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Powder Necklace: A Novel

by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond (Goodreads Author)

3.72 of 5 stars 3.72 · rating details · 123 ratings · 36 reviews

To protect her daughter from the fast life and bad influences of London, her mother sent her to school in rural Ghana. The move was for the girl’s own good, in her mother’s mind, but for the daughter, the reality of being the new girl, the foreigner-among-your-own-people, was even worse than the idea. During her time at school, she would learn that Ghana was much more comp...more

ebook, 304 pages

Published April 6th 2010 by Washington Square Press (first published February 6th 2010)

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Mar 31, 2010 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I picked this one up yesterday afternoon during my son's nap time and finished it later that night. I was impressed with myself for eating it up so quickly but more so impressed with the talent of this debut novelist.

The story is tragic, real and compulsively readable. Lila is a 14 year old girl born to a mother and father from Ghana but raised in London. She never gets to know her father except over brief phone calls during holidays and her birthday. Her mother is fiercely protective and angry...more I picked this one up yesterday afternoon during my son's nap time and finished it later that night. I was impressed with myself for eating it up so quickly but more so impressed with the talent of this debut novelist.

The story is tragic, real and compulsively readable. Lila is a 14 year old girl born to a mother and father from Ghana but raised in London. She never gets to know her father except over brief phone calls during holidays and her birthday. Her mother is fiercely protective and angry at every normal teenage action she seems to make. (talking to boys, wearing tight clothes, etc). Her mother's attitude towards her goes beyond normal mother/daughter parenting. Though the story behind her father isn't told right away, the hatred that Lila's mother has for him is quite obvious in the way she tries to shelter Lila.

Then one day her mother walks in on Lila and a boy friend watching TV and it sends her into a rage. Soon enough, Lila finds herself being sent to stay with her aunt in Ghana to give her mom "a break".

Ghana is a far cry from her life in London. It is rough and dirty and not at all welcoming. Her Auntie is brisk and to the point; "Don't ask too many questions. Try to fit in." Though her skin color matches the other girls at the Dadaba Girls Secondary School, the term "Broni" is often shouted at her, meaning "White Girl or not a true Ghanaian".

She is faced with a bleak, hot, cruel environment. She is taught to keep her head down and make it through. A water shortage, peer pressure and bullies make her life in Ghana a living hell. After six months and a tough road to making a few friends, her mother pulls her back to her life in London.

With a new man in her mother's life and a possible future step sister, Lila is brought back to a world she is unsure is her true home. But this time she jumps in full force; to hell with her mom's rules about boys. She deserves some fun and soon finds it in her first boyfriend, a new job, sex and drugs.

But not for long. Only a short time after getting settled back in, her father sends for her to take a vacation with his new family to Disney World.

At this point in the book you are really feeling for Lila. Seriously, what the hell? You feel the disfunction of the mother, the eagerness and lure of the father and the impatience of Lila. Who's interest is this all for?

Lila is a fresh, witty, all too aware and real teenager. Though her bad behavior makes you angry at times, you completely understand her rebellion and anger towards her parents. You also get a raw description of life in Ghana and the displacement Lila feels in a culture and world she is supposed to embrace.

Author Info: (from back of ARC)
Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond has written for AOL, Parenting magazine, The Village Voice, Metro, and Trace Magazine. Her short story "Bush Girl" was published in the May 2008 issue of African Writing, and her poem "The Whinings of a Seven Sister Cum Laude Graduate Working Board as an Assistant," was published in 2006's Growing Up Girl Anthology. A cum laude graduate of Vassar College, she attended secondary school in Ghana.

Rating: 5 stars/6 stars
I would recommend this for Young and Adult readers. It has a universal voice that teenagers could easily identify with and a unique and bold writing style that a seasoned reader can appreciate.(less)

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Jan 19, 2011 Michelle Robinson added it

Shelves: african-author-non-fiction-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I finished reading this book at about 2 this morning. I wanted to write my review then. However, I think that its good that I waited a little while.

I was so angry with the mother. It's strange but her name never comes to my mind easily, even as I was reading the book. Maybe she did not feel like a fully formed charachter to me, I'm not sure.

Last night I was very angry with the mother, how could she send her daughter off to a third world country, even the one that she had imigrated from, it seeme...more

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May 19, 2010 Carla Ford rated it 5 of 5 stars

It seems as though we can all learn a lesson from this young girl. Bounced from place to place by her basket case of a mother, Lila's resilience is amazing. Sent from the U.S. because, as it turns out, her mother needs some "me time", Lila finds herself in Ghana, a place that nothing her life in the U.S. could have possibly prepared her for. She cried until she had no tears left, then when she had to leave her aunt's house for school, she cried some more. Eventually, she settled into life at sch...more

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Oct 31, 2010 Tracy Darity rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Teenaged girls

"A powdered neck meant you had bathed....that your mother or father had sent a barrel or jerrican of water so you had water to bathe with and drink. The girls that didn't have water started powdering their neck anyway." (page 244)

The "Powder Necklace" by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond was one of those books that leaves the reader with things to ponder. The story is based on the life of Lila Adjei, a young Ghanaian girl raised in London, by her divorced mother. At the age of 13 or 14, Lila's mother becom...more "A powdered neck meant you had bathed....that your mother or father had sent a barrel or jerrican of water so you had water to bathe with and drink. The girls that didn't have water started powdering their neck anyway." (page 244)

The "Powder Necklace" by Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond was one of those books that leaves the reader with things to ponder. The story is based on the life of Lila Adjei, a young Ghanaian girl raised in London, by her divorced mother. At the age of 13 or 14, Lila's mother becomes "lonely." She sends Lila to Ghana, to discover her roots and learn about her culture; 6 months later she has a change of heart (that involves a new love interest), and brings Lila home. The reunion doesn't last long, and Lila is soon off to discover America. There she must bond with her father and his family; a father she has not seen since she was three.

As Lila settles into her new life, her mother uproots her again and she is on a plane back to London.

There are several things going on in "Powder Necklace" and I was not sure which one was supposed to stand-out for me. Was it the symbolism of the neck in African culture? Or, as a mother, was it okay to dwell on the notion of just sending my child to another country because I was tired or "lonely." In Ghana, Lila's ordeal/learning experience gave clear meaning to the phrase, what doesn't kill you, will only make you stronger." Or, was the central theme really, "everything happens for God's good reason."

Brew-Hammond has written a wonderful coming of age story that will not diappoint readers. In the end,Lila's journey comes full circle. Despite her not fully understanding her experience, she recognizes that most children love their parents unconditionally, and the hurt and disappoinment easily dissolves into the next smile, the next hug, or next fleeting moment of something better coming over the horizon. There are a few things that as a reader, I would have liked more back-story on, but not knowing did not take away from the piece in it's totality.

"I knew from Dadaba that lonliness made you do desperate things, but when I saw Mum's flowing face, I prayed I wouldn't ever get so lonely I'd send my child away or forget who I was because of it." Lila Adjei - Powder Necklace

Much Love,

Tracy

Tracy L. Darity is the author of "He Loves Me He Loves Me Not!" and "Love...Like Snow In Florida On A Hot Summer Day." Please visit www.TracyLDarity.com for more information.(less)

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Jan 15, 2012 Mzgrammybear rated it 5 of 5 stars

Another classification of a brilliant meet and greet. I was privileged to cross paths with Mrs. Hammond at a book fair event. One word description AMAZING !

Reading and browsing every page, not only was I provided with a sharp glance of what life may truly be like in Ghana, but talking about putting a grip on the actual definition of what HOME really is. Finding herself caught up in the middle of what some have called parental irreconcilable differences, young Lila gets a pure dose of root-ality....more

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Nov 10, 2009 Andrea rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: african-diaspora, africa

This book started out beautifully. Teenage Lila is a native Londoner, being raised by her divorced Ghanaian immigrant mother. But when Lila invites a boy over to play video games after school, her mother packs her off to Ghana for high school, saying she "needs a break" from Lila's troublesome ways. Lila suffers not only culture shock but identity confusion as she adjusts to Ghanaian culture and school for six months before her mother whisks her back to London and then packs her off again, this...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Jan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Lila is coming of age in London. She has a boyfriend and several good girl friends. Her mother fears she is running in the wrong crowd. She sends her off to rural Ghana.
School at first is hard as is the culture. Water is a symbol of wealth. Water is hard to find and parents send water to their kids to drink, bathe and wash their clothes. The powder necklace of the title is when the girls powder their neck which showed that they had bathed. Then she goes back to London where she meets her mother'...more

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Mar 12, 2012 pdxmaven rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-book, third-world, identity-immigrant

Sad tale -- mom in London tries for better life for her daughter (or maybe just wants time to spend w/new boyfriend without being bothered by parenting a daughter) so sends her back to Ghana, her homeland but where she is hardly at home. A poignant comment of not fitting in, in your own supposed 'land', and the brutality of adolescent relational aggression. Then is brought back to London and sent to live with her father in the US, where a trip of Disneyland is a crazy parody of all that is worst...more

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Apr 23, 2010 Nana Brew-Hammond rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

I wrote this so I'm biased! But I'll tell you why I love this book:

*It tells the story of a heroine I'm so proud of -- a sharp, honest young girl making the turbulent journey of adolescence across three continents

*It offers a new perspective on important issues that need fresh examination including:
o the superiority complex Westerners have regarding the so-called
"Third World"
o the effect of single parenthood on girl children in particular
o what it means to grow up American/British/etc when...more

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May 02, 2011 Babydoll rated it 4 of 5 stars

A breathtakingly intriguing story, author Nana Ekua Brew Hammond creates an astounding coming of age novel centering around the life of Lila Adjei. Lila defines her identity as well as her purpose in life, while being shipped to three different countries by her mother. During her travels, Lila embarks on a journey through displacement and abandonment, to sacrifice, endurance, and accomplishment. Hammond does a remarkable job of capturing the rich Ghanaian culture through references to the langua...more

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Dec 06, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: women-s-fiction

NeoAgent Disclaimer: Yes, I'm biased since I'm the agent on this, but if you can handle that, read on.

POWDER NECKLACE is a fresh take on a Diaspora narrative. It is written with humor and heart, and is as much an immigrant story as it is a portrait of Ghanaian culture. Nana attracted my support because she handled the material in a contemporary way. She created a work that ALL mothers and daughters can enjoy, and gives her readers a chance to ponder the choices we make when forming our own iden...more

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May 06, 2011 Mocha Girl rated it 3 of 5 stars

Powder Necklace is a debut novel from Ekua Brew-Hammond with a Bildungsroman-ish vibe featuring Lila, a quiet and shy teen living with her divorced, immigrant mother in modern London. Although she is a good student, she is somewhat of an outsider, a bit withdrawn and largely friendless. Her life is turned upside down when her mother misinterprets an innocent encounter as a carnal act of disobedience. Her mother seemingly overreacts by shipping Lila unaccompanied to Ghana the next day.

Lila has a...more Powder Necklace is a debut novel from Ekua Brew-Hammond with a Bildungsroman-ish vibe featuring Lila, a quiet and shy teen living with her divorced, immigrant mother in modern London. Although she is a good student, she is somewhat of an outsider, a bit withdrawn and largely friendless. Her life is turned upside down when her mother misinterprets an innocent encounter as a carnal act of disobedience. Her mother seemingly overreacts by shipping Lila unaccompanied to Ghana the next day.

Lila has a keen eye and it is in these first-person passages where the author excels in the depiction of her experiences with Ghanaian society and tradition. The imagery and voices allowed this American reader to experience culture shock along with Lila during the airport arrival, her aunt's lodgings and hospitality, the boarding school ordeal and all events in between. Within six months, the ever-observant Lila adapts to the ingrained "quid-pro-quo" lifestyle, survives the scarcity of water, endures the torment of enemies, and learns the value of friendship. As quickly as she was dispatched to Africa, her mother then suddenly recalls her to London and upon rebelling there in the worst ways, she is again abruptly whisked away to live with her distant "thrice-a-year phone-calling" father and his family in New York City. At this point, the direction of the novel veers unexpectedly toward evangelical themes when a travel-weary Lila struggles to make sense of her parents' actions, their relationships, the effects their decisions have on her life, and the age-old "why me" question.

At its core, the novel explores issues of identity, dislocation, and belonging as Lila is thrust into differing and difficult situations in the UK (London), Ghana and the USA (New York City). It is in these places and from deep within her heart that she must find her own voice and the inner strength to survive often without the shelter, guidance, and protection of her dysfunctional family. A side note: This novel should probably be marketed or labeled as Young Adult because there were too many unanswered questions, underdeveloped adult characters, and a neatly wrapped ending (which also felt a bit forced and abrupt); however, even from an adult viewpoint, it was still an enlightening and educational story - the boarding school experiences are truly unforgettable. Recommended for all with an interest in cross-cultural experiences featuring a female, coming-of-age, teen protagonist. (less)

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Jan 16, 2011 Teresa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2011

Our book group won these from BookMovement.com. It was a very interesting story of a young teen being shuttled betweeen her known life in London with her mother to the unknown life in Ghana with a aunt. Then back to London where her mother now has a boyfriend with a teenage daughter. Then shuttled off to her father and his wife and twins who she has never met in the US. It is very discriptive and funny in a sad way. It's heartbreaking how little the adults care about this teen's feeling, even th...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Tamaracj rated it 3 of 5 stars

On the whole I enjoyed reading this book but as the child of a West African immigrant who spent the first part of her childhood 'back home' before returning to the UK, I felt the novel's protagonist or perhaps the author missed out on the beauty of Africa. While I appreciate that being uprooted from a life of creature comforts in London and being placed in hardship in a strange country, I still think the character failed to learn the lesson life in Africa could have taught her. The preoccupation...more

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Apr 22, 2011 Shelley Shockley rated it 4 of 5 stars

I just love when I have no preconceived notions about a book and delve into and really find myself enjoying it! That was just the case with Brew-Hammond's Powder Necklace.
If I were to put it into a category I would call it a "coming of age" story, but it is also a story of the different dynamics that make up a family in our world.
Told from the narrator, Lila's, point of view this international story follows the path a young Ghanaian girl takes as she travels to the homeland of her parents - some...more

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Mar 31, 2011 Rashida rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: africa, herstory

Do you know what I found remarkable about this book? Brew-Hammond's ability to have such a realistic teenage protagonist. This is first person narrative, and she remains absolutely believable and authentic as a teenager throughout the entire book. Let's be honest. As an adult, teenagers are about the most exasperating beings on the planet. Why won't they just heed? Why do they persist in folly? And roll their eyes and give such attitude? But, as a teenager, your every indignation is absolutely r...more

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May 29, 2011 Lynecia rated it 4 of 5 stars

A great coming-of-age story, loosely based on the experience of the author's. As a young adolescent, Lila's mother abruptly sends her Ghana to attend boarding school, which subsequently becomes a crash course in a culture that she had never known. This was the land of her parents, foreign territory and she was treated as such by the other girls at school who ridiculed her for being a foreigner, unfamiliar with the language and customs. Great read!

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May 12, 2010 Kaitlin rated it 3 of 5 stars

It is an enjoyable book. My favorite parts were when Lila the main character was living in London and Ghana, the descriptions and her life were vivid and I felt like I was really looking into Lila and her world. When she moves to America, the story began to lose some of the realism to me. I felt like the end was a little too tidy. At some points I found Lila's interactions with her parents ringing false.

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Jun 18, 2011 Louise rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: african-lit

This wonderful debut novel is a coming of age story with international flair. A very enjoyable read, with vivid descriptions of Ghana, and the hardships endured by the protagonist who is suddenly uprooted from her home, not once, but twice. I liked the characters, even the unlikeable ones. But I do wish the last part of the book had delved a little bit deeper. The ending (once she was in the US) felt rushed to me, and not as "real" as the Ghana/London part. Everything happened too quickly and we...more

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Aug 08, 2011 Aimee rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Lila is sent from a "luxury" apartment in London to finish high school in Ghana. Her mother tells her it will teach her a lesson for her behavior and that the schools are superior.
While in Ghana she is hazed by her peers and must fetch her own water. The lessons she learns are life lessons about priorities and relationships in this excellent debut novel.

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Nov 04, 2010 Tina Alston added it

What a find...Nana Ekua's language is so clear and yet her images are so rare...she uses food images from the Ghanna foods that her family cook; e.g. comparing the way an envelope comes slowly unstuck as the way Okra slides off the spoon...Can't wait to see her other writing

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Oct 09, 2011 Jlbutler55 rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this story about a British born and bred young Ghanaian girl who gets sent to Ghana by her mother to attend boarding school.
I could really relate to her account of Ghanaian life through the eyes of an Obroni.

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Nov 14, 2010 caroline rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderful book. I met Nana at the Capital Book Fest in Charleston, SC. She seems like a great person. And, she is obviously a talented writer...I definitely recommend this one!

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Jun 15, 2010 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2010-reads

A super easy read. Inspiring tale of strength, courage, and perseverance. Despite being tossed to the side by a weak mother, the young heroine survives to tell her story.

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May 13, 2010 Debra rated it 3 of 5 stars

enjoyed the book, a light read, interesting commentary on ghana... more of a coming of age book, but the main character never real came of age.

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Apr 28, 2011 Susan Frazier-Kouassi rated it 1 of 5 stars

This 1st novel by the author is a very thinly disguised autobiography. There are some great sections, which I wish she would have explored more in depth, but, it gives an interesting insight (although somewhat cast in a negative light) of life as a secondary student in a single-sex Ghana boarding school.

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Jul 24, 2012 Nana Fredua-Agyeman rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-my-book-shelf, young-adult, novel, african-books

Powder Necklace traces the life of a young girl as she moves back to her country of her parent's birth and struggles with what her identity is.

http://freduagyeman.blogspot.com/2010...

thanks

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May 10, 2010 Julia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved Powder Necklace. It tells and honest and powerful story. A good reminder that no matter where you grow up, the anxiety of being a teen and the painful process of discovering who you really are is universal.

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Jan 21, 2010 eb rated it 2 of 5 stars

Fascinating details about life in Ghana ruined by bad writing and a disastrous structure.

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Oct 31, 2012 Mary Okeke rated it 4 of 5 stars

Please visit www.maryokekereviews.blogspot.com

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About Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond

Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond (nanaekua.com) has written or edited style and culture features for AOL, The Village Voice, JET Magazine, Metro, and Trace Magazine, among others. She has led copywriting for NikeWomen.com, LorealParisUSA.com, and Bluefly.com. Her short stories have been published in African Writing and the anthology This Woman's Work; while her poem, "The Whinings of a Seven Sister Cum Laud...more

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