Cion

by Zakes Mda

Book Overview

A Picador Paperback Original

The hero of Zakes Mda's beloved Ways of Dying, Toloki, sets down with a family in Middle America and uncovers the story of the runaway slaves who were their ancestors.

Toloki, the professional mourner, has come to live in America. Lured to Athens, Ohio, by an academic at the local university, Toloki makes friends with an angry young man he meets at a Halloween parade and soon falls in love...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312427069
• ISBN13: 9780312427061
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Beyond the colors

Quilts not only give us warmth; they tell an important part of our history. A part that makes America what it is today, a melting pot. They give us a glimpse into our part and hope for the future. Quilts have lead people out of their worse fears and into a world where their skin color doesn't matter. They say don't judge a book by the cover because nine times out of ten you will be wrong. This can be applied to quilts. Everything isn't always what it appears to be. Quilts were more of an art to be hung on the wall than a blanket to keep you warm. Now it seems that they have lost that precious job. The homemade quilts seem to have been replaced by quilts that have no meaning. You can buy a quilt now for twenty dollars at Wal-Mart. "Cion" by Zakes Mda was first published in 2007 by Penguin Books. In his book he takes the reader on a journey where quilts are important and homemade, where tradition is not lost, and where history was made. Mda's character Toloki is a professional mourner who came from South Africa to America to get some different perspectives on mourning. He is about to set off on the adventure of a lifetime, an old quilt as his guide. He winds up in Athens, Ohio at the Halloween party where he meets Obed Quigley. Obed invites Toloki to his home in Kilvert, where Toloki meets the other Quigley's. His sister, Orpah a troubled soul who loves art and playing her sitar. He meets their mother Ruth and then Mr. Quigley, a quiet man with a garden of gnomes. Ruth and Toloki become good friends; she loves to talk about her heritage and Toloki is eager to listen. Ruth asks Toloki if he knows anything about quilting, when he says no, she begins telling him how her people are quilting people (Mda 32). The quilts tell stories; "cycles of loves and losses were enacted on the quilts. The souls of those who are gone rest in the very threads of the quilts" (Mda 33). Ruth has a very old quilt that is dear to her heart. The novel goes to the Abyssinian Queen; she was a quilter herself and made her sons quilts to help them escape out of slavery. Her son Abednego settles in Kilvert where his cions still live and have the very quilt he used to reach freedom. Then the novel goes back to Toloki and Orpah who have fallen in love and are going away together. Quilts hold a story all of there own; they contain a path to freedom, codes, a special language and a mother's love. They are a gateway into the past from the present. Heritage is very important to Ruth. It defines whom she is, where she comes from, and what she wants to be. She talks about her past like it is present. The red slate she eats is "in memory of her childhood, and of the slaves who were forced to eat mud to ease the pangs of hunger" (Mda 204). Ruth compares the past and present constantly; "in those days" is a key phrase of hers (Mda 205). Ruth talks about quilts like the quilts are actual people, like they hung the stars. She comes from generations of quilt mak

Ainsley Bodi

Freedom is something that never goes out of style. As a nation, the United States dealt with slavery a lot in the past. The US fought to get its independence from Britain to become its own country. As America began to strive as a nation, slavery became an issue. While the US has a long history of slavery, it is a topic that is relevant in countries all over the world. Even though it has been centuries since literal slavery was resolved, it is still an issue that is dealt with in various ways. Today, people are still striving for the independence they feel they deserve. Examples of those fighting for such independence can be found in Zakes' book Cion. In Cion, Zakes Mda demonstrates different levels of struggles with slavery. Cion is about a professional mourner who is conjured in Athens, Ohio by the sciolist who, "is in the God business" (Mda 312). The professional mourner, Toloki, comes to stay with the Quigley family shortly after he arrives in Athens on Halloween, 2004. He learns that ancestors of the Quigley's had fought for their freedom during the Civil War. Ruth supported their freedom and traditions as it was a determining factor in her vote in the Presidential election. She also went on to say, "There is one darn thing they ain't gonna take from us...our heritage" (Mda 63). The son of the Quigley family, Obed, tries to use his heritage in order to find a job that will make him money. Orpah, the daughter, tries to express herself through her citar music and artwork. Ruth is against any scheme that Obed comes up with and destroys Orpah's artwork because it is not traditional and she is scared of their independence from her (Mda 37, 275). As time goes on, Toloki and Orpah fall in love, but Mr. and Mrs. Quigley forbid it because they do not want their daughter to be taken away from them (Mda 276). After much resentment among all parties, they all become reunited at the mourning of Mr. Quigley's mother. After much time of Toloki and Orpah rehearsing mourning ceremonies, they head out of Athens to discover other mourners (Mda 312). As they leave Athens, Toloki leaves the sciolist and his aid because he finally decides he needs his independence from him (Mda 312). In the book, Cion, through the theme of freedom, the author makes the point that people will go through great lengths to gain personal independence and liberty. He addresses this point through more so than just literal freedom. Each of the main characters has some sort of struggle that they wish to gain independence from, whether it is from slavery dating back to the Civil war or to free the burden of sorrow from a loved one's death. As the book progresses, we see how each character copes with their so-called "slavery" and how they overcome it. Throughout the book, the story of the Quigley's ancestors, Nicodemus and Abednego, tell how they escaped slavery on a southern plantation. The escaping from a life of slavery was the hardest thing they would have to go through to obtain in

Good read

In this book, Mda reveals the life of a mixed race family in the Kilvert Community in the U.S.-as narrated by Toloki, the professional mourner from Africa. The change of settings from present day and its linkage to the past is what makes the book interesting- and of course Mda brings in some subtle humour which always comes at the right time. Enjoyed the story and would recommend it for a book club.

A Delightful Read!

I had not read of Ways of Dying or heard of Zakes Mda before reading the Essence article that featured Cion as the October 2007 book of the month. Based on the article's synopsis, I knew it was a book I wanted to read, so I ordered it immediately - in doing so, I have no regrets - what an insightful, creative, and often humorous read! Cion follows the travels of Toloki, a professional mourner (which in itself is an unusual profession), as he ventures to Southeastern Ohio (Appalachian country). It is in this rural, impoverished setting and through Toloki's eyes that American pop culture, politics, and other "isms," such as racism, colorism, sexism, etc. are explored. A Halloween prank-gone-bad leads Toloki to form an unusual friendship with a local, rather eccentric family. His host family is self-described as WIN (White-Indian-Negro) and it is with them that the complexities of racial identity, prejudice, and stereotypes emerge. Mda uses his creativity and playwriting skills to construct scenes that evoke crystal clear images and crafty dialogue/arguments to cover aspects of African American history (a wonderfully imagined Underground Railroad escape is presented as a sub-plot) and its far-reaching impact on Americans today. Toloki's observations and internal thoughts/commentaries are oftentimes laugh-out-loud funny and laced with truth and heartfelt honesty. This book is definitely in my 2007 Top 10 list - I have already ordered his earlier works and look forward to the reading experience. Reviewed by Phyllis October 6, 2007 APOOO BookClub Nubian Circle Book Club

Ghosts of history come alive in Ohio

South African novelist Zakes Mda has always been a master of place. It is exotic locations, places steeped in history, tradition, and quite possibly, magic, that inspire his literary muse. His previous novels have all been set in his native South Africa, but his newest work, Cion, is placed firmly in the American heartland, in Appalachian Ohio, specifically the city of Athens and the nearby hamlet of Kilvert. Mda transports Toloki, a professional mourner first introduced in Ways of Dying to Athens, where a chance encounter with a young man from Kilvert during Athens's world-famous Halloween celebration changes Toloki's perspective on life and the many ways of mourning. Toloki discovers the heart and soul of the impoverished Kilvert community and the mixed race (White/African/Native American) people who live there. I live only a few miles from Kilvert and can attest to the authenticity and accuracy of Mda's observations of the colorful people and places in Appalachian Ohio. They are beautifully rendered and evocative of a past that no longer exists except in memory and hopeful for a future not yet realized. Cion is a wonderfully poetic, moving and entertaining novel. Don't miss this one! John Kachuba Author: Ghosthunters: On the Trail of Mediums, Dowsers, Spirit Seekers, and Other Investigators of America's Paranormal World