A review by nataliedc
Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

A reflective, emotional memoir of a Ghanaian-Armenian young woman, in the midst of a depressive spiral, who reflects on her childood spent growing up in Uganda, Tanzania, Italy, England, and so many more places with her younger siblings, angry step-mother and ailing father. I did not expect to love this memoir as much as I did - from the fantastic prose to brief, yet impactful chapters filled to the brim with heartwrenching stories of loss, familial expectations, mental health, and sexuality in a society that deems you different, this novel as it all. I especially related to Owusu's struggles with anxiety/depression, her position as oldest sister within her family, as well as her near-god-like reverence for her father. I also LOVED the earthquake metaphor woven throughout this memoir. This might be one of my favorite memoirs I've read in a while and I can't wait to check out more of Owusu's works.