The Girl Who Married an Eagle takes place in the Belgian Congo shortly before it achieved its independence. Ohio native Julia Newton found herself enthralled by a missionary talk at her local church, and she signed up to go to the Congo. Meanwhile, eight-year-old Buakane found herself married off to a chief who had many other wives. Upon learning that she would be buried alive with him whenever he died, Buakane fled and had a too-close encounter with a hyena. Shortly thereafter she was picked up on the road by the vehicle taking Miss Newton to the missionary compound. Buakane also goes to live there, and the rest of the book details the progression of their lives together, along with the other missionaries. The thing is that there is really no mystery involved in this book. Perhaps this was a typo because it was an Advanced Reader Copy? No matter as the book is an enjoyable tale of life in African during that time period and is based on stories from the life of the author. Readers who like Africa stories will enjoy it. ( )

This book definitely wasn't what I was expecting. At first, the description led me to believe it was a mystery, but it clearly wasn't a mystery. And then I thought it would be about life in an African mission, but to be honest it was more about the roads the characters traveled to get there than their time together.

This isn't to say I didn't enjoy it. It's an interesting little tale of colonial Africa and the humour in face of scary situations made me laugh.

I've often picked up a number of Tamar Myers' books for some of my 'cozy mysteries' displays at the library. She writes the Den of Antiquity as well as the Pennsylvania-Dutch with recipes series.

But she also pens a third set of books that are quite different. These books are all set in Africa - the Belgian Congo - in the 1950's. The Girl Who Married an Eagle is the fourth book in this set.

Julia Newton is entranced by a missionary's talk at her church in Ohio in the 1950's. The subject - the need for staff at a mission in Africa. Enthralled, this young woman heads to the Belgian Congo to teach at a school for runaway child brides.

One runaway is Buakane - promised to Chief Eagle - a brutal powerful leader. Myer's narrative alternates between Julie, Buakane and Nurse Verna at the mission. But the most engaging voice is that of Clementine - the nine year old daughter of Henry - a widowed missionary. Clementine is precociously clever but still a lonely child. Can Julia adapt to this new land? Can she and the others at the mission keep the child brides safe? Will Chief Eagle reclaim Buakane?

Myers has written a lovely little tale that will appeal to fans of Alexander McCall Smith. The language, the customs, the land, the people - I found all of the descriptions absolutely fascinating.

"Forget all your preconceptions of what a town is, or ought to be, because the Belgian Congo had its own peculiar definitions. A place was a town only if it had white residents; no matter how large an all-black settlement, it was always called a village. But give it a handful of whites and it was sure to pop up on the map like mushrooms after the first September rain."

I felt like I was sitting listening to a storyteller. Each of the narrator's voices is quite distinct and bring their own take to the tale.

It was only after I finished reading The Girl Who Married an Eagle, that I learned of the author's background. Tamar Myers was born in the Belgian Congo to missionary parents. With that piece of knowledge, the book took on a different slant. Many of the situations and descriptions are from Myer's own life and are based on real events.

I enjoyed this book, but the 'mystery' tag is a bit of a misnomer. There's not much mystery, but lots of questions as to the outcome of many situations. I found it to be an easy, enjoyable, informative read. ( )

Other cultures are intriguing, aren't they? Very often a comparison between our own culture and that of a very different place can be not only educational, but surprising, illuminating, and amusing as well. When presented within the context of a light novel, such a contrast is both painless and fun, causing the reader to realize how provincial each of us is.

Tamar Myers does this comparison smoothly and well in her Belgian Congo series. "The Girl Who Married an Eagle" tells the tale of a runaway child bride who fortuitously winds up at a missionary station where there is a school sheltering these young girls.

While there is no mystery here, and only the tiniest possible amount of suspense, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. No hint of self-righteousness spoils the slight plot and marvelous look into a vanished way of life. ( )

I received this book as an Early Reviewer and was looking forward the the advertised mystery, but this is not a mystery novel. That being said it is an interesting story based on fact. In the Belgian Congo African girls were married off as early as eight years old. This is the story about one such girl who runs away on her wedding day, is attacked by hyenas and is found by missionaries who save her. Initially I was put off by the heavy Christian themes, but they made sense as the story progressed. This story was compelling and full of quirky characters. ( )