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Belgian Congo Mystery #4
The Girl Who Married an Eagle: A Mystery
The final book Tamar Myers's Belgian Congo-set mystery series, this is the story of an all girls boarding school for runaway child brides, and features events inspired by Myers's childhood in the Belgian Congo.
When Julia Elaine Newton, a young, pretty Ohio girl, volunteered to go on a mission to the Belgian Congo, she knew it was going to be a huge change. But she never expected to wind up teaching at an all-girls boarding school primarily populated by runaway child brides!
Much to her chagrin, Early Dusk was born beautiful. If only she'd been ugly, Big Chief Eagle would not have noticed her. Escaping an arranged marriage, the scrappy eight-year-old girl finds her way to Julia Newton and the school. But this time her jilted husband will not be denied.
It's up to Julia and Early Dusk to try and save the school as Congolese Independence looms and Big Chief Eagle embarks on his revenge. With the help of Cripple and her husband, and even Amanda Brown, these plucky women must learn to save themselves.
Based on actual events, The Girl Who Married an Eagle is a beautiful finale to the Belgian Congo mystery series.
When Julia Elaine Newton, a young, pretty Ohio girl, volunteered to go on a mission to the Belgian Congo, she knew it was going to be a huge change. But she never expected to wind up teaching at an all-girls boarding school primarily populated by runaway child brides!
Much to her chagrin, Early Dusk was born beautiful. If only she'd been ugly, Big Chief Eagle would not have noticed her. Escaping an arranged marriage, the scrappy eight-year-old girl finds her way to Julia Newton and the school. But this time her jilted husband will not be denied.
It's up to Julia and Early Dusk to try and save the school as Congolese Independence looms and Big Chief Eagle embarks on his revenge. With the help of Cripple and her husband, and even Amanda Brown, these plucky women must learn to save themselves.
Based on actual events, The Girl Who Married an Eagle is a beautiful finale to the Belgian Congo mystery series.
272 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2013
About the author
Tamar Myers
73 books296 followersTamar 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.
Tamar grew up eating elephant, hippopotamus and even monkey. She attended a boarding school that was two days away by truck, and sometimes it was necessary to wade through crocodile infested waters to reach it. Other dangers she encountered as a child were cobras, deadly green mambas, and the voracious armies of driver ants that ate every animal (and human) that didn’t get out of their way.
In 1960 the Congo, which had been a Belgian colony, became an independent nation. There followed a period of retribution (for heinous crimes committed against the Congolese by the Belgians) in which many Whites were killed. Tamar and her family fled the Congo, but returned a year later. By then a number of civil wars were raging, and the family’s residence was often in the line of fire. In 1964, after living through three years of war, the family returned to the United States permanently.
Tamar was sixteen when her family settled in America, and she immediately underwent severe culture shock. She didn’t know how to dial a telephone, cross a street at a stoplight, or use a vending machine. She lucked out, however, by meeting her husband, Jeffrey, on her first day in an American high school. They literally bumped heads while he was leaving, and she entering, the Civics classroom.
Tamar now calls Charlotte, NC home. She lives with her husband, plus a Basenji dog named Pagan, a Bengal cat named Nkashama, and an orange tabby rescue cat named Dumpster Boy. She and her husband are of the Jewish faith, the animals are not.
Tamar enjoys gardening (she is a Master Gardner), bonsai, travel, painting and, of course, reading. She loves Thai and Indian food, and antique jewelry. She plans to visit Machu Pichu in the near future.
Series:
* Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery
* Den of Antiquity Mystery
Tamar grew up eating elephant, hippopotamus and even monkey. She attended a boarding school that was two days away by truck, and sometimes it was necessary to wade through crocodile infested waters to reach it. Other dangers she encountered as a child were cobras, deadly green mambas, and the voracious armies of driver ants that ate every animal (and human) that didn’t get out of their way.
In 1960 the Congo, which had been a Belgian colony, became an independent nation. There followed a period of retribution (for heinous crimes committed against the Congolese by the Belgians) in which many Whites were killed. Tamar and her family fled the Congo, but returned a year later. By then a number of civil wars were raging, and the family’s residence was often in the line of fire. In 1964, after living through three years of war, the family returned to the United States permanently.
Tamar was sixteen when her family settled in America, and she immediately underwent severe culture shock. She didn’t know how to dial a telephone, cross a street at a stoplight, or use a vending machine. She lucked out, however, by meeting her husband, Jeffrey, on her first day in an American high school. They literally bumped heads while he was leaving, and she entering, the Civics classroom.
Tamar now calls Charlotte, NC home. She lives with her husband, plus a Basenji dog named Pagan, a Bengal cat named Nkashama, and an orange tabby rescue cat named Dumpster Boy. She and her husband are of the Jewish faith, the animals are not.
Tamar enjoys gardening (she is a Master Gardner), bonsai, travel, painting and, of course, reading. She loves Thai and Indian food, and antique jewelry. She plans to visit Machu Pichu in the near future.
Series:
* Pennsylvania Dutch Mystery
* Den of Antiquity Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
April 6, 2013
First, the bad news: This is the final book in Tamar Myers’s Belgian Congo series. It takes place in 1959, a few months before the country achieved independence.
Now, the good news: It is one of, if not the best of her books. A wonderful story told with wit, humor, interesting characters, respect and understanding. It talks of beauty, sex, warfare, love, racism, laws, oppression, and human relations.
Ohioan Julia Newton, fresh out of college, heard a missionary from Africa speak at her middle-of-the-road Protestant church in Oxford, Ohio, one Sunday morning. “It was a subject that made a lot of people uncomfortable, and since being comfortable was the American Dream, anything negative was to be left at the doorway of the church.” Afterwards, she had dinner at her minister’s home and heard more about his work. One of his concerns was a school for runaway child brides. Even though she was supposed to begin teaching school in Oxford, Julia decided to become a missionary and teach at the school.
In the Congo, Julia learns about a life style totally different from her own. Not only are the lives of the African workers different, the lives and attitudes of the whites are also very different from hers. From Hank Hayes, a missionary whose late wife built the school, and his almost ten-year-old daughter Clementine, she learns about the African culture. The tribal system, for example, provided for a members survival. She is given a servant, an African woman named Cripple (who has appeared in previous books in the series) who presents the perspective of the Africans towards white people. Her thoughts and comments are often very funny as well as honest and informative.
Clementine, a precocious child who reads the encyclopedia, is referred to as The Great Distraction by Verna Doyer, a nurse. She is married to Reverend Arvin Doyer. Verna is a very able practitioner who medical skills have helped the Africans immensely. However, she is also a very strict, religious, woman who firmly believes she is doing God’s work and considers the Africans inferior to the white race. At one point, as she is walking towards the clinic, she is admiring some pied crows. “Nurse Verna started to smile and even slowed her pace, before she remembered that she was on God’s mission and had not been led to Africa for the sights.” Near the end of the book, we learn why she is so harsh. The Doyers and Julia are very frustrated because the Africans will not accept the great gift they are trying to give them: Civilization and Salvation through Christianity. (The African’s response: “For was not the Old Testament, which the missionaries made them read in school, full of stories of betrayal and revenge?”) Only Protestant, though. Roman Catholics are doomed.
Buakane, a member of the Bashilele tribe, was a perfect child: Beautiful, virtuous, honest, righteous, and more. When she is about twelve years old, the tribe’s chief, Eagle, decides he wants her to be his wife, the twenty third. Her father is paid a handsome dowry and she is taken to the Chief’s compound. While she is being prepared, she learns that when he dies (he is quite old), his wives are buried alive with him, often having their legs and arms broken. She runs away, is attacked by hyenas, and rescued by Hank and escapes with her only injury being the loss of a chunk of her thigh. He takes her to the Mission and, through her experiences, we see the way the Africans are treated by the missionaries. Eventually, Chief Eagle comes to claim her and the result of his visit wreaks havoc on the missionaries.
The descriptions of the surroundings and the people are excellent. I felt like I was seeing it all for myself. The characters change and grow as their experiences influence their attitudes and behaviors. Reading THE GIRL WHO MARRIED AN EAGLE, like the other three books in the series, is an enjoyable, worthwhile experience. It is labled as a mystery though it isn’t one in the traditional sense. Tamar Myers grew up the child of missionaries in the Belgian Congo in the 1950s and this book is based on actual experiences.
I received an early reviewers copy of this wonderful book from LibraryThing.
Now, the good news: It is one of, if not the best of her books. A wonderful story told with wit, humor, interesting characters, respect and understanding. It talks of beauty, sex, warfare, love, racism, laws, oppression, and human relations.
Ohioan Julia Newton, fresh out of college, heard a missionary from Africa speak at her middle-of-the-road Protestant church in Oxford, Ohio, one Sunday morning. “It was a subject that made a lot of people uncomfortable, and since being comfortable was the American Dream, anything negative was to be left at the doorway of the church.” Afterwards, she had dinner at her minister’s home and heard more about his work. One of his concerns was a school for runaway child brides. Even though she was supposed to begin teaching school in Oxford, Julia decided to become a missionary and teach at the school.
In the Congo, Julia learns about a life style totally different from her own. Not only are the lives of the African workers different, the lives and attitudes of the whites are also very different from hers. From Hank Hayes, a missionary whose late wife built the school, and his almost ten-year-old daughter Clementine, she learns about the African culture. The tribal system, for example, provided for a members survival. She is given a servant, an African woman named Cripple (who has appeared in previous books in the series) who presents the perspective of the Africans towards white people. Her thoughts and comments are often very funny as well as honest and informative.
Clementine, a precocious child who reads the encyclopedia, is referred to as The Great Distraction by Verna Doyer, a nurse. She is married to Reverend Arvin Doyer. Verna is a very able practitioner who medical skills have helped the Africans immensely. However, she is also a very strict, religious, woman who firmly believes she is doing God’s work and considers the Africans inferior to the white race. At one point, as she is walking towards the clinic, she is admiring some pied crows. “Nurse Verna started to smile and even slowed her pace, before she remembered that she was on God’s mission and had not been led to Africa for the sights.” Near the end of the book, we learn why she is so harsh. The Doyers and Julia are very frustrated because the Africans will not accept the great gift they are trying to give them: Civilization and Salvation through Christianity. (The African’s response: “For was not the Old Testament, which the missionaries made them read in school, full of stories of betrayal and revenge?”) Only Protestant, though. Roman Catholics are doomed.
Buakane, a member of the Bashilele tribe, was a perfect child: Beautiful, virtuous, honest, righteous, and more. When she is about twelve years old, the tribe’s chief, Eagle, decides he wants her to be his wife, the twenty third. Her father is paid a handsome dowry and she is taken to the Chief’s compound. While she is being prepared, she learns that when he dies (he is quite old), his wives are buried alive with him, often having their legs and arms broken. She runs away, is attacked by hyenas, and rescued by Hank and escapes with her only injury being the loss of a chunk of her thigh. He takes her to the Mission and, through her experiences, we see the way the Africans are treated by the missionaries. Eventually, Chief Eagle comes to claim her and the result of his visit wreaks havoc on the missionaries.
The descriptions of the surroundings and the people are excellent. I felt like I was seeing it all for myself. The characters change and grow as their experiences influence their attitudes and behaviors. Reading THE GIRL WHO MARRIED AN EAGLE, like the other three books in the series, is an enjoyable, worthwhile experience. It is labled as a mystery though it isn’t one in the traditional sense. Tamar Myers grew up the child of missionaries in the Belgian Congo in the 1950s and this book is based on actual experiences.
I received an early reviewers copy of this wonderful book from LibraryThing.
January 7, 2014
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
I entered the giveaway for this book strictly because the title alone caught my attention. I assumed it to be something about a tribe's culture because anything about the American lifestyle wouldn't have marriage and eagle in the same sentence. The assumption proved to be correct. The book revolves around the Congo and child-brides that run away from their husbands and wind up (possibly unintentionally) at this missionary center.
The book bounces between 1.)Buakane: a roughly 9-10 year old Bashilele girl who is escaping an arranged marriage with her tribe's chief, 2.)Julia Newton: a new missionary on the field, and 3.) Nurse Verna Doyer: an established missionary veteran. The three women bring differing viewpoints and ideals to the book that allow the reader to analyse their own lifestyles and moral decisions.
I feel like this would be a good book to propose to an Ethnic Studies class as material to discuss but I wasn't too thrilled with the overabundance of religion littered throughout the text. I understand that the book does revolve around missionaries' intentions, and that one of those MAIN intentions is converting individuals viewed as savages over to Christianity but I still wasn't too entertained by what was and was not deemed as a sinful act.
Overall, a worthwhile read if you are interested in reading about other cultures, and how one person can work to change customs, and lifestyles, as long as you aren't dissuade about being bombarded by religion.
(The author doesn't explicitly state the book is based on facts, but a lot of the information can persuade the reader to believe so.)
I entered the giveaway for this book strictly because the title alone caught my attention. I assumed it to be something about a tribe's culture because anything about the American lifestyle wouldn't have marriage and eagle in the same sentence. The assumption proved to be correct. The book revolves around the Congo and child-brides that run away from their husbands and wind up (possibly unintentionally) at this missionary center.
The book bounces between 1.)Buakane: a roughly 9-10 year old Bashilele girl who is escaping an arranged marriage with her tribe's chief, 2.)Julia Newton: a new missionary on the field, and 3.) Nurse Verna Doyer: an established missionary veteran. The three women bring differing viewpoints and ideals to the book that allow the reader to analyse their own lifestyles and moral decisions.
I feel like this would be a good book to propose to an Ethnic Studies class as material to discuss but I wasn't too thrilled with the overabundance of religion littered throughout the text. I understand that the book does revolve around missionaries' intentions, and that one of those MAIN intentions is converting individuals viewed as savages over to Christianity but I still wasn't too entertained by what was and was not deemed as a sinful act.
Overall, a worthwhile read if you are interested in reading about other cultures, and how one person can work to change customs, and lifestyles, as long as you aren't dissuade about being bombarded by religion.
(The author doesn't explicitly state the book is based on facts, but a lot of the information can persuade the reader to believe so.)
February 28, 2019
In 1960, Buakane, a pre-teen Congolese girl, is married off to neighboring Chief Eagle, to be his 23rd wife. Julia Newton of Oxford, Ohio, who belonged to a middle-of-the-road Protestant church, is a newbie missionary who runs a boarding school for runaway brides. Buakane runs away on her wedding night and is attacked by hyenas, meets Julie and the mission station’s Nurse Verna. Myers captures the natives’ point of view with conversation, traditions, rituals, and humor. (Competing Catholic missionaries have an image of their god looking like a Belgian dwarf stuck on crossed sticks.) Author says the story is “more fact than fiction, and it has a happy ending.
August 8, 2019
More a cultural comparison novel than a "mystery" as the cover proclaims. Myers grew up in the Belgian Congo, spoke the language, and uses some of the expressions to give color--the standard greeting is "Life to you". One gets a taste of the poetry of the tribal language. The characters are compelling, often humorous. Myers has a fine ear for idiom--each character has their own distinct voice. The state of women in the tribe is grim; but their grace and wisdom sings out, and the humor and wit of the various characters--including a wonderful precocious child--balances. A stay-up-and-read-until-late book!
November 9, 2017
Okay Book
This book was ok. It seemed to jump around and the ending seemed to come so suddenly. I did like the Afterword. The way some of the missionaries treated the natives annoyed me. The missionaries I've met are nothing like those in the book. My favorite character is Clementine.
This book was ok. It seemed to jump around and the ending seemed to come so suddenly. I did like the Afterword. The way some of the missionaries treated the natives annoyed me. The missionaries I've met are nothing like those in the book. My favorite character is Clementine.
February 25, 2022
I love Tamar Myers’ characters and dialogue, but I enjoyed The Boy Who Stole the Leopard’s Spots more. The ending of this felt rushed and there wasn’t really any sense of mystery. It was an interesting addition to the Belgian Congo series, but the content felt very light. Maybe Myers was running out of ideas by the end of the series? Only time will tell if I end up reading the first two.
August 5, 2019
Interesting read
Well written but it wanders a bit. Interesting. Characters were relatable and recognizable as to type. Sad yet uplifting. A departure from the authors usual genre.
Well written but it wanders a bit. Interesting. Characters were relatable and recognizable as to type. Sad yet uplifting. A departure from the authors usual genre.
May 29, 2023
This was the best one yet! This was REALLY good and I do feel like every main character through the series had a satisfying ending. Perhaps the author decided to leave it there as I believe there are no more in the series. If so, this was a fantastic finale and I loved this series!
May 15, 2018
loved it
May 25, 2018
Probably the best of the 4 books I've read by this author... same setting as the other 3 and a few of the same characters.
September 3, 2018
Didn't expect it to end as it did. I can tell it's not necessarily part of a series, but that the author's other books fit into the same universe. I hope I am a Julia. I aspire to be a Clementine.
August 16, 2019
A fascinating look at the colonial era Belgian Congo.
November 4, 2019
This was a good read. On to the next book.
June 1, 2025
A very weird book, the beginning is very descriptive. the ending is also very shocking. overall just a weird concept
April 26, 2013
As seen on my blog:
The Girl Who Married an Eagle was poignant, engaging, and read like a plot line for a well acted, potentially award-winning, movie. It is the last in a four-part mystery series set in the Belgian Congo in the 1950's, which was a little disappointing to realize at first, because I figured I'd be going into a plot line with already established characters, and moments. I was soon proven wrong, as I became familiar and attached to characters that were reintroduced seamlessly and without a hitch, or snag in the flow. Julia Newton was the first one to speak loudly to me, as she determinedly made her way from her comfortable, privileged Ohio, to the middle of the impoverished Belgian Congo. Her mission settled her into a missionary all-girls boarding school for young runaway-brides, who have escaped the clutches of their sometimes much older husbands. Julia initially came of as a tad whiny, and self-righteous, but after each obstacle I overcame with her, she gained more property on my heart. She was a strong, outspoken female lead, and was willing to throw out everything she learned growing up in her Christian home, for the sake of what was right and just.
I devoured the details of The Girl Who Married an Eagle , I LOVE novels that educate while they entertain. I was aware of the existence of indigenous tribes in Africa, or elsewhere, that are completely oblivious to technological advances, and or modern ethical customs and rights (I speak in the current tense, because there still is!), but I rarely have the chance to read, first hand, and in detail, about their lives. The plot line in this book also follows the life of Buakane, a young member of the Mushilele tribe, a stunning beauty who has been sold to Chief Eagle as his twenty-third wife. After a brave feat of escape, Buakane's story eventually merges with Julia's. The story line weaves and bobs from there, trust is formed, and tested. Lives are irrevocably changed, for both the characters, and for myself.
The writing in the The Girl Who Married an Eagle was witty, subtly comedic, and beautifully descriptive. I completely respected the fact that the author based a lot of the narrative on real-life events, as Tamar was born and raised in a Congo missionary. Her knowledge of customs, scenery, and mannerisms really showed through writing, and had me deeply rooted in what I was reading. I will definitely be picking up the previous three books in this series!
Recommended for Fans of: Mystery, contemporary, historical fiction
----------
*DISCLAIMER* I received this book as a print copy from the publisher, in order to participate in the blog tour
The Girl Who Married an Eagle was poignant, engaging, and read like a plot line for a well acted, potentially award-winning, movie. It is the last in a four-part mystery series set in the Belgian Congo in the 1950's, which was a little disappointing to realize at first, because I figured I'd be going into a plot line with already established characters, and moments. I was soon proven wrong, as I became familiar and attached to characters that were reintroduced seamlessly and without a hitch, or snag in the flow. Julia Newton was the first one to speak loudly to me, as she determinedly made her way from her comfortable, privileged Ohio, to the middle of the impoverished Belgian Congo. Her mission settled her into a missionary all-girls boarding school for young runaway-brides, who have escaped the clutches of their sometimes much older husbands. Julia initially came of as a tad whiny, and self-righteous, but after each obstacle I overcame with her, she gained more property on my heart. She was a strong, outspoken female lead, and was willing to throw out everything she learned growing up in her Christian home, for the sake of what was right and just.
I devoured the details of The Girl Who Married an Eagle , I LOVE novels that educate while they entertain. I was aware of the existence of indigenous tribes in Africa, or elsewhere, that are completely oblivious to technological advances, and or modern ethical customs and rights (I speak in the current tense, because there still is!), but I rarely have the chance to read, first hand, and in detail, about their lives. The plot line in this book also follows the life of Buakane, a young member of the Mushilele tribe, a stunning beauty who has been sold to Chief Eagle as his twenty-third wife. After a brave feat of escape, Buakane's story eventually merges with Julia's. The story line weaves and bobs from there, trust is formed, and tested. Lives are irrevocably changed, for both the characters, and for myself.
The writing in the The Girl Who Married an Eagle was witty, subtly comedic, and beautifully descriptive. I completely respected the fact that the author based a lot of the narrative on real-life events, as Tamar was born and raised in a Congo missionary. Her knowledge of customs, scenery, and mannerisms really showed through writing, and had me deeply rooted in what I was reading. I will definitely be picking up the previous three books in this series!
Recommended for Fans of: Mystery, contemporary, historical fiction
----------
*DISCLAIMER* I received this book as a print copy from the publisher, in order to participate in the blog tour
May 6, 2013
3.5/5
I've often picked up a number of Tamar Myers' books for some of my 'cozy mysteries' displays at the library. She writes the Den of Antiquity as well as the Pennsylvania-Dutch with recipes series.
But she also pens a third set of books that are quite different. These books are all set in Africa - the Belgian Congo - in the 1950's. The Girl Who Married an Eagle is the fourth book in this set.
Julia Newton is entranced by a missionary's talk at her church in Ohio in the 1950's. The subject - the need for staff at a mission in Africa. Enthralled, this young woman heads to the Belgian Congo to teach at a school for runaway child brides.
One runaway is Buakane - promised to Chief Eagle - a brutal powerful leader. Myer's narrative alternates between Julie, Buakane and Nurse Verna at the mission. But the most engaging voice is that of Clementine - the nine year old daughter of Henry - a widowed missionary. Clementine is precociously clever but still a lonely child. Can Julia adapt to this new land? Can she and the others at the mission keep the child brides safe? Will Chief Eagle reclaim Buakane?
Myers has written a lovely little tale that will appeal to fans of Alexander McCall Smith. The language, the customs, the land, the people - I found all of the descriptions absolutely fascinating.
"Forget all your preconceptions of what a town is, or ought to be, because the Belgian Congo had its own peculiar definitions. A place was a town only if it had white residents; no matter how large an all-black settlement, it was always called a village. But give it a handful of whites and it was sure to pop up on the map like mushrooms after the first September rain."
I felt like I was sitting listening to a storyteller. Each of the narrator's voices is quite distinct and bring their own take to the tale.
It was only after I finished reading The Girl Who Married an Eagle, that I learned of the author's background. Tamar Myers was born in the Belgian Congo to missionary parents. With that piece of knowledge, the book took on a different slant. Many of the situations and descriptions are from Myer's own life and are based on real events.
I enjoyed this book, but the 'mystery' tag is a bit of a misnomer. There's not much mystery, but lots of questions as to the outcome of many situations. I found it to be an easy, enjoyable, informative read.
I've often picked up a number of Tamar Myers' books for some of my 'cozy mysteries' displays at the library. She writes the Den of Antiquity as well as the Pennsylvania-Dutch with recipes series.
But she also pens a third set of books that are quite different. These books are all set in Africa - the Belgian Congo - in the 1950's. The Girl Who Married an Eagle is the fourth book in this set.
Julia Newton is entranced by a missionary's talk at her church in Ohio in the 1950's. The subject - the need for staff at a mission in Africa. Enthralled, this young woman heads to the Belgian Congo to teach at a school for runaway child brides.
One runaway is Buakane - promised to Chief Eagle - a brutal powerful leader. Myer's narrative alternates between Julie, Buakane and Nurse Verna at the mission. But the most engaging voice is that of Clementine - the nine year old daughter of Henry - a widowed missionary. Clementine is precociously clever but still a lonely child. Can Julia adapt to this new land? Can she and the others at the mission keep the child brides safe? Will Chief Eagle reclaim Buakane?
Myers has written a lovely little tale that will appeal to fans of Alexander McCall Smith. The language, the customs, the land, the people - I found all of the descriptions absolutely fascinating.
"Forget all your preconceptions of what a town is, or ought to be, because the Belgian Congo had its own peculiar definitions. A place was a town only if it had white residents; no matter how large an all-black settlement, it was always called a village. But give it a handful of whites and it was sure to pop up on the map like mushrooms after the first September rain."
I felt like I was sitting listening to a storyteller. Each of the narrator's voices is quite distinct and bring their own take to the tale.
It was only after I finished reading The Girl Who Married an Eagle, that I learned of the author's background. Tamar Myers was born in the Belgian Congo to missionary parents. With that piece of knowledge, the book took on a different slant. Many of the situations and descriptions are from Myer's own life and are based on real events.
I enjoyed this book, but the 'mystery' tag is a bit of a misnomer. There's not much mystery, but lots of questions as to the outcome of many situations. I found it to be an easy, enjoyable, informative read.
June 12, 2013
Julia Newton realizes she may have made a big mistake. An Ohio native and a recent college graduate, she can't imagine anything more exciting and satisfying than serving as a missionary in the Belgian Congo. She goes there to serve in a school set up to protect young girl brides sold to older men who have run away from their fate.
But Africa isn't anything like what Julia expected. The natives don't seem particularly grateful; instead they are quick to let her know that the white man is ugly and has stupid customs. The mission nurse who should have been her friend seems to hate her. The other missionary is much too good looking for a man she'll be seeing every day; a recent widower that she can't help thinking about. He has a precocious daughter who looks at the world with a mixture of intelligence bordering on genius and the naivete of a child.
Buakane is one of the girls the mission is set up to help. Her name meant perfect and her beauty from birth was just that, perfect in every way. Buakane captures the attention of the biggest chief of her people, Chief Eagle. Eagle decides that he must have the beauty of Buakane and that she will become one of his many wives. Buakane is scared, as she regards Eagle as an old man and even worse, when he dies all his wives will be buried alive to accompany him to the afterlife. She runs away during the wedding ceremony and ends up at the mission.
Soon there is strife between the missionaries and the natives. Can the missionaries protect Buakane, or will the tug of war between the two groups set the region ablaze?
Tamar Myers, who grew up in the Congo, has written an engaging mystery that will please mystery readers. The characters are believable yet humorous, and the conflict is set up realistically. The denouement is satisfying and rings true. This book is recommended for mystery readers who like their mysteries light and satisfying in their depiction of other cultures.
But Africa isn't anything like what Julia expected. The natives don't seem particularly grateful; instead they are quick to let her know that the white man is ugly and has stupid customs. The mission nurse who should have been her friend seems to hate her. The other missionary is much too good looking for a man she'll be seeing every day; a recent widower that she can't help thinking about. He has a precocious daughter who looks at the world with a mixture of intelligence bordering on genius and the naivete of a child.
Buakane is one of the girls the mission is set up to help. Her name meant perfect and her beauty from birth was just that, perfect in every way. Buakane captures the attention of the biggest chief of her people, Chief Eagle. Eagle decides that he must have the beauty of Buakane and that she will become one of his many wives. Buakane is scared, as she regards Eagle as an old man and even worse, when he dies all his wives will be buried alive to accompany him to the afterlife. She runs away during the wedding ceremony and ends up at the mission.
Soon there is strife between the missionaries and the natives. Can the missionaries protect Buakane, or will the tug of war between the two groups set the region ablaze?
Tamar Myers, who grew up in the Congo, has written an engaging mystery that will please mystery readers. The characters are believable yet humorous, and the conflict is set up realistically. The denouement is satisfying and rings true. This book is recommended for mystery readers who like their mysteries light and satisfying in their depiction of other cultures.
April 19, 2013
I had to take a bit to think about this book and decide if I liked it. The Girl Who Married an Eagle is apparently the fourth book in a series about the Belgian Congo in the 1950s. I haven't read the first three books, but I didn't really feel like I was missing anything. The book is beautifully written. I enjoyed the descriptions of the landscape and life in that time as a missionary. The author did a wonderful and realistic job of portraying the brutality and harshness of tribal life. No doubt this comes from her experience as a missionary child during that time period. My favorite character was Clementine. She is only 9, but she is very mature and wise. I loved what she did for Julia and the school in the end.
Overall, I liked the book. It is a quick and pretty easy read. I wouldn't classify this as a mystery. There really wasn't one. I think the problem I had with the book was there was almost no interaction between Julia and Buakane. The book really seemed to focus more on Nurse Verna than on anyone else. In the afterword, it is mentioned that the way Buakane made it to nursing school would take a whole book. That is the book I thought I was getting. The conflict with Chief Eagle was over so quickly, I never really felt the threat. I think fans of the series will enjoy this finale.
Overall, I liked the book. It is a quick and pretty easy read. I wouldn't classify this as a mystery. There really wasn't one. I think the problem I had with the book was there was almost no interaction between Julia and Buakane. The book really seemed to focus more on Nurse Verna than on anyone else. In the afterword, it is mentioned that the way Buakane made it to nursing school would take a whole book. That is the book I thought I was getting. The conflict with Chief Eagle was over so quickly, I never really felt the threat. I think fans of the series will enjoy this finale.
October 18, 2016
Actual review 3.5 stars
I'm only 3/4th of the way through this book, but I'm actually really disappointed in it. this has been a great series and now in the last book Amanda is barely a foot note, not to mention some other characters we've been following. This book is to be about the girls' school for runaway brides and yet 70% through its only beven mentioned twice and with very little focus on the girls, besides the new missonary's misfit adventures the plot seems watery. But it could be redeemed in the last portion...
Not totally redeemed as a series ender but not too badly as a book. I think this book would have done much better as a stand alone novel or spin off, as I would much rather have heard more about Amanda and Cripple. Seemed a bit of a waste to just drop two potentially great story lines (see spolier) and characters we'd grown to love and follow.
I'm only 3/4th of the way through this book, but I'm actually really disappointed in it. this has been a great series and now in the last book Amanda is barely a foot note, not to mention some other characters we've been following. This book is to be about the girls' school for runaway brides and yet 70% through its only beven mentioned twice and with very little focus on the girls, besides the new missonary's misfit adventures the plot seems watery. But it could be redeemed in the last portion...
Not totally redeemed as a series ender but not too badly as a book. I think this book would have done much better as a stand alone novel or spin off, as I would much rather have heard more about Amanda and Cripple. Seemed a bit of a waste to just drop two potentially great story lines (see spolier) and characters we'd grown to love and follow.
Want to Read
December 19, 2016i think that it might be a novel or story book where there might be a girl whose hobby is to play and make fun with birds at last she loved eagle and then marry it.
May 27, 2015
Though a mystery novel, there was little actual mystery involved, but that doesn't really detract from my enjoyment of the novel. We follow (mainly) the adventures of a new, unprepared missionary to the Congo in 1959, through her eyes and those around her. We also follow a child bride, who She is found by the heroine, a widower/missionary, and his intelligent young daughter on the road . This happens halfway or later in the book, and the remainder chronicles the consequences of rescuing the girl, as well as her reactions to the new life she is pushed into.
Lovely and atmospheric, this book read like a high class/award willing Alexander McCall novel. The descriptions seemed vivid, and not too modern, a pet peeve of mine in historical novels. While not dense, it was thought-provoking and a very interesting read.
Lovely and atmospheric, this book read like a high class/award willing Alexander McCall novel. The descriptions seemed vivid, and not too modern, a pet peeve of mine in historical novels. While not dense, it was thought-provoking and a very interesting read.
October 27, 2013
I wouldn't describe this as a mystery so much as a suspense novel, but either way you cut the roast, it's good! I've always been fascinated with stories of the Congo -- Barbara Kingsolver's "The Poisonwood Bible" is one of my all-time favorite books -- and Myers does not disappoint. Her plot is exquisitely executed, even given the relatively few number of pages devoted to something as emotionally and politically charged as child-brides. Her laugh-out-loud humor and way of poking fun at aspects of the Congolese culture as well as that of the American Protestant missionary (and it is by far the latter that receives the most ticklish jabs) add an aspect to her writing that makes it incomparable. Read this book!
November 17, 2014
I enjoyed this book, it was an easy fun read that was also informative. It seemed that the author had spent some time in Africa or else had researched the crap out of it because it was filled with little facts and mannerisms that painted a interesting story.
I loved the little girl Clementine
This reminded me of the novels about a typewriter lady in africa who solves mysteries. the name escapes me now.
I loved the little girl Clementine
This reminded me of the novels about a typewriter lady in africa who solves mysteries. the name escapes me now.
May 9, 2013
I love the diversity and depth of the characters.
I fully recommend this book to those looking for a quick read that will thrust you into the heart of Africa with characters you will never forget.
Check out my blog for my full review: http://tubchairtimes.blogspot.ca/2013...
I fully recommend this book to those looking for a quick read that will thrust you into the heart of Africa with characters you will never forget.
Check out my blog for my full review: http://tubchairtimes.blogspot.ca/2013...
June 10, 2013
Final book in the Amanda Brown/Belgian Congo series. Although Amans is not the central character in this book. There's a new, young missionary named Julia. Child brides are the focus in thos book. Julia is the new Amanda Brown and Henry, the widowed missionary with a precosiously clever daughter, is the the new Captain Jardin. Of course Cripple is there, with a new baby in tow.
April 26, 2013
My first Tamar Myers book- interesting story.
My review:
Traveling With T
My review:
Traveling With T
July 13, 2013
This was delicious and a totally unexpected gift from the library.
What's even better is that it's based on events which happened to the writer when she was a child living in the Congo with her parents.
Imaginative, humorous, heart warming.......even her head hunters have charm.
What's even better is that it's based on events which happened to the writer when she was a child living in the Congo with her parents.
Imaginative, humorous, heart warming.......even her head hunters have charm.
August 3, 2013
A book about colonial Congo missionaries. Wasn't quite sure how it was going to work because the first 3/4 covers a few months then it jumps ahead 10-15 years to wrap it up. I liked the idea, but it felt jumpy. Not sure I would read another one in her series but always enjoy an Africa book.
August 18, 2013
I can't believe this is the last in the series. Too many things not wrapped up. I don't know why they keep insisting as selling the book as a mystery. Most certainly is not. It is an entertaining, often humorous look at clashing cultures in the waning days of Belgian rule in the Congo.
September 9, 2013
Okay, but it was really hard to get through the discrimination that was part of the culture in that part of the world. It also brought up the horrible way the Christians came in and tried to dominate while belittling the natives. Sad.
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