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I devoured this book.
First, I am very much loving this new wave of Black women protagonists who are first generation living between two worlds, the world that exists in their parents’ home (an extension of their ancestral land) and the physical country they exist in, while managing heavy experiences that spur their initial introductions to therapy. These aspects of the book made it clear to me why a lot of people compared this one to “Queenie”, and while the stories are similar in many ways, this is an important story on its own.
Our protagonist Maddie is dealing with a lot to say the least. She is caught between a Ghanaian family that expects too much of her, including an ailing father, and a western world that experts her to move on from living with family. She is dealing with pressure in every direction. These expectations prove to be too much. After her father ultimately passes away, she’s left with dealing with a lot of past hurt and learning about who she is without caring for everyone else. The novel asks: how does Maddie care for herself after she’s done caring for everyone else?
The writing is captivating. The author has a gift for striking a balance between providing so much detail about the characters, their body language, and where they are within a given space, while not saying too much so that the reader can interpret subtleties.
I took one star away because the ending felt rushed. I wanted at least another 50 pages and the ending came too soon. Which again speaks to the how gifted the author is.
First, I am very much loving this new wave of Black women protagonists who are first generation living between two worlds, the world that exists in their parents’ home (an extension of their ancestral land) and the physical country they exist in, while managing heavy experiences that spur their initial introductions to therapy. These aspects of the book made it clear to me why a lot of people compared this one to “Queenie”, and while the stories are similar in many ways, this is an important story on its own.
Our protagonist Maddie is dealing with a lot to say the least. She is caught between a Ghanaian family that expects too much of her, including an ailing father, and a western world that experts her to move on from living with family. She is dealing with pressure in every direction. These expectations prove to be too much. After her father ultimately passes away, she’s left with dealing with a lot of past hurt and learning about who she is without caring for everyone else. The novel asks: how does Maddie care for herself after she’s done caring for everyone else?
The writing is captivating. The author has a gift for striking a balance between providing so much detail about the characters, their body language, and where they are within a given space, while not saying too much so that the reader can interpret subtleties.
I took one star away because the ending felt rushed. I wanted at least another 50 pages and the ending came too soon. Which again speaks to the how gifted the author is.