelt trip down memory lane Helene Cooper's beautifully written memoir is the story of so many Liberians, scattered through the Diaspora. It is a moving and touching tribute to a beautiful country we call home. I am elated to read a piece of Liberian literature that gives us more than "war stories", because there was a Liberia before the civil war. It was and still is a wonderful place that holds so many good, and not so good, memories for all of us who grew up in the pre-civil war Liberia. This is a must read for anyone who loves Liberia, who loved growing up in Liberia and who may one day want to go back home to Liberia. Written on October 21, 2008 Summary: Laugh, cry and grow up with Helene One of the best biographies I have ever read. It is impossible to put down. Helene Cooper shares so much in the first half that will have you laugh out loud. The second half is heartbreaking but before it is over she has you laughing again. This isn't one of those bios that leave you emotionally drained because of the cruelty some human beings thrive on. This is a beautifully written first-person account of her loving childhood before a horrible time in our generation's history, how it impacted and scattered her family, and how she put her life's pieces back together. The author's memories are so vivid and engrossing I felt as if I had went back in time and lived it beside her. I loved her slang, descriptions of the smells and tastes, the people, her childhood fears and crushes. It left me wanting more-not that the book needed it to be complete, but because I enjoyed her stories so much. I highly recommend this book to any book lover no matter what genre they prefer: war, history, non-fiction, humor, etc. I was also very pleased that the author did not feel she needed to use vulgar language. On that fact alone you could recommend this book to anyone. Written on October 21, 2008 Summary: A look at Liberia after settlement by American Blacks This book was an insight as to the thought processes that decendents of Freed black settlement of Liberia. The European thinking of the free people of color/ and freed slaves towards the natives of the land named Liberia. With the true history shrouded in secrecy/untruths/half truths, and downright lies, it was refreshing to read what (according to a daughter of the country) what actually happened, or what the decendents were told happened. Now I understand why Liberia was/is in so much turmoil. Written on October 20, 2008 Summary: Riviting, powerful, reads like a novel. I could not put this book down! It is so well written that it reads like a novel. I was so engrossed I felt like I was right along with the author as she lived her life. The history of Liberia is interwoven in such a way that it is easy to understand and it doesn't just feel like a history lesson. The story is powerful and incredibly moving. There are some violent and disturbing incidents described in the book, including a rape. I loved this book!! |
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| Lowest used price | $10.00 | $13.06 | $13.95 | $10.89 | $14.90 | $11.25 |
| Lowest new price | $12.95 | $12.65 | $14.25 | $10.89 | $14.70 | $12.53 |
| Collectible price | - | $24.00 | $25.95 | $26.00 | $29.95 | - |
| Catalog | Book | Book | Book | Book | Book | Book |
| Release date | 2008-09-02 | 2008-07-29 | 2008-09-19 | 2008-09-02 | 2008-09-08 | 2008-06-09 |
| Media | Hardcover | Hardcover | Hardcover | Hardcover | Hardcover | Hardcover |
| Number of pages | 368 | 288 | 576 | 576 | 448 | 368 |
| Ean | 9780743266246 | 9780385340991 | 9780061768064 | 9781400064755 | 9780374166854 | 9780316113786 |
| Book Isbn | 0743266242 | 0385340990 | 0061768065 | 1400064759 | 0374166854 | 0316113786 |
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