Coconut
- Downloads：6648
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-07-21 17:31:09
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Florence Olajide
- ISBN：B08YRTXJW6
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Reviews
Marianne
，
Olajide's autobiography gives the reader an insight into Nigerian family life and culture。 Born in Britain， she emigrated to Nigeria as a young girl and shares her struggle to assimilate to the Nigerian way of life。 My admiration for Olajide grew throughout the book。 She is determined to rise above hardship and gain a good education， while adamant about doing what's right for her， rather than confirming to expectations。 This is as much social history， through the eyes of a British Nigerian woman Olajide's autobiography gives the reader an insight into Nigerian family life and culture。 Born in Britain， she emigrated to Nigeria as a young girl and shares her struggle to assimilate to the Nigerian way of life。 My admiration for Olajide grew throughout the book。 She is determined to rise above hardship and gain a good education， while adamant about doing what's right for her， rather than confirming to expectations。 This is as much social history， through the eyes of a British Nigerian woman， as it is about one individual; a thought provoking social commentary rather than a catalyst for change。 。。。more
Sue
，
Coconut is a story that begins in 1960s London。 Like many people of colour from far flung places in the Commonwealth， Florence's parents leave their home in Nigeria to study and find work in London， and their children are born here as a result。 Also in common with many of their compatriots， their need for childcare is fulfilled by privately fostering out their child to a white family， with occasional visits home to their parents。Despite the birth of younger siblings who remain with their parents Coconut is a story that begins in 1960s London。 Like many people of colour from far flung places in the Commonwealth， Florence's parents leave their home in Nigeria to study and find work in London， and their children are born here as a result。 Also in common with many of their compatriots， their need for childcare is fulfilled by privately fostering out their child to a white family， with occasional visits home to their parents。Despite the birth of younger siblings who remain with their parents， Florence continues in the care of her foster family for four years and comes to love them dearly， especially her kindly foster mother 'Nan' who calls Florence 'Ann' - a name she only learns later is not her real one。 Surrounded by white faces， Florence gradually comes to understand that there is something different about her and often wonders why there are so few black faces around her。After one weekend visit home to her parents and younger siblings， Florence is upset to learn that she will not be returning to stay with her lovely 'Nan'。 Instead， frustrated at being unable to find jobs that recognise their skills and educational achievements， Florence's parents decide to return to live in Nigeria - a country she and her brothers and sisters have never visited。At the age of six， Florence steps off a boat into the heat and chaos of Lagos - her new home。 She struggles to understand almost every aspect of her new life， and although desperate to learn about her cultural heritage and amazed to behold the sea of black faces that live here， she does not even speak Yoruba and her British ways get her into endless trouble。 The family matriarch Mama， her father's mother， holds sway in this tiny cramped apartment， and she is a great believer in the 'spare the rod， spoil the child' method of childrearing， subjecting Florence to regular beatings in her determination to imbue the Yoruba ways into her granddaughter - a traumatic pattern of behaviour that continues in the years to come。As Florence grows， falls in love， marries and has children of her own， we are at her side as she fights to get an education and earn the freedom to aspire to something more that the expectation that she will become an obedient and tractable young woman formed for marriage and childbearing。 Where do her roots lie and how much of her is British and how much Nigerian？It's only when she and her husband make the hard decision to uproot their family and make a life in Britain， fighting to carve out a place for themselves in a country that is not always accepting of those who are different， that Florence comes to understand how she can combine elements of both her cultural identities and make peace with who she really is。Coconut is an incredible memoir of a black woman struggling to find out where she belongs， and how the myriad jigsaw pieces of her cultural identity come together to form a coherent picture。 What makes this so unusual is that Florence happily grew up thinking of herself as completely British until having to adjust the huge culture shock of being uprooted at the age of six to live in Nigeria， and being required to negotiate completely different societal norms and family customs， without the least idea of how to go about doing so， especially since she did not even have the benefit of speaking the same language。 There was so much I did not know about the Yoruba way， from family relationships， the education system， and the wider culture， and Florence vividly describes them in all an engaging and informative way， sprinkling her narrative with anecdotes about many facets of her life in Nigeria， including some pivotal moments in the country's history。 I found it all fascinating and deeply touching， despite the many examples of injustice， sexual discrimination and violence that recur， because amidst the tough moments Florence also conveys so much humour， and genuine affection for family， friends and many aspects of her new found life at the same time - even down to the simplest of pleasures。When Florence's story moves on to the time she returns to settle in Britain with her family， we are on more familiar territory in terms of the struggles facing a black family fighting for the same opportunities offered freely to their white neighbours。 Here Florence describes instances of being forced to live to sinkhole estates where crime is rife， and having to settle for low paid domestic work because education and skills count for less if your face does not fit。 But our Florence is nothing if not determined， as we are well aware - I celebrated every triumph at her side as she overcame many obstacles and settled into life as a valued teacher in an inner city school， learned to adjust to life as a British mother， and then reaped the rewards of her labours to achieve her dreams， and help her own children become happy and well-adjusted。The most heart-warming and uplifting thing about this memoir for me is the way Florence has become more comfortable with expressing the parts of herself that stem from both her British and Nigerian sides， learning that she does not have to diminish her Yoruba heritage to live and thrive in Britain。 I love that she has been able to use her experience of living in both countries to help so many young people and their parents to fulfil their potential and live happy and full lives too。Coconut is one of the most rewarding memoirs I have read， and listening to the audio book version， narrated splendidly by Adjoa Andom， has been a wonderful experience。 Tracing Florence's highs and lows， her loves and losses， and the lessons she has learned as she has matured， has really allowed me to have an incredible insight into her life - and it has an inspiring message for anyone struggling with a sense of belonging， or wondering how to rationalise different sides of their own cultural identity。 。。。more
J M McQueen
，
Who was I， really？ Nigerian， British， both？’‘Surely that was the key？ I didn’t need to be one or the other。 I could be both and happy。 But which of the two countries would let me？’Coconut by Florence OlájídéBorn in England and raised in Africa， Florence struggles with her identity。 The differences between the two cultures force her to examine who she is， what she values and where she wants to be。 In this thought-provoking memoir， Florence Olájídé shares her story and the families who shaped who Who was I， really？ Nigerian， British， both？’‘Surely that was the key？ I didn’t need to be one or the other。 I could be both and happy。 But which of the two countries would let me？’Coconut by Florence OlájídéBorn in England and raised in Africa， Florence struggles with her identity。 The differences between the two cultures force her to examine who she is， what she values and where she wants to be。 In this thought-provoking memoir， Florence Olájídé shares her story and the families who shaped who she is today。 This memoir examines values， culture and resilience。When I first started Coconut， I was struck by the voice。 It was like Florence， at six years old， was sitting in front of me telling me her story。 As I read about Florence struggling with her new life， I admired her steadfast resilience as she adjusted， developed and grew while desperately holding on to herself。 As I read， the Florence sitting in front of me was a young woman trying to maintain her true self while still struggling with the norms of a culture she could barely tolerate。 As I read further， Florence changed， almost before my very eyes， into a mother of three， settling down with her family in a country that was both familiar and different。 She tells me the story of juggling a full-time career and readjusting to a culture that her family wanted her to forget。 This story， these transitions forced Florence to contemplate her values and the parts of each culture she wanted to keep and the parts she wanted to let go。I highly recommend this memoir。 Florence tells her story brilliantly。 She is fair to those that were not always fair to her， she was open enough to get personal when it mattered most and she presented both cultures historically and factually。 Her writing is interesting， her story engaging and her contemplations are insightful。 I gave this book 5/5 stars。 Sidenote: There were a few incidents in Florence’s story that made me uncomfortable。 However， upon reflection， I realised that they were important to Florence’s story as those uncomfortable events were the moments that showed how truly resilient she needed to be。 。。。more
Raena
，
I absolutely loved this memoir。 It started in the 60’s in London and we were then transported to Nigeria for a descriptive story of the authors life。 The cultural differences between England and Nigeria are written about a lot and the authors struggle with finding out who she really is。 A strong， courageous and smart women who fought to be herself in a country and culture which had plans for her。 I learnt a lot of things from this book and have recommended it to many friends and family。 Definite I absolutely loved this memoir。 It started in the 60’s in London and we were then transported to Nigeria for a descriptive story of the authors life。 The cultural differences between England and Nigeria are written about a lot and the authors struggle with finding out who she really is。 A strong， courageous and smart women who fought to be herself in a country and culture which had plans for her。 I learnt a lot of things from this book and have recommended it to many friends and family。 Definitely the best non fiction book I have read 。。。more
Corinne Rodrigues
，
A very moving story of a young Nigerian girl being torn between two cultures。 Initially， brought up by a white lady in the UK， this little girl is given a rude shock when her parents take her back with them to Nigeria。 There， exposed to a totally different culture， she feels like an alien and must get used to the hardships of life in Nigeria。 She finds it really hard to adapt and to make matters worse is abused by her grandmother。In all it's a story of courage and survival and trying to establis A very moving story of a young Nigerian girl being torn between two cultures。 Initially， brought up by a white lady in the UK， this little girl is given a rude shock when her parents take her back with them to Nigeria。 There， exposed to a totally different culture， she feels like an alien and must get used to the hardships of life in Nigeria。 She finds it really hard to adapt and to make matters worse is abused by her grandmother。In all it's a story of courage and survival and trying to establish an individual identity while being caught between two diverse cultures。 I liked the simple， matter of fact style of writing which made the story much more believable and moving！ 。。。more
Daina （Dai2DaiReader）
，
I'd give this book a solid 4。5 stars！ When I first came across this memoir the cover stopped me in my tracks。 Then I saw the synopsis and knew I had to read it！ This debut memoir tells the story of a girl who was born in London during the early 1960s。 But， at the age of 6， her birth parents decided to move the entire family to Lagos， Nigeria。 For the first 6 years of her life， she was fostered by a white woman named Nan and her family。 It was common during this time for Nigerian children to be f I'd give this book a solid 4。5 stars！ When I first came across this memoir the cover stopped me in my tracks。 Then I saw the synopsis and knew I had to read it！ This debut memoir tells the story of a girl who was born in London during the early 1960s。 But， at the age of 6， her birth parents decided to move the entire family to Lagos， Nigeria。 For the first 6 years of her life， she was fostered by a white woman named Nan and her family。 It was common during this time for Nigerian children to be fostered while their parents worked。Moving to a new country was a divergence from the life she had known -- new language， new customs and a new way of life。 This is her story of self-discovery and how her two worlds shaped her。 I thought the way the author told her story was rich， humorous （at times） and honest。 Adjoa Andoh （most recently known for her role as Lady Danbury on Bridgerton） lent her voice to the narration of this memoir and it is fantastic！Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ALC of this book！ 。。。more
Karen
，
Florence Ọlájídé has written a fascinating， emotional and enlightening memoir of her life as a young black child growing up in Britain in the 1960s and the conflicts she faced when she returned with her family to Nigeria， then again when she returned to England as an adult。 A feisty， intelligent and outspoken child she struggled with the cultural differences， especially with how women and children are treated。 Her portrayal of life in Africa and the Yoruba culture was absorbing and I felt myself Florence Ọlájídé has written a fascinating， emotional and enlightening memoir of her life as a young black child growing up in Britain in the 1960s and the conflicts she faced when she returned with her family to Nigeria， then again when she returned to England as an adult。 A feisty， intelligent and outspoken child she struggled with the cultural differences， especially with how women and children are treated。 Her portrayal of life in Africa and the Yoruba culture was absorbing and I felt myself rooting for Florence all the way， although the strong family love was evident throughout the story。 It was interesting also to read of Florence’s struggle as an adult and mother with the difference in childrearing and educating when she became a teacher， then headteacher in London。 A captivating read。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
lafemmeabsurde
，
I loved reading this autobiographical account。 It was very moving and I could empathize with the author， being a person of color myself。 Race and racial identity is not the same even for people who hail from the same roots， so amplifying voices is imperative， now more than ever。 I think it it is very important for all of us to read a diverse set of autobiographical books so as we can get better at being human。。 The audiobook version is very well performed， I highly recommend it。
Sydney
，
A gorgeous memoir of a fascinating element of 60s British history。 Coconut follows the life of Florence， born in England to Nigerian parents and fostered by a white family until her parents moved their family to Nigeria。 Coconut speaks beautifully and honestly about having a foot in two different cultures and the difficulty of fully immersing oneself in either （and the guilt associated with the desire to be one and not the other）。
Janilyn Kocher
，
Coconut is a touching memoir of a young girl who is reared in both England and Nigeria。 She has trouble adapting when her family，over back to Nigeria due to familial clashes。 I thought her story was intriguing。 I like to read about other cultures and learn different things。 Eventually she moved back to England with her own family and witnessed new challenges， especially from her children。 I applaud the author for sharing her story as I like reading memoirs to absorb other people’s experiences。 T Coconut is a touching memoir of a young girl who is reared in both England and Nigeria。 She has trouble adapting when her family，over back to Nigeria due to familial clashes。 I thought her story was intriguing。 I like to read about other cultures and learn different things。 Eventually she moved back to England with her own family and witnessed new challenges， especially from her children。 I applaud the author for sharing her story as I like reading memoirs to absorb other people’s experiences。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early read。 。。。more
KirstyReads
，
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange of an honest review。Reading memoirs/biography type books has never really been something I've been drawn to picking up but when I seen the cover for this and read what it was about I was instantly intrigued。 For me I found this book to be educational to the cultural differences between the UK and Nigeria as it's never something I've really thought of before。 Reading about Olájídé's experiences both in the UK and Niger Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange of an honest review。Reading memoirs/biography type books has never really been something I've been drawn to picking up but when I seen the cover for this and read what it was about I was instantly intrigued。 For me I found this book to be educational to the cultural differences between the UK and Nigeria as it's never something I've really thought of before。 Reading about Olájídé's experiences both in the UK and Nigeria was heartbreaking， shocking and eye-opening。 However， it also had its heartwarming moments as well。Reading about her experiences throughout her life growing up both in Nigeria and the UK really did open my eyes to how different things are between the countries and definitely made me feel so grateful for the things I have and the privilege that we have here as well。I couldn't recommend this enough。 It was a fantastic read！ 。。。more
Sharanya Venugopal
，
Coconut is a thoughtful account of the life-changing events that encompass Florence Ọlájídé’s childhood。 Her journey from childhood to adulthood is a mish mash of British & Nigerian cultures， which later proves to be an integral experience that moulds her ideologies and beliefs in her adulthood。 Her recollection begins with her fond memories of Nan & Pop who were her foster parents in London， when her parents were struggling to make ends meet in a foriegn land。 Soon her family’s financial situat Coconut is a thoughtful account of the life-changing events that encompass Florence Ọlájídé’s childhood。 Her journey from childhood to adulthood is a mish mash of British & Nigerian cultures， which later proves to be an integral experience that moulds her ideologies and beliefs in her adulthood。 Her recollection begins with her fond memories of Nan & Pop who were her foster parents in London， when her parents were struggling to make ends meet in a foriegn land。 Soon her family’s financial situation becomes challenging in London and Ọlájídé’s parents decide to relocate to Nigeria to live & prosper in a land of their own。 With this decision， Ọlájídé is displaced from her Nan and her British upbringing to the vast and contrasting culture in a land where everybody looks like her but is completely unfamiliar to her understanding of life as a child。 From here， she describes the various situations that exposed her to the Nigerian collectivistic culture， which had its own pros and cons when compared to the British individualistic way of life。As a reader， I enjoyed this book and was fairly intrigued by her early life in Nigeria。 However， I wouldn’t characterise this as a memoir， but more as a simple event to event recollection of her past。 I personally thought that the parts of the book in which she described her childhood days in Nigeria were the most interesting。 While I loved the overall message of this book， I would have loved to read a bit more about how as an adult she tries to decipher and reflect on the past experiences described in the book。 I also thought the editing could have made the read cohesive and compact。 It was maybe 100 pages too long。 Overall， I enjoyed reading Ọlájídé’s personal story and how she strived to achieve the status and position that she holds now。 Great job Thread publication for getting real & simple stories out there and Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read it。 。。。more
Kelly Long
，
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review。I had a hard time getting into this book at the beginning but it definitely got more interesting。 The author has been through an atypical situation of being born and partly raised in London with a foster family and then moving to Nigeria with her birth parents at a young age。 The culture shock must have been really shocking but she adapted well。 On her return to London as an adult， she pretty much h Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review。I had a hard time getting into this book at the beginning but it definitely got more interesting。 The author has been through an atypical situation of being born and partly raised in London with a foster family and then moving to Nigeria with her birth parents at a young age。 The culture shock must have been really shocking but she adapted well。 On her return to London as an adult， she pretty much had to go through another culture shock since she was experiencing London from an adult point of view and things were not as she remembered them as a child。 She really juggles her Nigerian culture and her British culture to see what fits best for her and her family。 Ultimately she does well and seems to have a successful career。 。。。more
TKP
，
I really liked this book。 It castes light on something I had no knowledge of and I was surprised at the most part for what a feelgood story it was。Often， you read an autobiography and you don't really connect with the author as a child。 With coconut， I felt connected to Florence from the start。 Being ethnic myself， I can totally sympathise with some of the things she went through at school。Again， I thought this book would be one thing but it was totally something else， in a good way。 Florence de I really liked this book。 It castes light on something I had no knowledge of and I was surprised at the most part for what a feelgood story it was。Often， you read an autobiography and you don't really connect with the author as a child。 With coconut， I felt connected to Florence from the start。 Being ethnic myself， I can totally sympathise with some of the things she went through at school。Again， I thought this book would be one thing but it was totally something else， in a good way。 Florence details her childhood with her adopted mum "Nan"， a white lady who dotes on her and then how she is taken to Nigeria by her parents， along with her siblings who are younger than her。What follows for Florence is a baptism of fire into her own culture， in Nigeria she learns Yoruba， she learns how life is there and the customs of her ancestors， something she had no idea of when she was in London。 I like how Florence writes convincingly from the viewpoint of a child， this is not easily done。This book is lonnnnng but I sped through it as I could not put it down。 It is a perfect beach read。4/5 。。。more
Mary
，
This was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Born in London of Nigerian parents， Florence Olajide spent the first years of her life with white family。 This odd arrangement made it possible for her parents to work and finish their educations。 At six she moved from a life with a family that wasn't her own to live in Lagos with her parents and extended family。 To say that she experienced culture shock is an understatement。The differences between her life in London and her life This was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Born in London of Nigerian parents， Florence Olajide spent the first years of her life with white family。 This odd arrangement made it possible for her parents to work and finish their educations。 At six she moved from a life with a family that wasn't her own to live in Lagos with her parents and extended family。 To say that she experienced culture shock is an understatement。The differences between her life in London and her life in Lagos were vast。 It wasn't as obvious as running water versus going to the well， indoor plumbing versus communal plumbing。 She went from life with a nuclear family， albeit a foster one during most of her life in London， to a life with a sometimes hostile， always mysterious extended family。 A writer who is unknown or someone who is writing a biography of someone not well-known needs to grab the reader by the throat from the beginning。 The best example that I can think of is how Lauren Hillenbrand made everyone want to know about Louie Zamperini in the first few pages of the great Unbroken。 If you are an unknown， but you believe your story merits sharing， you need write so that the reader wants to take accompany you down memory lane。 I am fascinated by stories of culture clashes， immigrants and identity， so I had high hopes for Coconut， but was disappointed。If the intention was to capture a child's voice， then Olajide did that; the writing was simple and straightforward。 I sometimes thought that I was reading a YA memoir because her story moved from experience to experience， and seemed to lack adult reflection。 Only lackluster writing keeps Coconut from being a memorable memoir of a childhood in a place rarely seen in print。 。。。more
SundayAtDusk
，
When author Florence Ọlájídé was a young child living with a white foster family in England， her foster mother Nan called her Ann。 Her parents， who were students studying in London， called her Funmi。 When her family moved back to Nigeria when she was six， her paternal grandmother called her Keji。 A lot of names for a little girl to keep track of， but the author was fortunately very bright， resilient and learned quickly how to adapt。 She had been in a foster family because her parents， like many When author Florence Ọlájídé was a young child living with a white foster family in England， her foster mother Nan called her Ann。 Her parents， who were students studying in London， called her Funmi。 When her family moved back to Nigeria when she was six， her paternal grandmother called her Keji。 A lot of names for a little girl to keep track of， but the author was fortunately very bright， resilient and learned quickly how to adapt。 She had been in a foster family because her parents， like many African students who studied during the day and worked at night， could not afford live-in child care。 What they could afford， however， was paying “private” foster families to care for their children。 Even though， Ms。 Ọlájídé's parents had three more children while in England， she stayed with the foster family， until the weekend she was visiting her parents and was told she would not be going back to her beloved Nan。 They would soon all be moving back to Nigeria， a place the author had never been。 She did not want to go。Life in Lagos， Nigeria in the Yoruba culture was definitely shockingly unlike life in London， England。 One could only think it was good the author wasn’t a preteen or teen when her family returned， because an older child probably would have had much more trouble adjusting。 Extended families were tight， often lived together， and were always in each other’s business。 In addition， there was so often suspicion and downright hostility between females in the Yoruba culture， possibly because men could have more than one wife， although the author’s father did not。 Fortunately， Ms。 Ọlájídé did have female friends; but her paternal grandmother was highly abusive with a cane; her mother would falsely accuse her of things; and when she later had problems with her own daughter， she appeared to have little problem thinking of her possibly living with another family。England was always in the back of the author’s mind while growing up， getting educated and getting married。 She wanted to return there one day and live， and eventually she did with her husband and children， where she became a highly successful educator。 Most of the book is about life in Africa， however， and it’s a wonderful， immersive way to learn about the Yoruba culture， and to see how a child who had straddled two cultures adapted to very conflicting lifestyles。 Plus， to see how an adult dealt with the differences of child rearing and educating in two very different countries。 Highly recommended to both adults and teenagers。（Note: I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley and the author or publisher。） 。。。more
Sean Talbot
，
To say I was impressed is a little too tame of word。 I am a big fan and I think the writing shows a style that really struck chords with me。The story itself was scary and sad as well as uplifting。 The story of her life was so full and it seemed to bring honour as well as horror as well。I loved how you see a different culture in that of Nigeria and someone who feels that they are trapped between worlds。 I was impressed by the narrative and how strong the person is to go through life being torn fr To say I was impressed is a little too tame of word。 I am a big fan and I think the writing shows a style that really struck chords with me。The story itself was scary and sad as well as uplifting。 The story of her life was so full and it seemed to bring honour as well as horror as well。I loved how you see a different culture in that of Nigeria and someone who feels that they are trapped between worlds。 I was impressed by the narrative and how strong the person is to go through life being torn from one place and being a foreigner in the place of her heritage。What a great story and I think this is one of the best non fiction books I have read。 It shows that cultural differences don't make things bad。 They show that people from different cultures have a lot more in common than differences。Amazing job。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Coconut
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Coconut&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Coconut&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0