A memoir not an autobiography. Episodes from a life told with a theme. An adopted child traces her birth parents. One Scottish, one Nigerian. Having grown up a black child in a white family and suffering regular insult and worse because of her colouring she revels in tracing, finding and enjoying her Nigerian family. Despite the best efforts of her adoptive parents she has feelings of being an outsider in Scotland that contrast with the open welcome she gets in Nigeria. Nigeria lives up to its reputation. Full of life, full of contradictions, full of energy, full of surprises. The only downside? The episodic structure gives the impression of a writer performing exercises. Each section a little test piece. But for someone christened Joy a joyful book. ( )

v moving and couldn't put it down ( )

Hardly any rain here, so the title of the book suits the situation well.

I liked the book. Not more than that though, since I was (at times) confused by the jumping back and forth in time & place.
The story itself was nice to read, sometimes moving, especially the parts about the racism. It was quite dready at times too, but all in all interesting to read. ( )

Poet Jackie Kay tells the story of her decision to search out her birth parents. As is often the case, the reunions are not entirely comfortable. Scottish birth mother Elizabeth has struggled with mental health issues and now has memory problems. Nigerian birth father is an obsessive born again Christian and is determined that Kay should also become born again to cleanse herself of her sin. He tells her he acknowledges her but is determined that none of his other family should know about her existence.

This could have been a sad story but it isn't. Kay was lucky enough to have two loving and politically aware adoptive parents who helped her grow into a warm, confident, optimistic woman who dealt with this wonderfully. She develops an odd but genuine relationship with her birth mother and with the help of Nigerian friend Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, she makes heart warming connections in Nigeria.

As well as telling this story, Kay lets us know about the discrimination she has come across growing up as a mixed race, lesbian woman in Scotland. Again, I am full of admiration for both Kay for how she deals with this and to her parents for providing an environment where she was able to do so.

An interesting story made utterly readable by Jackie Kay's warmth and humour. ( )