The Sexy Part of the Bible

by Kola Boof

Set in modern-day West Africa, Europe and the U.S., this novel features the kind of heroine readers rarely get to encounter in popular culture. Beautiful, charcoal-skinned Eternity, a spirited and diabolical young African hellcat, is stigmatized by a heart-stopping secret.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Contemporary, Race, African Literature, Womens

275 pages, Paperback

First published June 17, 2011

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book fascinated me, from the very first page. The story is of a beautiful, very black woman - Eternity - born into an African country where many of the most popular and successful people believe in bleaching their skin or taking "Michael Jackson pills" to lighten their skin color. Eternity is a clone, which is the sci-fi element, but she doesn't live in a world where cloning is normal; it's portrayed as illicit and possibly illegal. She is raised by the two white scientists who cloned her. Her life's journey involves her searching for love, becoming a world-famous fashion model, and trying to reconcile her love of her country's traditions and blackness with its sexism and its own apparent self-hatred of blackness.

Eternity's story is a young woman's coming-of-age tale, but it's anything but typical. The cover makes a comparison of Boof's writing to Toni Morrison - while it's not as well-written as Morrison books, the comparison is apt. The language is lyrical and hypnotic. There are some erotic scenes in the book, but they are important to the narrative - this is not what you might call erotica. Boof masterfully weaves what I would assume to be her own feelings about women and being black and Africa and, most particularly, being a black woman in Africa into the character's story. It never feels preachy, just interesting, at times heart-breaking, and ultimately empowering.

[Paldova Molstoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

To my surprise this is probably the best book I've read all summer. It's by an African author and is set in a fictional West African country where White scientists running an AIDS clinic are illegally cloning some of the Africans. They take one of their clones as a daughter and she turns out to be one of the most fascinating characters I've read in years. I literally couldn't put this down. I wish I could explain this book better but it's too complex. It's just like nothing I ever read before. There's a ton of race and sex issues covered in the narrative but they aren't covered in the way that you would imagine. Kola Boof is a skilled writer but also very daring. You haven't read a voice this wild and foreign before. I plan to follow everything she writes now. I was majorly impressed with this and can't recommend it enough. Worth the money.

[brinley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not necessarily the best writing, but this was definitely a captivating story-line and deals with a lot of sensitive issues that I think most people feel uncomfortable with. Ultimately I took this as a meditation on challenging the things taught (through whatever authorities you are taught them through) that are acceptable, beautiful, or worth preserving.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing style gives me a little pause but the story itself is fascinating. Eternity is a compelling character living in a world where things are not as they seem and life is a mixture of hurt, joy, and searching. You will find yourself riveted.

[Msladydeborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading The Sexy Part of the Bible by Kola Boof.
I like how she writes about race and race relations and how she connects or disconnects certain ideas from long standing cultural beliefs.
This is an interesting read

[Mary Woldering · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most inspirational books I've read recently. It was very informative too. The characters were believable and the action was very well paced. A woman's journey of self-discovery could be and should be enjoyed by all.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars. A powerful & beautifully written novel.

[Melanee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was all over the place, literally!! But for some reason that didn't bother me as much as it normally would when an author tries to weave too many tales. Maybe it was because the central theme stayed the same and it is one I'm passionate about. Very imaginative, well written and in a lot of ways powerful! I tweeted the author that this book was a total mind job and I'm sticking with it.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hesitated to give this book four stars because, despite the strong writing and excellent characters, there are some very disturbing aspects to the way the main character views love and violence. But the book left me thinking which, in the end, is more than I can usually hope for.

[David Dyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

Not at all what I was expecting but I enjoyed it. I am happy about the end but very disturbed about the beginning and captivated by the middle.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an incredible, enthralling, and gripping novel. Kola Boof delves passionately into the critically relevant themes of race, religion, individuality, sexuality, and gender roles. I did not want to put this book down. Short but gratifying, absolutely worth reading.

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the kind of book I usually breeze through, but it is. This is not the kind of book I usually enjoy reading, but it is.

The book got me from the get go. It seduced me with it's sweet siren tune, and laughed as it saw me me swim to it's hypnotic beat. It kept me up till 5 a.m. in the morning and still wouldn't let me go. The practical part of the Bible kept tugging at my arm all night, asking me to sleep but I kept shrugging it off. And when I finally slept, my dreams were those of a road trip across Africa in search of West Cassavaland.

I loved the entire experience of this book. It is one of those books that I don't want to shut up about but words fail me.

As much as I strongly recommend this book, I know that not everybody may like it. However, If you are a friend, and considering reading it, give me a holler.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Enjoyed the book, lots of themes and ideas to digest. Some books are idea-driven, some are experience-driven; this book is a mix of the two. Boof did a good job weaving symbols depicting the intricacies of the white supremacist world (Eternity, cloning, modeling), but I got the feeling that it might have been her weakness as well, not enough personal character development even though you are with Eternity the entire book, too much play with ideas and skimpy scene-writing (she told rather than showed, basically, taking away the potentially enormous emotional impact it had. Not to say it isn't emotional at all.) - this book isn't perfect, but I'm looking forward to Boof's next work, in hopes her craft will be more honed.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not even 2 chapters in and already we have covered so many hot button topics in Africa... AIDS research, cloning, skin bleaching, color based kaste systems, prison accomodations, smuggling... The author has me by the throat and she is NOT letting go.

She never did. This book makes me want to be mad at myself for being born white. Confusing and tender and awful and every roller coaster of emotion.
So so good.

[Aiesha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not linear, which I like, because life doesn't flow from point A to B and neither do our thoughts. I loved the beautiful imagery, the characters, and how Boof explored, science, AIDS, race, self-hatred, colonialism and more. This book can be categorized as so many things: fantasy, Afro-futurism and more. It reminds me of Octavia Butler in how I can see some of what Boof talks about come to pass in our near future.

[Reeter · Rating 1 out of 5]

On top of being confusing and poorly written, this book is by an author who is incredibly hateful toward those who are of mixed race. I have absolutely zero tolerance and respect for anyone who shit-talks interracial relationships and mixed-race people. If you want to marry someone who is of the same race, culture, religion, etc, as you, that's totally fine, but if you go out of your way to not only disrespect those in an interracial relationship, but to make multiracial people feel horrible about something they didn't choose, then you need to kindly fuck off.

I get told constantly that I'm not "Latina enough" or "Mexican enough" all because my mother is white, so forgive me if I don't want to support an author who basically hates me.

Whew, ok. I feel better now. With that out of the way, I will say the story itself is interesting. I mean, it has cloning in it. So, if you're aware of the authors beliefs, but still want to read, go ahead. I will also give Boof this: the title really captures your attention.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kola is an exceptional author. Her activism in fighting against self-hate in the black community is wonderful trait to have. To me the book was a big metaphor for the black community's concept of "white daddy." Eternity parents were white scientist who clones her in a lab which to me symbolized blacks wish to be white and also whites desire to clone africans and shape them as they see fit.

It was interesting how Sea Horse spoke all of that militant stuff but had a half-white kid and almost wished he were white. It's also interested that Eternity was the same way. So much symbolism.

[Pepsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating read. The characters and the imagery are spellbinding. You can't skim over any sections -- you have to read the entire book, every word, to get the full experience.

[Adrienna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally got a copy from library and trying to read it. In the beginning didn't necessarily grab me, quite confusing, and read it a couple times to try to get it. Not sure if I want to complete it but heard great things about it from a video I watched on Persia Walker page (Goodreads).

Once I read a little further, mystery is who killed Dr. Stevedore Frankenheimer, and assumed that it is Eternity's mother, Orisha. But what got me is that Africans call "Caucasians" "Caucasoids" and also the darker your skin, the more racists people are and make dark jokes which can be sickening. Moreover, they are taking "MJ pills" to bleach their skin to be lighter and brighter closer to white so they will not be ridiculed and called ugly because of the color of their skin tone. Supposedly, Eternity is a clone child created by Dr. Stevedore with her mother, Dr. Juliet, both scientists.

I will see how this novel plays out...as more stories come forth and leave your mouth agape because of the jet black skin tone. How does a mother hold her own daughter down to have her father rape her? Then sends her off to the men's club to make money for their family to live, and send two brothers off to England for schooling.

I know this is fiction, but does this really happen in Africa? Being more aware of human trafficking from movies, and after a church event (this month). I can admit, never read anything like this. Then speaks on Bastardization was noted as a cure for African inferiority, an African class knows as the "talented tenth" which I also read in W.E.B. Du Bois.

The editing is not so great. There are definitely RUN-ON sentences (especially p. 36 of the novel). The flow can be a little confusing since it jumps around from time to time and pace of the storyline.

Adrienna Turner, author of The Day Begins with Christ

[Thorn MotherIssues · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sure it would be easier to read this if you've never interacted with (or watched anyone else interact with) Boof online. If you have, though, you have to read this great Mary Sue struggle of a charcoal black clone/supermodel/activist/mother/lover/writer against both the white-dominated world and the ignorant, misguided community of mixed-race people and blacks with white ancestry and realize it's hitting familiar territory. Her world-building has some real strengths, but the writing is over-the-top and off-the-mark enough to undo a lot of that.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning speculative fiction with great insight on African diversity and bitter racial themes so creativity played. Lyrical, engaging writing -- sexy and intelligent, tremendously creepy.

I had a problem with the ending...

_________

SPOILER ALERT!
__________


.
.
.
.
.
.
.




If she could start her own country, why couldn't she start her own movie studio?

[Mely · Rating 1 out of 5]

"...I stared at the blue sheen in my charcoal hands and arms- and came to understand that I was the sexy part of the Bible. The thing that God so despised. ... I embraced it. I welcomed it. I wrapped myself up in it.     The sexy part of the Bible"

I came across this book while searching for another book by the same author. The synopsis intrigued me so I decided to pick it up. The writing was difficult to get into. The style was all over the place and I was a little confused as to where the story was going. A smorgasbord of erotica, literary fiction, sci-fi, and political satire I just found the writing to be too erratic and therefore couldn't get into it. It was a bit of a snoozefest about halfway in; there was politics being discussed, and I was bored out of my mind. I also never connected with any of the characters. And with a major character named Sea Horse Twee, I just couldn't take this book seriously.

[Moni & Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this book 4 stars because Kat loved it, and me, not so much. I love the idealism and some of the important themes she tried to tackle. We both agree that her writing is beautifully poetic. However, it was hard to follow and read. My co-host would give it a 5 and I give it 3, so I'll split the difference and give it a 4. If you are a fan of Kola Boof you may enjoy this book, but it's not a book everyone will enjoy.

[Jennifer Canaveral · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible. One of my favorite books I've read this year (maybe ever?). I love when a book just cracks open your mind and offers you a new perspective.

[Steph Grey · Rating 5 out of 5]

utterly captivating and unsettling, i read this months ago and still think about it

[Sree · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! okay what the fuck was that idk but did i love every min of it? yes! i loved eternity with all my heart <3

[NikoF · Rating 5 out of 5]

(O.O)

[Ms. Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very challenging read!

[Jeffrey]

Kola is certainly a firecracker and The Sexy Part of the Bible contains and holds well that certain proud energy. She brings up a whole lot in this book and it covers a wide timespan, but I really, really enjoyed reading it. Tha protagonist, Eternity Frankenheimer, is as vulnerable, honest, confused, and insecure as anyone but she asserts this without a flake of hesitation. "Woman is man's church," she state at one point. The book reaches so far into you and your identity that it's an interactive version of one of her penetration scenes. Her grasp of and ability to connect love, power, gender, color, religion, personal philosophy, hope, denial, individualism, and history is startling and kept me interested until the last page. Her commentary on this range of real life experience give Eternity a sort of fullness that makes you almost completely forget her own "cloned" existence. Kola's writing style is enjoyable as well, though at times (especially in the supermodel scenes) it does get a little shaky, it's strong enough to provide the novel–story and characters–with a solid backbone. Her take, on page 217, on the essence of men both white and black is incredible and is no question one of the reasons she has been banned from some bookstores. A thought-provoking piece of literature that makes you feel humble and susceptible to seeing the world differently.

[Ngozichi Omekara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh my world! Kola Boof is an amazing story teller, how she managed to weave social-political issues, on a loom of metaphors, turning cliches "upside down" to tickle not only a reader's fancy but their cerebral matter.
Africa, my Africa, your stories can be told in my ways but best told by your own, those who bear the burden.
From the start of this enchanting book to the end, one is captivated, and kept on their intellectual toes, provoking, daring, sometimes outrageous. it touches on the myriad of issues that are African. Slavery, Colonization, Race, trade imbalance, Religion, Activism, Reincarnation, female circumcision (Female genital mutilation) . Sexuality and it's power and the greatest of all LOVE. This book is an "Altar" call to the African to know thyself and be comfortable in your own skin, challenging stereotypes and conventional "wisdom" my favorite phrase in the book is " We who go with the landscape" and 'ife kwulu ife akwudebe ya" an Igbo saying that means "If something stands, another thing stands by it)
An absolute great read!