I have enjoyed very much watching Jennifer’s exciting debut novel come to fruition. With each new draft, she has polished and perfected her compelling narrative with unbridled enthusiasm and determination. The result is a complicated love story played out in a wild country rich with imagery and full of danger. Among the many themes explored are issues of culture clash, modernization versus tradition, convenience over love, identity and belonging, and the allure of the spirit world. I think readers will truly love this book.
Jennifer's novel is gorgeous. Richly drawn characters, vivid imagery and compelling storylines are woven together to bring Africa to life. This captivating and poignant novel was difficult to put down and has proved impossible to forget.
Set in Nigeria during the Green Revolution in the 1970s, a time of false optimism and cultural bafflement, Seeds of Plenty traces the intersection of beautifully realized Chinese and African characters whose well-meaning actions and good intentions set them on a heartbreaking collision course. Jennifer Juo’s lyric descriptions of the richness of the African landscape, markets, spiritual beliefs and customs stand in sharp contrast to the austerity of the gated compound of outsiders who have come to “save” local farmers from traditional farming methods. This is a wonderful book full of romance, tension, and discovery set within a worldview of contemporary relevance. =
Jennifer Juo uses words like watercolors, painting an African backdrop so vivid you think you are there. From ex-pat poolside parties, to planting seeds in the tough African soil, to a lonely woman's affair beneath the watchful eye of her daughter, Seeds of Plenty, transports the reader back to a time of idealism and trials, when the blending of diverse cultures resulted not only in growing pains on individuals, but on a movement - the Green Revolution. A pleaure to read, Seeds of Plenty lifts the imagination to a higher plateau.
I loved this book! Jennifer Juo's beautiful and evocative prose transports the reader to Nigeria in the 1970's, in the midst of the well-meaning but fundamentally flawed Green Revolution. The novel's main characters, a Chinese family in Africa, probe the depths of the human condition- from the idealistic and single-minded father to the beautiful young mother trapped in a marriage of convenience, and the mixed-race daughter who belongs as much to the spirit world as she does to the world around her. The story tells of hopes, dreams, heartache and resiliency, in a fascinating tale of good intentions gone wrong. This is a wonderful novel, whose many layers, well-drawn characters, and richly painted backdrop make it stand out as one of the best books I have read in a long time.
I had the good fortune to attend a writer's workshop with Jennifer a few years ago. From her first reading, it was evident that Jenn was the most gifted writer in the room. Her scenes were vivid and evocative, her phrasing was lyrical, her characters warm and alive. Jennifer's narrative voice and story were so real, they felt as if they'd been drawn from memory, rather than imagination. If you love writers who deftly handle both language and story, keep an eye on Jennifer Juo. I look forward to following her career.
It was a genuine pleasure to read such a beautiful story. Jennifer's writing has a lyrical, poetic quality to it, and she has a distinctive voice that makes this novel stand head and shoulders above the crowded realm of mediocrity. Even the title is perect: Seeds of Plenty.
There is so much to love about this book. One thing that stood out for me was the parallel drawn between the Chinese and African ways of life, especially in their reverence for ancestors. I would have thought there could be little similarity between the two races, but Jennifer proved otherwise, and in a way that was both respectful and mystical.
Jennifer has written a hauntingly beautiful story, one that stayed with me for days afterwards. I felt deeply invested in each character. The writing is exquisite, and I suspect she will end up with a devoted cult following. When this book gets published, it will go on my keeper shelf, and the author's name will go on my list of auto buys.
7 comments:
I have enjoyed very much watching Jennifer’s exciting debut novel come to fruition. With each new draft, she has polished and perfected her compelling narrative with unbridled enthusiasm and determination. The result is a complicated love story played out in a wild country rich with imagery and full of danger. Among the many themes explored are issues of culture clash, modernization versus tradition, convenience over love, identity and belonging, and the allure of the spirit world. I think readers will truly love this book.
Jennifer's novel is gorgeous. Richly drawn characters, vivid imagery and compelling storylines are woven together to bring Africa to life. This captivating and poignant novel was difficult to put down and has proved impossible to forget.
Set in Nigeria during the Green Revolution in the 1970s, a time of false optimism and cultural bafflement, Seeds of Plenty traces the intersection of beautifully realized Chinese and African characters whose well-meaning actions and good intentions set them on a heartbreaking collision course. Jennifer Juo’s lyric descriptions of the richness of the African landscape, markets, spiritual beliefs and customs stand in sharp contrast to the austerity of the gated compound of outsiders who have come to “save” local farmers from traditional farming methods. This is a wonderful book full of romance, tension, and discovery set within a worldview of contemporary relevance.
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Jennifer Juo uses words like watercolors, painting an African backdrop so vivid you think you are there. From ex-pat poolside parties, to planting seeds in the tough African soil, to a lonely woman's affair beneath the watchful eye of her daughter, Seeds of Plenty, transports the reader back to a time of idealism and trials, when the blending of diverse cultures resulted not only in growing pains on individuals, but on a movement - the Green Revolution. A pleaure to read, Seeds of Plenty lifts the imagination to a higher plateau.
I loved this book! Jennifer Juo's beautiful and evocative prose transports the reader to Nigeria in the 1970's, in the midst of the well-meaning but fundamentally flawed Green Revolution. The novel's main characters, a Chinese family in Africa, probe the depths of the human condition- from the idealistic and single-minded father to the beautiful young mother trapped in a marriage of convenience, and the mixed-race daughter who belongs as much to the spirit world as she does to the world around her. The story tells of hopes, dreams, heartache and resiliency, in a fascinating tale of good intentions gone wrong. This is a wonderful novel, whose many layers, well-drawn characters, and richly painted backdrop make it stand out as one of the best books I have read in a long time.
I had the good fortune to attend a writer's workshop with Jennifer a few years ago. From her first reading, it was evident that Jenn was the most gifted writer in the room. Her scenes were vivid and evocative, her phrasing was lyrical, her characters warm and alive. Jennifer's narrative voice and story were so real, they felt as if they'd been drawn from memory, rather than imagination. If you love writers who deftly handle both language and story, keep an eye on Jennifer Juo. I look forward to following her career.
It was a genuine pleasure to read such a beautiful story. Jennifer's writing has a lyrical, poetic quality to it, and she has a distinctive voice that makes this novel stand head and shoulders above the crowded realm of mediocrity. Even the title is perect: Seeds of Plenty.
There is so much to love about this book. One thing that stood out for me was the parallel drawn between the Chinese and African ways of life, especially in their reverence for ancestors. I would have thought there could be little similarity between the two races, but Jennifer proved otherwise, and in a way that was both respectful and mystical.
Jennifer has written a hauntingly beautiful story, one that stayed with me for days afterwards. I felt deeply invested in each character. The writing is exquisite, and I suspect she will end up with a devoted cult following. When this book gets published, it will go on my keeper shelf, and the author's name will go on my list of auto buys.
Sherrie Holmes, freelance editor
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