There is a strong found family thread running through that is enjoyable. This is a book that you do have to pay attention to - shifts in time and perspective are not the clearest.

Days come and go in Hemley Boum's novel. The passage of time is a witness to the life of the three women at the center of this narrative: Anna, Abi, and Tina. Between memories and the present, their lives unfold framed by this ever-flowing time.
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Anna now close to the end bring us back to the Cameroon of her youth, a Cameroon that will soon know independence but not a full one. It is a way of life, a culture that colonialism slowly eroded to leave its own imprint on the population, and that forces people like Anna to change and assimilate in order to hope for a better life. Whereas Anna was our door to the past, Tina opened a door to contemporary Cameroon and the blight of Boko Haram.
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Days Come and Go, beautifully translated by Nchanji Njamnsi is a story of resilience and survival, a story about motherhood, and an ode to chosen families. What you would love the most about this book is the care that Hemley put into creating fully fleshed complex characters.
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"The weariness of life sets in and takes root when we realize that we are the flesh that feeds a history we’ve had no hand in writing. Unable as we are to align our lives to the rhythm of the world. We are at the center of a heartbreaking tragedy, caught in the dark axes of the stars and we have no control over our bleak mornings."
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"Treat her kindly. I know you see helpless, terminally ill beings every day. I understand the need to keep their suffering at a safe distance, but you must understand: to me, this woman is much more than just a failing body, Abi pleaded silently. She is a loved one, a precious life ebbing away in silence."
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I voluntarily read and reviewed a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Engaging story set in Cameroon which follows three women over a generation. The relationship between mother and daughter especially poignant. The politics of the time also fill the pages.
Read/reviewed for Net Galley.

This was a moving mother and daughter story that intimately explored the experience of living in a liminal space. I loved the first half of the book especially and am eager to read whatever Boum writes next.

As a translated book, the writing here is so beautiful and thoughtful. The shifting perspectives bring interest to the story and provide a wider picture of the history and culture of Cameroon. This is a book I hope to encounter in physical form, because the non-linear structure of the narrative made it hard to follow in egalley format, without the ability to go back and forth between sections as easily. Boum spares no detail about the violent realities of many, which may be a trigger warning for some, but the underlying alone of the connection between money and daughter—the tenous connection to life, is worth giving this book a try.

4 stars

I am grateful to Two Lines Press for sending me an advanced copy of this book for review.

This story highlighted a family, spanned two continents over a timeline that was fascinating. We see the exploration of larger issues such as politics and religion, as well as closer, more personal issues like familial relationships and internal conflicts. I thought the author was ambitious in their selection of character viewpoints for the story and the sequence of events laid out in this story structure. The writing style was accessible, and the plot was compelling. The characters, though not all of them were fully explored, were still intriguing and added to a very immersive experience especially in the more heightened moments of the plot.

This is a very emotional story, and a lot of the focus is internal, even though there is a lot happening with the plot that is quite impactful and, at some times, devastating. The characters felt very real, and you find them both loveable and frustrating, which makes the story feel more real. Moving between the settings of Cameroon and Europe was a great choice by the author because it really helped to highlight the stark differences between these two worlds that these characters traverse throughout their lives. The events that occur in this book are heartbreaking and horrible, and after getting to know these characters so intimately the impact is visceral. I think the author also did a good job of shedding light on the topics and global issues this story tackled (no spoilers).

I thought this book was very well done, and I would recommend it to readers of historical fiction, literary fiction, and cultural stories. I must say I was quite surprised with where the story finally ended up based only on the description. Note I would say that if you are a sensitive reader, you should probably read some more detailed reviews to know if this book has content that would be too much for you.

Thank you to the author, Two Lines Press and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review (coming late because COVID finally got me).

This powerful, heart-wrenching novel is a difficult read. Knowing that this is harsh reality for so many makes it well worth the read. Telling the story of three generations of Cameroonian women, it reflects on their struggles, triumphs, heartaches, hardships, relationships, and survival. The structure is a bit confusing, with location, time, and POV changing without warning - but the story pulled me in and did not let me go. Highly recommend.

I love to read a novel that offers a look into cultures I have yet to experience, so Boum's novel, set mostly in Cameroon, was perfect for me. It was suggested for readers of Yaa Gaasi, which was an apt comparison. The multi-generational story was brilliant, but mostly painful to read; brutal in its depiction of a militant terrorist faction, but also fiercely hopeful in its argument for the power of human connection.

I really enjoyed reading this book, although the shift from the family drama in 3 generations to the radicalisation of the friend group felt quite sudden and a bit unnatural.

Days Come and Go tells the story of three Cameroonian women in addition to multiple male supporting characters. Anna is a matriarch living out her final days in Paris. Abi is Anna's thoroughly European daughter. Tina is a teenager who comes under the sway of a militant terrorist faction. The three women's lives intersect and share a story of human connection as they interact with their families, friends, co-workers, and others.
I really liked the stories set in Africa that prove life is similar for folks around the world. Insight into the culture and life in Cameroon is also eye-opening.
The storylines fluctuate between characters and timeframes, though, which is confusing.
While I understand the cliffhanger, I would have loved to read how the story ends for Abi, Tina and Max.

I was provided a free advanced reader copy of this from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
This story follows three generations of Cameroonian women through their struggles, triumphs, heartaches, hardships, relationships, and survival! We meet Anna on her deathbed reciting her life story to her daughter, Abi. She grew up in a rural village but was able to escape when given the opportunity to study at a school in a bigger city. Abi, grew up in that bigger city before going to Europe and settling down with her husband and son. Then we see Tina, who is friends with Abi's son back in Cameroon, and her struggle for identity and relationships.
There is a lot in this novel. The struggles of poverty, politics, relationships of many kinds, identity, and the horrors of terrorist extremists. There are parts that were difficult to hear about, but knowing they are the harsh realities of many people in our world it was worth learning about.
The formatting of this book was difficult at times to read, for one because there were no chapters! Understanding that the formatting of ARCs are sometimes off, I suspect that this isn't just because it was an ARC. With four narrators (Abi's son gets a small amount too), and multiple time jumps it was difficult to catch the changes sometimes without chapters and my copy didn't even always have large breaks between paragraphs to indicate changes.
Overall it was a good book, and I learned a lot. This is the first book by Hemley Boum that has been translated into English, by Nchanji Njamnsi. The writing style was very lyrical and I was able to feel a lot of the feelings of the characters. That's a testament to both the author and translator!
This translation is expected to be published 6 Sep, so add it to your TBR and keep an eye out!
#NetGalley #DaysComeAndGo

🌟DAYS COME AND GO🌟 by Hemley Boum ~to be published September 6, 2022

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hard topics (death and dying, unfaithfulness, corruption, religious extremists) are woven into this multi-generational saga, set primarily in sub-Saharan Africa.

Heartfelt thanks to @Netgalley and @Two_Lines_Press for the complimentary advance review copy. All thoughts are my own. Translated from French by Nchanju Njamnsi. Winner of the Prix Ahmadou Kourouma.

I picked this up for Women in Translation Month. Immediately, I was struck by Boum’s poetic and gentle writing (and credit, too, goes to Njamnsi’s translation). I started reading this while on an airplane, and the writing was so calming! We meet Anna, a Cameroonian woman dying of cancer, as she narrates her life story from her deathbed to her daughter, Abi, who sits by her side and records her. Anna’s story of growing up in Cameroon captivated me, and I would have happily stayed in that world for the whole novel. Interspersed, we hear directly from Abi about her life in France, her affair, and her failed marriage.

While I am used to alternating timelines, the structure here was a little too nonlinear for me, with location, time, and POV changing without warning. At the time, I chalked up my confusion to being on the aforementioned airplane (it can be hard to focus with the distractions), but looking back, I think that the chosen structure makes following the action unnecessarily tricky.

More than two thirds of the way through, the POV shifts to Tina, Anna’s goddaughter, as she describes past events in first-person to Abi’s son, Max. What was primarily a mother-daughter tale shifts quite dramatically into a story about three young people who are indoctrinated into Boko Haram, an Islamic terrorist organization. The shift took me by surprise and I felt as though I was suddenly reading a completely different book (I wonder, was the rapid shift intentional – to mirror the quickly changing landscape in Cameroon at the time?).

Worth a read, particularly if you are interested in learning more about Cameroon’s history and culture, but please do check the trigger warnings.

This will review will be posted on Goodreads now, and on Instagram — @sanfranliterarygal — closer to publication (I will update this review with a link).

This was such a stunning story of three Cameroonian women, the women who supported them, and the interconnectedness of their lives, loves, and traumas. I breezed through this book despite how devastating the subject matter is- Boum is an incredible writer and Njamnsi did a wonderful job with the translation. A solid 4 star read, mostly because I felt that Tina’s story- featured in the last 1/3 of the book- was the most compelling of the three. Thank you to Netgalley & Two Lines Press for the ARC!

Days Come and Go by Hemley Boum is the story of three generations of women from Cameroon, Africa. It is a powerful, heart wrenching, difficult read. Politics, family, mother daughter relationships, terrorism, jihad are at the heart of the story. This story proves over and over that one does not have to be blood to be family, or to be loved wholeheartedly. This story proves that no matter how hard a mother tries, no matter a mothers undeniable love, she single handedly can not always save her children or be responsible for their decisions. “A child needs a community to grow confidently. Everyone of us will have a role to play.”So much more plays a part in their lives. A mother can only do her best, try and remain guilt free and pray for the right outcome.

I felt the beginning of the book was hard to follow. My advanced copy did not have chapters. I am not sure if this is how the book really is. It was hard to tell who was speaking and when the narrator switched. Half way through I got the hang of it and everything fell into place. The story of the younger generation is what held me captive. I stayed up all night to finish.

This would be a great book club read if the members are able to tolerate the violence. I learned a lot about jihad and suicide bombers. How young teens are recruited to blow themselves up. The older generation starts war and sends their young children in to fight it. This happens over and over all over the world and is incomprehensible.

I highly recommend this book to the right audience. It is a very difficult read. There is a lot to learn by reading this book. Thank you NetGalley and Two Lines Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a powerful novel that will leave a lasting impression on my mind! The life stories of these women are shoking due to the violence some of them experienced! All of them looking for a self which does not come easily whether in Paris or in Cameroon. Self-identity depends so much on your family, your religion, the social status of women.... Very thought provoking, disturbing but moving as well. I felt for each of these women, and I will not forget what life can be like for some of u women . I learned a lot about Cameroon, and felt that Europe is very far indeed. Definitely a page-turner, not an easy read emotionally speaking though, but should be read.
I received a complimentary ARC of this novel from NetGalley and I am leaving voluntarily a review.

Days Come and Go by Hemley Boum tells the story of Anna and her daughter Abi and takes places in both Cameroon and France. When the story begins, we meet Anna in her village in Cameroon. We follow her through school and the arrival of her daughter. Abi's story is interspersed in Anna's story. We also follow Max, Abi's son, during one of his visits to Cameroon.

The family saga portion of the novel is compelling and keeps interest. Boum engages the reader with life in Cameroon without hitting them over the head with it. The parts in Paris with Abi and her family felt a little jumpy at first but, eventually, the storyline plays out and we understand why it is told.

A major issue with the book, however, is how the political piece comes out of nowhere and goes on. While I appreciate politics and history and social change in a story, in fact, I often find those pieces more interesting than the story, Boum smacks us in the face with some awful parts of East African life, notably Boko Harum. The existence of Boko Harum is deplorable and their actions are beyond horrible. And we should not ignore its existence or its actions. But, the way this groups was integrated into the story was forced. We heard nothing about extremists throughout the entire novel and then towards the end, BAM!, Boko Harum and rape and kidnapping and suicide bombers. It just felt forced. It felt like Boum wanted the world to know about the atrocities (which the world should) but couldn't figure out how to organically include it in the story. So another storyline was written.

I loved learning about Cameroon. I only wish the story had stayed focused on Anna and her family.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an ARC of #DaysComeAndGo.

This contemplative novel charting the recent history of Cameroon begins as a mother-daughter story and shifts into a harrowing narrative of three young people recruited by Boko Haram.

Anna, the dying matriarch, received the benefit of an education from French nuns, who also tried to divide her from her people and culture. She married an idealistic man who joined the independence movement but later became part of the corrupt government. Their daughter, Abi, moved to France and married a white man, but marital troubles caused her to send their son, Max, back to Cameroon for a year spent with three vulnerable friends. The characters’ stories are woven together to create a rich portrait of a modern African country.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the review copy.

The description of this book is accurate, yet somehow feels very different. Most information is told through the characters’ thoughts. There is little dialogue or action.
I haven’t read many ARCs, so wasn’t sure what to expect. There was little formatting (no chapters or identification of sections by character or location). It took time to determine these changes while reading. Over halfway into the ebook, things did pick up and my attention peaked.
I enjoyed learning about Cameroon (history, culture, etc). This is a valuable story that I believe needs to be told. However, it takes some time to get into.

A story told through multiple POV, it walks us through some history and culture of Africa and the modern day life in Cameroon and Paris. I found the writing to be lyrical and wondered how it would to read the original.
The story straddles cultures, the clash between the Western ideology and the reality of refugees within Africa. I am still processing parts of the story, especially the violence waged in the name of religion.
I received an ARC from Net Galley in return for my honest opinion. I do recommend this book.

The description sounds fascinating - who doesn't love a multi-generational novel?

Turns out, I didn't.

This book, told from multiple POVs and multi timelines, was mainly told through description.

A lot of the narrative is in the head of the characters, especially Anna.

Since the premise was really interesting I pick this up again.