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18th out of 111 books
—
38 voters
The Boy Who Stole the Leopard's Spots (Amanda Brown #3)
by
Tamar Myers
A decades-old murder, a strange superstition, an enormous snake, and one giant secret are about to rock thee beautiful Belle Vue to its core.
It is a time of great upheaval for the Belgian Congo, and Belle Vue is not safe from the changes. But there are more pressing problems as an unsolved disappearance brings up issues for some of the denizens of the village. Add to that...more
It is a time of great upheaval for the Belgian Congo, and Belle Vue is not safe from the changes. But there are more pressing problems as an unsolved disappearance brings up issues for some of the denizens of the village. Add to that...more
Paperback, 304 pages
Published
May 8th 2012
by William Morrow Paperbacks
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Apr 29, 2012
Kelly Knapp
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
history buffs, African literature buffs, High School students studying slavery and segragation
Recommended to Kelly by:
Goodreads Firstreads giveaway.
First, I must say that this book has it all: mystery, budding romance, familial and societal conflict, mythos of some of the African tribes, evangelism, hypocrisy, suicide, and even a resurrection.
However, this is neither a book about religion nor evangelism. It is a historical fiction relating a story about a set of twins (an unwanted, evil abnormality in early African tribes) whose father loves them so much he defies the tradition of his people and refuses to let them be killed.
It is a story a...more
However, this is neither a book about religion nor evangelism. It is a historical fiction relating a story about a set of twins (an unwanted, evil abnormality in early African tribes) whose father loves them so much he defies the tradition of his people and refuses to let them be killed.
It is a story a...more
sent to me by www.bestsellersworld.com for review
This is a beautifully written, excellent book about murder, superstition, cannibalism, relations between whites and natives, priest and missionaries, slaves and free. A lot of ground is covered in this novel set in the Belgian Congo in two time zones, 1958 and flashbacks to 1935.
The characters are vivid and real and even though I have never been to the Congo I now feel as though I have. The descriptions are so crisp and clear I feel I could draw a...more
This is a beautifully written, excellent book about murder, superstition, cannibalism, relations between whites and natives, priest and missionaries, slaves and free. A lot of ground is covered in this novel set in the Belgian Congo in two time zones, 1958 and flashbacks to 1935.
The characters are vivid and real and even though I have never been to the Congo I now feel as though I have. The descriptions are so crisp and clear I feel I could draw a...more
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Tamar Myers spent her childhood in what was then The Belgian Congo where her parents were missionaries.
THE BOY WHO STOLE THE LEOPARD'S SPOTS, the third of a series of novels based on her experiences there, takes the reader into a small village in 1958 with some flashbacks to 1935.
When she is 40 years old, the tribal chief's favorite wife gives birth to twin sons. They are her first children but the birth of twins is considered unnatural by the tribesman. They believe that one of the babies is an...more
THE BOY WHO STOLE THE LEOPARD'S SPOTS, the third of a series of novels based on her experiences there, takes the reader into a small village in 1958 with some flashbacks to 1935.
When she is 40 years old, the tribal chief's favorite wife gives birth to twin sons. They are her first children but the birth of twins is considered unnatural by the tribesman. They believe that one of the babies is an...more
A deliciously quiet read. Very vivid and interesting characters. Good humor along with a historical background of Belgian Congo. I love Cripple! I love the cross cultural exchanges, such as this: "Her face was red, which is a clear sign that a mukelenge is angry or that you have surprised her on the toilet." I was amused often and enjoyed the author's insights and the PS at the end. Here's another favorite line: Not even a suckling babe dared to breathe, nor an old man break wind.
I didn't reali...more
I didn't reali...more
First Line: It was much cooler in the canyon that lay in front of, and below, the village.
Legends surround the birth of twins to a king in the Belgian Congo of the 1920s. This was the time when headhunters and cannibals still followed the old ways, a time when the birth of twins was a bad omen that must be dealt with swiftly. Due to his cunning, the king's twins both survived and grew to manhood.
Fast forward to the late 1950s. As independence for the Congo grows nearer, even the remote town of B...more
Legends surround the birth of twins to a king in the Belgian Congo of the 1920s. This was the time when headhunters and cannibals still followed the old ways, a time when the birth of twins was a bad omen that must be dealt with swiftly. Due to his cunning, the king's twins both survived and grew to manhood.
Fast forward to the late 1950s. As independence for the Congo grows nearer, even the remote town of B...more
This book is part of a trilogy, a fact which is not at all obvious when you read the blurb. The author made many veiled references to prior events which must have happened in the past books but since I haven't read them, I had no idea what she was talking about. The author's writing style didn't sit well with me - I felt like she was simply telling me things instead of showing me. The characters were very one dimensional, with no development over the course of the novel, and the storyline failed...more
It's stop #9 on Summer Passport and we're in Africa!
Welcome to Africa! Our first stop is the Democratic Republic of the Congo!
A beautiful young American missionary, a local Belgian Congolese police chief and the local village's witch doctor are all tied together in the mystery of the evil omens that have beset the village. From a decades old murder to superstition to an earthquake that quite literally cuts the village in half, suggest that more lives will be lost before the true killer is found....more
Welcome to Africa! Our first stop is the Democratic Republic of the Congo!
A beautiful young American missionary, a local Belgian Congolese police chief and the local village's witch doctor are all tied together in the mystery of the evil omens that have beset the village. From a decades old murder to superstition to an earthquake that quite literally cuts the village in half, suggest that more lives will be lost before the true killer is found....more
this book interested me because of its setting in the Congo, and the local color and flavor are worth the read. however, the heroine if you can call her that, a young white missionary woman from South Carolina, doesn't so much "solve" the mystery as "stumble upon" the explanation for it. and truly, local people do not, in my experience, spend very much time thinking about the difference between protestantism and catholicism or defending their own beliefs. i was not impressed enough to read any o...more
Although listed as a mystery, this story is more of life in the Belgian Congo (circa 1958). There are also chapters that alternated to the same area during 1935. Author Tamar Myers using her own experiences to write a descriptive narrative of what it was like during this turbulent time. Other than that, I didn’t care for the plot (no mystery) or feel for the mail characters. IS it because I haven’t read the first two books in the series? Not sure, but I will not go back to read them either.
I’m on vacation working on my summer reading list. I read most of The Boy Who Stole the Leopard’s Spots by Tamar Myers on my flight to Louisiana last week. I’m really glad I took print copies of books to read on the plane. There’s usually 10-20 minutes before take off and landing when no electronics are allowed. That’s about 20-40 minutes I wouldn’t be able to read on my e-reader or phone. I don’t know about you all, but I can read a lot in 20 minutes.
So instead of napping on my flights, I read....more
So instead of napping on my flights, I read....more
Folksy, fire-side story-telling writing style; vivid descriptions; humorous inter-personal exchanges; interesting exploration of cross-cultural engagement. This book didn't blow me away but I enjoyed reading it. My favorite part: that Cripple speaks Latin! And the author's notes at the end -- she talks about her childhood, growing up as the child of Mennonite missionaries in the Belgian Congo where and her father was offered a drum made with a skin that included a belly button!
A very interesting story set in an interesting place and time: the Belgian Congo in (alternatively) 1938 and 1954. This is apparently the third book in this setting, with some of the same people. I will have to go back and check out the earlier books. Light but with good sociological observations.
I liked this book but it is listed as a mystery and I really didn't feel it should be. Although there was a mystery the book didn't really focus on that. More of life on the Congo, maybe it should be listed as an historical fiction rather than a mystery. I did find it interesting and to know the author was born and raised there to the age of 16 and had firsthand knowledge of the people and area it made it more interesting. If your looking for a mystery than I don't think this would be the book f...more
This book appealed to me, even though I have read other novels by Tamar Myers, which I did not relish. I had read Tamar Myers Pennsylvania Dutch series, as I enjoy stories about the Amish, and of course, I adore mysteries. The book, Hell Hath No Curry, was a big disappointment to me. I feel that Myers is more in her element writing stories about African village life. The writing is lyrical and dwells on village life in Africa. The novel covers many experiences by the various individuals in the v...more
I dabbled in this book which flipped backwards and forwards between African folk lore and real life. I cOuldn't quite get into it!!
Not your usual mystery; in fact, not much of a mystery at all. But an interesting read nonetheless.
Very interesting book. Liked how it all tied together. A little strange and hard to follow at times. Makes you laugh and think. You can see the story as it unfolds
This author has lost it.
Aug 21, 2012
Dionisia
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
series,
own,
fiction,
africa,
advance-reading-copy,
historical-fiction,
mystery,
first-reads
These are my thoughts on an uncorrected proof I received via Goodreads giveaway...
Why is it so flippin' hard to write a decent "review" of something I enjoyed reading so much? Let's see. I shall start with...I really liked this book. The characters came alive on the page. [Cripple, I love you.] It had a strong sense of place. [The Belgian Congo of 1958, with snatches of 1935 sprinkled throughout.] More please?
Why is it so flippin' hard to write a decent "review" of something I enjoyed reading so much? Let's see. I shall start with...I really liked this book. The characters came alive on the page. [Cripple, I love you.] It had a strong sense of place. [The Belgian Congo of 1958, with snatches of 1935 sprinkled throughout.] More please?
nice commentary on race/class relations.
Couldn't get in to this one. Only made it about 30-40 pages before I have up.
Each one of the books in this series is more exciting than the one before it. The plots are fresh and interesting, the politics and cultures ring true, the characters are engaging. I will certainly read every one of these African tales.
The ending was a bit abrupt, but I did like the back and forth story telling. It weaved together nicely and was well written. Cripple was definitely my favorite character: wise, sarcastic, mischievous, caring.
Jun 16, 2013
Jade
marked it as to-read
Jun 17, 2013
Robin
is currently reading it
Jun 10, 2013
Jen
marked it as to-read
Jun 07, 2013
Allison
marked it as to-read
Jun 07, 2013
Dallison
marked it as to-read
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Tamar Myers was born and raised in the Belgian Congo (now just the Congo). Her parents were missionaries to a tribe which, at that time, were known as headhunters and used human skulls for drinking cups. Hers was the first white family ever to peacefully coexist with the tribe, and Tamar grew up fluent in the local trade language. Because of her pale blue eyes, Tamar’s nickname was Ugly Eyes.
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