I’m delighted to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for stunning memoir The Oshun Diaries by Diane Esguerra. Thank you to Rachel Gilbey and Eye books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this beautiful book.
About the book:
High priestesses are few and far between, white ones in Africa even more so. When Diane Esguerra hears of a mysterious Austrian woman worshipping the Ifa river goddess Oshun in Nigeria, her curiosity is aroused.
It is the start of an extraordinary friendship that sustains Diane through the death of her son and leads to a quest to take part in Oshun rituals. Prevented by Boko Haram from returning to Nigeria, she finds herself at Ifa shrines in Florida amid vultures, snakes, goats’ heads, machetes, a hurricane and a cigar-smoking god. Her quest steps up a gear when Beyoncé channels Oshun at the Grammys and the goddess goes global.
Mystifying, harrowing and funny, The Oshun Diaries explores the lure of Africa, the life of a remarkable woman and the appeal of the goddess as a symbol of female empowerment.
Trailer – Vimeo
About the author:
Diane Esguerra is an English writer and psychotherapist. For a number of years she worked as a performance artist in Britain, Europe and the United States, and she has written for theatre and television. She is the recipient of a Geneva-Europe Television Award and a Time Out Theatre Award.
She is previously the author of Junkie Buddha, the uplifting story of her journey to Peru to scatter her late son’s ashes.
She lives in Surrey with her partner David.
Social Media Links –
My Review:
From the striking cover to the beauty within its pages, The Oshun Diaries by Diane Esguerra is a memoir unlike any other I’ve ever read before. It takes the reader on an emotional journey of discovery that stays with you long after the final page has been turned. It’s difficult to put into words how profoundly moving and enlightening this book is as any words I write could never do this beautiful book justice. It’s an enthralling page turner of a book and one that I’m so glad I was given the opportunity to read.
It’s a book of two halves, the first taking us on a journey to Africa where the author meets a mysterious Austrian Oshun priestess. It is the start of an extraordinary friendship that sustains Diane through the devastating loss of her son and leads to a quest to take part in the Oshun rituals. This part of the book is immensely readable and almost reads like a fictional account, even though you’re aware from the very start that it is not. The writing is beautiful and I felt a real connection with this first half of the story.
The second half takes us to Florida where Diane finds herself at the Ifa shrines, alongside fellow Oshun worshippers. This second half of the book is so much more complex than the first, but is a fascinating read nonetheless. The author’s writing is beautiful and flows effortlessly, drawing you into the story and keeping you interested throughout.
The Oshun Diaries is a beautiful and complex memoir that once started I could not put down. Vividly brought to life by Diane Esguerra, it’s a fascinating and moving insight into the life of a remarkable woman that also explores the appeal of the Ifa river goddess Oshun as a symbol of female empowerment. Although the stunning cover drew me to this book like a moth to a flame, I wasn’t sure it was going to be something I would enjoy at first, but was delighted to be proven wrong as it captivated me from the very first page.
A stunning memoir I would highly recommend.
Read on for a chance to win a paperback copy of this beautiful book!
The Oshun Diaries by Diane Esguerra is available to buy now:
Readers can order the book from the Lightning Books website at 30% off (with free UK p&p) if you enter this code at checkout – BLOGTOUROSHUN
Giveaway to Win 5 x PB copies of The Oshun Diaries (UK Only)
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.
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I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Follow along with the blog tour to see what these other fabulous bloggers have to say about this book:
Cal Turner Reviews 