3.5 ( )

The House at Sugar Beach is a combination family memoir, history of Liberia, and gut-wrenching first-hand account of what it was like to live through a coup d’état. Born in Liberia in 1966, Helene Cooper led a life of comfort and privilege as “Congo,” a term for descendants of the repatriated free blacks that arrived in West Africa from the United States in the 1820’s. She lived in a mansion attended by servants and her extended family held positions in the government. Her parents took in a local girl, Eunice, as a companion for their daughters, and she was treated as part of the immediate family. Eunice was a “Country,” as descendants of the indigenous African people were labeled. The rancor between the Congo and Country groups originated in the 1820’s and was inflamed by differences in socioeconomic standing, with a small percentage of the population controlling a large portion of the wealth. Tensions between the two groups erupted into violence in 1980 when a small group led by Samuel Doe staged a coup d'état, killed the President, and executed governmental officials.

This memoir is educational and engaging. One of the author’s strengths is her ability to vividly describe the ambiance of Liberia, such as the foods, idioms, customs, and social structure of the time. Liberia’s history is expertly woven into the narrative to provide the context for the coming political disruptions. The author directly relates the horrors experienced by her family members during the coup, evoking feelings of outrage and sympathy. Helene Cooper was a young girl during the early part of the memoir and the language is that of a child, which, while “accurate” in reflecting a child’s tone and perspective, is not particularly analytical and is focused on somewhat frivolous topics. The time she spends in the United States after the coup seems unfocused and meandering. A more adult perspective emerges in the last half of the memoir, when the author returns to Liberia to reconnect with her friends and family, hoping to resolve her guilt and regrets. She relates the latest round of political unrest and the impact on the populace. While a bit uneven, the book is worthwhile to learn more about the country and the people of Liberia. ( )

Journalist Helene Cooper examines the violent past of her home country Liberia and the effects of
its 1980 military coup in this deeply personal memoir and
finalist for the 2008 National Book Critics Circle Award.
Helene Cooper (born April 22, 1966) is a Liberian-born American journalist who is a
Pentagon correspondent for The New York Times. Before that, she was the paper's White House
correspondent in Washington, D.C.
She joined the Times in 2004 as assistant editorial page editor.

This autobiography touches on major issues of our time. Helene Cooper's crisp writing allows the reader to understand complex situations. ( )

One of the best books I've ever read. Not kidding. ( )