Patchwork Summary

The book patchwork follows the life of an African woman named Pumpkin. The book is divided into two segments of her life; her childhood and adult life. The first section of the book depicts Pumpkin as a young girl. She is living with her mother in Tudu Court. Her father is very rich and pays Pumpkins’ Ma but he hardly visits and doesn’t seem to care very much. Their relationship is summaries in the scene where Ma’s car breaks down and she and Pumpkin are stranded on the side of the road when Tata’s car continues to drive past, abandoning them. Pumpkin doesn’t see her father for quite some time after that and she describes the basics of living with her drunken mother. One night Pumpkin is awaken by the sound of her mother throwing up all the booze and then is surprised by a visit from Tata. When he sees the condition of Ma he states that she is a drunk and an unfit mother and that he will be taking pumpkin home with him. He takes her to his house with his true family and things only get worse for Pumpkin. Mama T, Tata’s wife, becomes upset and leaves for a week before allowing Pumpkin to be apart of the household. Although Pumpkin is there she is not accepted as part of the family. Mama T is mean to her and always talking bad about her. Sissy, the household caretaker is the only one who befriends the little girl. She lives there for two years before Tata takes her back to see Ma, who has turned her life around and no longer is dependent on alcohol. She has found herself a new love, Uncle Oscar, and has gotten over Tata. Pumpkin returns to her father’s farm they experience a bombing and when Pumpkin lets out long overdue tears she lies to Sissy saying Uncle Oscar did grown up things with her. Sissy and Tata are outraged, but once everything gets sorted out, Ma tells Pumpkin that Uncle Oscar and she will be getting married. The first part ends with the wedding between these two.
The second part begins with Pumpkin, now 31, in a fight with a young girl believed to