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#Blessed: A book review of The Blessed Girl

October 1, 2020 by Elmien Ackerman

Our book club decided on The Blessed Girl a few months ago, and after reading the excerpt, I was excited to read it. Bontle Tau is #blessed. She lives an opulent lifestyle without having to ‘work’ for it. Male suitors are lining up to pay for her Mercedes, her penthouse, and her Instagrammable holidays. But her glamourous lifestyle is not without its own set of challenges. Bontle must juggle her attention between her blessers; her soon-to-be ex-husband; her female friends; and her mother who runs a shebeen in Mamelodi and who is struggling to raise Bontle’s teenaged brother on her own. Sooner or later, Bontle must give something up.

The blesser and the blessee

If like me, you had no idea what a blesser or blessee is, author Angela Makholwa is kind enough to provide definitions at the beginning of the book.

“Blesser. A person (usually male and married) who sponsors a younger woman with luxury gifts or a luxurious lifestyle in exchange for a short- to medium-term relationship.”

“Blessee. A person (usually female) who lives a luxurious lifestyle funded by an older, sometimes married partner in return for sexual favours.

So, now if you see the words #blessed on a lavish Instagram post, it might mean that a blesser sponsored it. There were many words in the book that I was unfamiliar with, but Bontle explains everything, which is helpful, especially if you don’t understand Zulu.

The blessed life

I struggled to connect with Bontle at the start of the novel, and I didn’t like that she continually referred to the reader as ‘you’. It took me out of the story instead of allowing me to immerse myself into Bontle’s world.

But I soon started to feel for Bontle and liked that I was her confidant. Her winning charm and lack of any social anxiety won me over.

“The skill that I have honed and perfected, from a fairly young age, is that of charming people to get my own way,” Bontle says.

And she is definitely an expert in the field of charm considering that she has three blessers, Teddy, Mr Emmanuel, and Papa Jeff, all vying for her attention.

Fast-paced lifestyles (and speed reading)

In The Blessed Girl, Bontle finds time in her busy social schedule to read. She mentions Malcolm Gladwell and his 10 000-hour rule. “…if you spend 10 000 hours honing a skill, if you practise incessantly at it, you are more likely to be a champion in that field,” Bontle says to explain how she became such a charmer. Practice clearly makes perfect.

It becomes obvious later in the book, however, that Bontle does not really like reading; she just likes the thought of reading. She mentions Donald Trump’s The Art of the Deal a couple of times but says: “Anyway, did you really think I’d already read the entire book? The pace of my life is inversely proportional to my reading speed”.

I love that! I constantly feel like the pace of my life is inversely proportional to my reading speed.

Not so blessed

Bontle’s life seems to pick up speed as the story progresses, and not everything is as glitzy and glamorous as it seems. It is not all VIP lounges, Louis Vuitton heels and fancy cars. Bontle makes a few bad decisions, and at times it felt like I was watching a horror movie where you are shouting at the actress not to walk into the dark woods alone, but you know she’s going to do it anyway.

Soon you realise that Bontle is lonely. She has all these blessers and attractive friends, but she still feels isolated. With the reader being her only real confidant, Bontle slowly sinks into a depression. So much so that she wonders whether she should give up the blessed life.

“Am I ready to wave goodbye to Teddy and his tenders, Mr Emmanuel and his News Cafes, and Papa Jeff and his cash allowances?”

Bontle turns to antidepressants and spends time in a mental health institution.

The beginning of the end

At the end of the novel, Bontle explains why she chose the blessed life. I don’t want to give too much away as I encourage you to read The Blessed Girl. It is a rollercoaster of emotion with more twists and turns than the sequins on a Chanel dress.

The Blessed Girl will give you a behind-the-scenes look at the glamourous #blessed posts you see on Instagram and make you think twice about judging a blessed girl.

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An obsession with reading and a love for the show Gilmore Girls has led to Where Books Lead.

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South African book blogger
Copywriter | INFJ | Gilmore Girl

"The people who stand before kings may look like t "The people who stand before kings may look like they did it all by themselves. But in fact they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways others cannot.” – Malcolm Gladwell
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#bookobsessed #booklovers #blog #ilovebooks #igbooks #currentlyreading #bookishlove #goodreads #bookgram #booklife #bookclub #bookgeek #ilovereading #instareads #literature #bookreviewer #storyofsuccess #outliers #successfulpeople #malcolmgladwellquote #bookquotes #nonfiction #nonfictionnovember #bookstagramsouthafrica #bookstagrammer #bookquoteoftheday #readingtime
“The best kind of writer – the kind who makes “The best kind of writer – the kind who makes you feel like you’re a genius, rather than he’s a genius.” – Dominic Maxwell, The Times 
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Dominic Maxwell perfectly sums up how I feel about Malcolm Gladwell's writing.
🖋🖋🖋
Read my full review of Outliers on Where Books Lead (link in bio).

#bookblogger #bookstagram #booklover #bookworm #bookstagramza #bookstagrammer #books #bibliophile #booknerd #bookaddict #book #bookphotography #bookaholic #reading #booksofinstagram #instabook #booklove #bookblog #igreads #bookreview #blogger #bookshelf #readersofinstagram #read #reader #booksbooksbooks #amreading #bookcommunity #outlier #malcolmgladwell
“Successful people don’t do it alone. Where th “Successful people don’t do it alone. Where they come from matters. They’re products of particular places and environments.” – Malcolm Gladwell 
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Still busy devouring all things Gladwell. I’ve just finished his podcast Revisionist History, and I’m anxiously awaiting season 6. If you haven’t listened yet, I highly recommend it. Gladwell’s soothing voice, captivating anecdotes, and fascinating historical facts are bound to provide you with a new perspective on the past.
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Have you listened to Revisionist History? What's your favourite podcast? I love Revisionist History and Armchair Expert – they're my favourites.

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I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately. Rec I've been reading a lot of non-fiction lately. Recently finished Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell – it was so good (link in bio for my full review). Blink is on my list as my next Gladwell read and I'm currently reading Lost Connections by Johann Hari (and loving it).
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Do you read a lot of non-fiction? If so, please share your recommendations with me?
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#malcolmgladwell #malcolmgladwellbooks #malcolmgladwelloutliers #nonfiction #nonfictionbooks #nonfictionrecommendation #penguinbooks #penguinbookcovers #blinkmalcolmgladwell #johannhari #lostconnectionsbook #orangebooks #orangeaesthetic #orangeisthehappiestcolour #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramsa #bookblog #bookreview #books #bookphotography #bookphoto #photosofbooks #reading #readinglist #wherebookslead #bookstagramza
"Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. "Practice isn't the thing you do once you're good. It's the thing you do that makes you good." – Malcolm Gladwell.
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In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell found that practice does make perfect. Through a unique set of circumstances and extraordinary opportunities, Mozart, Bill Gates, and The Beatles had extra time to practise and hone their skills, which allowed them to become a musical prodigy, an innovative visionary, and the most influential band of all time, respectively.
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#malcolmgladwell #malcolmgladwellquote #malcolmgladwelloutliers #malcolmgladwellbooks #practicemakesperfect #storyofsuccess #practicepracticepractice #practicmakesperfect #mozart #billgates #thebeatles #musicalprodigy #visionary #band #reading #bookworm #nonfiction #bookquotes
“Orange is the happiest colour.” - Frank Sinat “Orange is the happiest colour.” - Frank Sinatra
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Have you read any of these? What’s your favourite orange book?
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I love all of these - an orange book for every mood.
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#orange #orangestack #orangebookstack #orangeisoptimism #orangeisthehappiestcolour #1984 #georgeorwell #outliers #malcolmgladwellbooks #celestengbooks #everythinginevertoldyou #ageofiron #jmcoetzee #angusthongsandfullfrontalsnogging #louiserennison #davidlevithan #davidnicholls #robbell #howtobehererobbell #gertvloknel #bookstagram #reading #bookstagramsouthafrica #books
How much preparation is needed to achieve success? How much preparation is needed to achieve success? 
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“Researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours.” - Malcolm Gladwell writes in Outliers: The Story of Success 
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Read my full review of #malcolmgladwelloutliers on the blog. Link in bio.

#malcolmgladwell #malcolmgladwellbooks #malcolmgladwellquote #malcolmgladwellisagenius #nonfic #success #successmindset #successquotes #motivationalquotes #hardworkpaysoffs #tenthousandhours #tenthousandhourrule #talent #preparation #bookstagram #bookstagramsouthafrica #booklover #reading #readingtime #wherebookslead #instabook
BOOK REVIEW (LINK IN BIO) Outliers: The Story of S BOOK REVIEW (LINK IN BIO)
Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
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In Outliers, Gladwell examines our understanding of success by looking at a successful person’s circumstances. From discovering that most all-star hockey players in Canada are born in January to finding out why successful lawyers in New York in the mid-1970s to the end of the 1980s were almost all Jewish, Gladwell shows how when we are born influences our chances of achieving success.
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Your place of birth is just as important as the decade in which you are born. Gladwell looks at why Korean Air had a track record of plane crashes in the 1990s, and what role cultural legacy had to play. Of course, when and where you are born, and the language you speak is not the only indicator of success. Gladwell explains that not every hockey player born in January ends up playing at a professional level. “Achievement is talent plus preparation,” Gladwell writes. But exactly how much preparation is needed? “Researchers have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours,” Gladwell explains. 
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In Outliers, Gladwell argues that there is no such thing as a self-made man (or woman). Our place in history, our culture, language, geographic location, and circumstances, all influence the opportunities available to us. The factor we do have control over, however, is how hard we work. None of the outliers achieved success without putting in at least ten thousand hours.
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If you've read my blog, you'll know that I think #malcolmgladwellisagenius 
Dominic Maxwell explains it best: "The best kind of writer – the kind who makes you feel like you’re a genius, rather than he’s a genius." So, if you want to learn something new (and feel really smart🤓) read a Malcolm Gladwell book. 

Outliers gets 🦋🦋🦋🦋/5 from me.

Blink is next on my list.
In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell argues that there is In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell argues that there is no such thing as a self-made man (or woman) – there are many factors that influence our chances of success. Our place in history, our culture, language, geographic location, and circumstances, all influence the opportunities available to us. Read the latest book review on the blog (link in bio) to learn why successful people are products of particular places and environments.

🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

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