The God Child

by Nana Oforiatta Ayim

Maya grows up in Germany knowing that her parents are different: from one another, and from the rest of the world. Her reserved, studious father is distant; and her beautiful, volatile mother is a whirlwind, with a penchant for lavish shopping sprees and a mesmerising power for spinning stories of the family's former glory – of what was had, and what was lost.

And then Kojo arrives one Christmas, like an annunciation: Maya's cousin, and her mother's godson. Kojo has a way with words – a way of talking about Ghana, and empire, and what happens when a country's treasures are spirited away by colonialists. For the first time, Maya has someone who can help her understand why exile has made her parents the way they are. But then Maya and Kojo are separated, shuttled off to school in England, where they come face to face with the maddening rituals of Empire.

Returning to Ghana as a young woman, Maya is reunited with her powerful but increasingly troubled cousin. Her homecoming will set off an exorcism of their family and country's strangest, darkest demons. It is in this destruction's wake that Maya realises her own purpose: to tell the story of her mother, her cousin, their land and their loss, on her own terms, in her own voice.

Genres: Fiction, Africa, Ghana, Contemporary, Novels, African Literature, Literary Fiction

256 pages, Hardcover

First published November 14, 2019

Reviews

[Pretty_x_bookish · Rating 2 out of 5]

|| I think this is the trickiest review I have written in a while…I’m going to be completely honest….I did not understand what was happening 80% of the time in this book. The actual plot was very very confusing to me…. 😅😅😅||



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|| It’s weird but the actual plot was more confusing than the thematic focus if that makes sense? I grasped what social commentary the writer was making - issues of history, legacy, race, and belonging in the postcolonial were all integrated in the story. I could follow along with the underlying message ….but the actual day to day story? NO CLUE! Part of the problem was that there was too much going on....between Kojo and Maya (main characters - siblings not lovers) there was so much inner turmoil, I didn’t even know where to look first. The fact that the writer didn’t have clear boundaries - like different narrative voices per chapter - between Maya and Kojo just added to the confusion for me||


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|| The other thing is that I personally think that if you’re going to do time-jumps in a book, you need to clearly indicate how much time has passed. I don’t understand why writers like to make readers fish for information that could easily be given with little fuss - and would make the whole reading e experience more enjoyable. I said this when I read ‘Serpeant and Dove’ as well…. 📢📢📢 DO NOT MAKE ME SEARCH FOR INFORMATION UNNECESSARILY!!! ||


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|| In conclusion - this book was not really my taste because I generally prefer a more direct style of writing….but I think if you’re someone who enjoys a more metaphoric style, you might like this book…|| Side Note: I actually feel so inept after reading this book because I just did not get it 😂😂😂

[Jherane Patmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm upset this book didn't get more attention when it was released because this is the immigrant story I didn't know I needed. The God Child explores the question of what we owe to our country, our culture, our families, and ourselves.

I LOVED the characters as children! They were so intelligent, witty, and adventurous in ways I don't often see black children depicted. I loved Kujo as a kid and I feel like re-reading it just to experience his charisma and determination to uncover the truth of the world.

The writing style is superb, the politics is sound, and the story was strong and believable. Nana Oforiatta overtly asks big questions of power between nations and cultures. She also subtly questions power within cultures that have been under attack and not given an opportunity to naturally decide its path.

I enjoyed 80-ish percent of the book, the latter parts felt a bit rushed when everyone just started redacted one by one. Like... lol. They should've increased her page count by 70 or something so this could've been explored more smoothly.

Beautiful story, I look forward to her sophomore book.

[Shannen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm. Not necessarily a bad book, but not great either. I give 3 stars for 3 reasons:
1) The descriptive language in some parts of the book is beautiful.
2) I love the use of Twi, German and (sometimes) French throughout the book.
3) The last quarter of the book is beautifully written and was a great read.

However, my biggest issue with this book was the plot, or should I say, lack thereof. I'm not sure if it was the language used or the pacing, but if you asked me to explain the plot of this book, I wouldn't know what to say. So many doors were opened and yet, most of them were left unopened at the end of the book, leaving me with nothing but questions and confusion.

[Charlott · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book almost feels inside out, or underwater, and I mean that in a good way. The plot, the substance of events, are secondary to the immense depth of the subtext. How much one enjoys reading the book depends on how willingly the reader falls into that limitless depth. The writing is purposefully esoteric. Yes, there are concrete indictments of colonial imperialism, racism, classism and cultural appropriation. But, there is greater emphasis on the development of consciousness, of psychic and cultural identity, of fully-actualized awareness of self.

[Chitra Ahanthem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though fiction, this reads as a bit of a memoir and a long personal essay. It took some time to get into the flow of the writing for me as I have not been exposed at any point of time to the socio culture and politics of Ghana. Also, there are quite a few words and phrases that have not been translated.

Maya grows up privileged but that doesn’t help her feeling out of place in England and then Germany where she is sent for her education. There is a lot of reflection and realization that Maya undergoes through which comes across more strongly than the parts that takes readers for a tantalizing part into the history of her ancestors. And then it hits you that is what the author intended: where audiences/ readers/ consumers want the exotica of Africa but will judge them for their way of life and not cede ground for the way they want to be or tell their stories in the manner they want to.

Maya’s attempts at fitting in, her anger and scorn for people who carry colonial attitudes towards her roots and her people starts to feel a bit claustrophobic in parts and one cannot help feeling that the same themes would have worked if they had been addressed or fleshed out differently.

[Darkowaa]

Who's the God Child though... was it Maya, Kojo or Maya's mother?

I started reading my ARC back in 2019 and was stuck at 31%. I finally picked it up again this week and once I really gave the story a true chance, I found the text quite meditative, philosophical and deep.

Without reading this carefully, a lot of things will go over your head because the themes and the implications surrounding the characters' actions have deeper meanings rooted in history.

The God Child poses larger questions around history, royalty, power, privilege, entitlement, ownership, knowledge, migration and womanhood. The use of language (german, french, twi) gave Maya as a character an afropolitan vibe.

[Nattie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a lot of potential. Nana's writing is beautiful. However, there were parts that felt missing, the ending especially. I love African history when told through novels, but as much as I learnt of Ghanaian history, there were many parts that I felt were missing on how the present all came to be. I would definitely give one of her books another try, though.

[Zainab Fatima · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maya grows up in Germany inferring that she has parents who are very different from each other and from the rest of the world. Her father was an intellectual and reserved man while her mother was volatile and impulsive. When one Christmas her cousin (also her mother's godson) Kojo arrives; for the first time Maya finds someone who could comprehend her. Unfortunately, Maya and Kojo are separated later. Returning to Ghana as a young woman, Maya is reunited with her powerful but anxious cousin. That's when Maya realizes her own purpose to tell the story of her mother, her cousin, her land and loss in her own voice.

This book was much slower that I expected at the beginning of the read. But it was enthralling to read about the lands of Ghana and it's socio-culture. It gave me the vibes of reading a long memoir. Go for it only if you're okay with slow pace read.
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Thanks to @bloomsburyindia for the #gifted copy.🌻

[Alyssa Phillips · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the thematic elements and the broader storylines (racism, classism, duty to one’s country or family, etc) but could not track the day to day happenings that Maya describes. I felt very inept while reading this because I could not keep track of what was happening or when things happened.

[Phiwe N · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly I was confused 70% of the time reading this book. I’m not sure if it is the writing style or just me . There are parts that felt like ‘Okay now the book is picking up and the story will come together’ but to my disappointment we get lost in the nothing that goes on in the book.
It was not a bad book just not well put together for me.

[Maven · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a really hard time connecting with any of the characters. They all seemed to being playing versions of themselves, which maybe was the point. It just made them unapproachable and flat.

[Ross Jeffery · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating and rich novel, The God Child paints a strong image of the changing perception of African culture. Set between Germany, England and Ghana, narrator Maya is thrust into a whirlwind of family stories, unfulfilled prophecies and alien cultures, while she struggles to place herself in her surroundings as a young girl. Fast-forward to the future, and Maya is more aware of the importance of her background and history, but is still somewhat an outsider when it comes to understanding the significance it could have on an individual’s life.

The God Child beautifully showcases the art of West-African storytelling, placing importance on stories passed down through the generations and the influence of drumming and music. Ayim weaves these elements into her own story of Maya and Kojo, and their quest to achieve what they believe has been bestowed upon them. Maya learns about her Mother’s regal and elaborate past, but there remains an air of scepticism from Maya, even when she is eventually immersed into her lifestyle later on in the novel. It feels as though for Maya, this is a story that she never really got to fully understand or be a part of, so she feels desperately out of place – expressed in part through the clothing she wears around these royal relatives – even when she is welcomed into their world. Kojo is her link, her bridge to the unknown, yet his unstable, wavering behaviour means he is often elusive about his ‘plans’ with Maya. She and the reader are left speculating on what it means for her and what is to come. However, Kojo’s character does address another cultural storytelling aspect – the fact that such stories were rarely written down, and those that were, were usually told from a colonial viewpoint. Maya uncovers Kojo’s prized book, messy with annotations yet clearly well-loved. His early focus on this book is significant and shows how he is desperately seeking to understand his history.

With his arrival, Kojo fills Maya’s head with the rich stories of their heritage, gradually hoping to change her perception of what she understood about Ghanaian culture. Maya’s story and feelings of isolation are not unique. The story moves between Germany and England, and Ayim paints each landscape perfectly. The promise of England, over exaggerated with images from the classic literature that Maya loses herself in, is quickly overshadowed by the dull, cold and unwelcoming environment that Maya finds herself in when she arrives with her Mother and Kojo. England is described as always being a ‘dream’ for the family, yet – as explored in a lot of diaspora and immigration literature – it rarely meets expectations, and the family have to deal with surviving on a lot less than they are used to. However, it is the moments in the novel where the Mother goes against any attempt to ‘fit in’, which paint the strongest image and most enjoyable reading experiences. Her Mother is a fabulous, strongminded character, who dominates each scene that she is included in. The scene of her Mother and her getting her done is particularly poignant – the two opposite personalities are on full show in this instance. Maya, desperate to blend in and remain out of the limelight, suffers in silence as her scalp burns and her hair straightens. While her Mother, loud and unapologetic, controls the room and rejoices in her faith. In this scene, it is her mother who eventually saves her from the pain, as will be the case for Maya in her later life, when she begins to fully understand her Mother’s lineage and the importance of her traditions.

In The God Child, Maya’s Mother is a wonderful vessel for exploring the matter of which culture is ‘better’. While she clearly comes from a regal and wealthy family – albeit rather confusing and complicated – she still places an importance on imported goods, bringing home various foods and clothing when she returns to Ghana from trips overseas. There is a fantastic section in the novel where Maya is tasked with bringing home a giant Christmas tree on her trip, no matter how inconvenient and unnecessary it may be. She is always described as being well-dressed and beautiful, and likes to spend money on the latest things. However, she also shares the goods from her own country, when she visits friends and family in Europe and beyond. While she may seem like one of the most established and ‘comfortable-in-their-own-skin’ characters in the novel, her insecurities do seep out in certain parts of the novel. Like Maya, she is still discovering which environment she really ‘fits into’ and perhaps in her case, which culture she deems the most importance and influential.

In many ways, the novel is a love letter to the taken and lost pieces of Maya’s history. It makes us question who decides what is superior, which artefact is more important, what stories deserve to be retold. Yet it also explores the burden of living with this knowledge, the fact that very little is known or understood, even by the people who live in these environments and are immersed in this way of life. Kojo is arguably driven to his death through his immersion and his drive to achieve his goal of documenting the importance aspects of his history, fulfilling a prophecy of some kind. Indeed, later in her life, Maya suffers her own struggles and conflicts, and runs into the same problems – white men taking over the narrative – as her ancestors undoubtedly faced. The novel ends with a god-like vision of ‘a bare table covered with layered faded scrawl’, and an ‘empty chair’, seemingly waiting for Maya to fill it and continue the work of writing her people’s history. She is back home in Ghana by now, and though she may not initially feel like this is the place for her, for the reader, it finally feels as though she has discovered her calling, her prophecy and where her ‘home’ really is.

[Alanna Shand · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel harsh scoring this so low as this book covers vital issues and themes. It has some really raw and vulnerable moments. Unfortunately, it was hard to delve deep into these topics as I genuinely was confused about the plot and ongoing narrative. I often read a passage then reread it, still unable to grasp what was happening. It took me far too long to even pick up the main character’s name. I’ve read other reviews that feel similarly, which reassured me that I was not the only one to struggle with this! However, it was because of the topics raised that I continued trying and I am glad I read (and finally finished!) this one.

[Luci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I lived in Germany for 6 months and studied German for my major in college, so it was great to read some German snippets throughout the book and read about particular German-isms and be able to understand what was going on throughout those sections of the book. Those were particularly familiar, even though the immigrant experience that made up this book was not.

This book revealed a lot of great commentary on blackness, immigrants, and familial expecations. I gave it four out of five stars because while it was a great read, I wasn't inspired to ever read it again.

[Wilma (Enby Reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The audiobook for this is one of the best I’ve ever listened to. Phenomenal...I recommend!!

[Rebecc · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really interesting novel; I admit I think I missed some of the nuance in the early chapters & the author expects the reader to be sharp - this is not a simple read for the obvious reason that the author is dealing with very complex issues of identity, heritage & culture. I'm vaguely familiar with Ghana & some of it's basic history & culture & this novel is a marvellous window into this as Maya also learns about her own family & country's history & traditions as she grows up. The narrative is intriguing as she not only has a spell in London, but also to begin with in Germany & I liked her growing realisation that Kojo brings assimilating to white western social mores will not bring them personal fulfilment- that can only be achieved by staying true to themselves. There is plenty of personal tragedy too; failed marriages, early & accidental deaths, grief & professional betrayal. It's a fab book & one that should be read widely as it's riveting.

[kglibrarian (Karin Greenberg) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what to think after finishing this novel. I feel the same way I do when I read a poem whose words and themes move me deeply but whose literal meaning is out of reach. Ayim's writing is beautiful and mesmerizing, and while I enjoyed much of the story, I also felt kind of lost during many parts of it. This may be one of those books that will reveal its layers as I continue to reflect on it.

The narrative is told by Maya, whose parents are from Ghana but are raising her in Germany. Her father fades into the background as her mother's presence is tremendous--she dresses in flashy, luxurious clothing and makes a dramatic entrance wherever she goes. Though she loves her daughter, she holds her at arms length and only shows her affection when she chooses to. When Maya's cousin, Kojo, arrives at their home one day, he adds joy and mischief into her life and the two become close companions. He regales Maya with stories of their homeland, Ghana, and reveals secrets about their family history. When the two of them are sent to separate schools in England, they must fight to make places for themselves in yet another unwelcoming environment. It is not until years later, when they reunite in Ghana, that they attempt to understand their deep ties to their country and how their family's past has influenced all of their relationships. Maya is forever changed and uses her awakening as a starting point to embark on a quest to tell the story of her people.

One of my main struggles with reading this was its disjointed timeline and the lack of clarification with when each part of the plot was taking place. A chapter would end and then another would open in a completely different place and time but I had to attempt to figure out when and where it was. I also would have liked to get more deeply into the characters' minds. While Ayim's writing style does have a specific type of tone, I tend to enjoy books that reveal more of the depth. But then again, this may be a deficiency on my part as a reader--maybe I am not yet qualified to parse the deeper nuances of what she is trying to do with the lack of details.

I am left with a sense of wonder and awe for this author, and though I was not able to fully engage with every page of this story, I was always compelled to read on and felt curious about the characters and their lives. This is a powerful work that touches on themes of colonialization, race, cultural appropriation, and family relationships.

[Denise Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not even sure why, there was just something transcendental about it. I picked it up randomly at the library because I liked the title. I wasn’t even sure what it was about. I really enjoyed it and it showed me a window I hadn’t looked through before. Its also an outsiders view of England in parts (it was so good to read about someone who thought about the hot water here the same way I do-thank you) but it was so much deeper than that. She really captures that idea of being caught in between, between cultures, between past and future. That kind of youthful passion that somehow so often lacks focus and how that becomes into a fully formed self one day. It was full of things I didn’t know about and didn’t fully understand but it was still very relatable. Its beautifully written, a little bit Toni Morrison in its structure. It did make me think I need to know more about Ghana and its history. What was it like? It was like looking through your wardrobe on a summers day and not being able to decide what to wear, not because you don’t have enough clothes but because each piece of clothing means something different. Finally you decide on something and you love it and feel good in it, but you and everyone else need time to fully understand the meaning of what you are wearing. It is nonetheless a bright colourful dress, shot through with the light and the dark and it reminds everyone that there are four seasons. Highly recommended.

[Parsnip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although sometimes confusing, it is overall such a captivating book.

Really well written, full of lovely and poetic details. It manages to explore in a deeply personal way themes like identity, family or race but still without excluding the reader by being obscurely self-centered. I really loved this book and wished it had been longer. I wanted more, more of those characters, more of their emotions and their intricate relationships. I’ve read it a few months ago, and what I remember from it feels like a very honest love letter to family in all its complexity and to finding you’re place in the world.

4,5/5

[Ljuba Lozančić · Rating 5 out of 5]

lovely, honest, emotional.

[Tinashe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal.

[Uli Vogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't really get why people don't like this book. I extremely enjoyed it. Maybe I'm biased because I have friends with a similar background story.

[Adelyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded down.

A beautiful story of Maya, the daughter of a once-prominent family in Ghana, who grows up with her cousin Kojo in Europe (largely in Germany and England), and the tales that follow her return to Ghana as an adult. There are many elements of Ghanaian culture weaved into the narrative, like many other reviewers I did find myself horrendously out of my depth as I wasn't familiar with many of the scenes that were described, and I think this is one of the strongest points of the book as a cultural journey. I thought the viewpoint of Maya was an interesting one, as she clearly has incorporated into her behaviour the ways of her adopted countries, yet is constantly told about the family's past glories in their homeland and how it is her responsibility to restore that glory.

A lot of the book is also not actually set in Ghana, bringing about this unique cultural mix of an immigrant child growing up, and the difficulties of coming of age in this setting. As a sucker for strong sibling relationships I loved the types of discussions that Kojo and Maya were having, though at times I did feel like the former was behaving overly rashly, particularly in the chapters leading up to his death . The story actually starts off in present day, after the deaths of Kojo and her mother, so I spent much of the book expecting that and wondering when that would happen. I was slightly disappointed to find it came so late in the actual book, as that left really very little room for addressing the "and what was to come" promised by the first chapter, though in part the book made up for that by the backstory which was incredibly interesting .

I dropped half a star, and consequently rounded down, because I thought the book could have been written in a friendlier way for readers unfamiliar with Ghanian culture - I would have liked it so much more had I not felt completely out of my depth. For instance, a glossary would have helped immensely, it was legit annoying in the early chapters when foreign phrases were being repeatedly used in conversation without any explanation. As a result, it took longer than I would otherwise have to get to grips with the setting, something that would have helped for a book this short. A guide to the characters and how they relate to one another would also have been useful, as there are SO many to keep track of!

[Expat Panda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book which covers the psychological and emotional experiences of a young Ghanaian girl seeking to create her own identity as readers learn about Maya's childhood in Germany and England and young adulthood in Ghana. The subjects of colonialism, white supremacy, and the enduring impacts of racism on society have been extensively discussed in literature. However around halfway through the book...

I started to wonder if the main character was on drugs. Huge chunks of her life seemed to be missing, mysticism was introduced without any proper context or follow up and then there was a lot of German dialogue with no translation. The story is difficult to follow because the book is divided into chapters that are hastily cut and move ahead in time, from Germany to a boarding school to London to a house in Accra, with little mention of the years in between.

The more I read, the more I started to wonder if I was on drugs- I didn't understand anything that was happening in this book. Thankfully I came to read other reviews and found out that I wasn't the only one who hadn't a clue what this book is actually about.

The story is tainted by both political and personal disasters, fury and frustration, and, in the end, still tinted with optimism. The narration can be a little perplexing at times, and the various narrative threads don't seem to come together to make sense as a whole.

This book's treatment of diversity and navigating life in three different nations while defining one's identity added a star onto this review but overall would not recommend unless you like to be confused.

[Alica · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Wir Gotteskinder" handelt von Maya, die gemeinsam mit ihren Eltern in Deutschland aufwächst, später nach England umzieht und zum Ende hin Ghana besucht. Wer die Kurzbiografie der Autorin auf dem Schutzumschlag liest, wird hier schnell Parallelen entdecken, daher hat der Roman auf jeden Fall auch autobiografische Züge.

Maya muss früh lernen, dass ihr andere Menschen aufgrund ihrer Hautfarbe oft misstrauisch bis feindlich begegnen. Doch der Roman fokussiert weniger auf die negativen Erlebnisse und mehr auf das "große Ganze" von Mayas Leben und Abstammung. Zum Beispiel erfährt man, dass ihre Eltern in die Welt hinausgeschickt wurden, um zu studieren und mit mehr Wissen nach Ghana zurückzukehren. Doch während Mayas Vaters das Ziel aus den Augen verloren zu haben scheint oder sich zumindest nicht dazu fähig fühlt, seiner Heimat nützlich zu sein, beharrt Mayas Mutter, die königlicher Abstammung ist, darauf, eines Tages Königin in Ghana zu werden. Entsprechend verhält sie sich oft überschwenglich, fröhlich und gönnerhaft, obwohl die Familie nur ein durchschnittliches Einkommen hat. An diesem "Kaufrausch" zerbricht die Familie dann auch recht zu Beginn und Maya zieht mit ihrer Mutter nach England, wo Mayas Cousin Kojo zu ihnen zieht.
Über Kojo erfährt Maya mehr über die Kultur und den Glauben in Ghana und wird durch ihn für ein gemeinsames Ziel eingespannt. Zum Ende hin versuchen sie dieses in Ghana umzusetzen.

Der Roman behandelt neben dem Alltagsrassismus vor allem das Thema Selbstfindung und die Frage, ob man dem Land der Vorfahren etwas schuldig ist. Wie weit man sich dafür einsetzen sollte.
Was ich thematisch großartig fand, überzeugte leider nicht in der Umsetzung. Auf mindestens der Hälfte des Romans hatte ich keine Ahnung, worum es eigentlich geht. Was daran liegt, dass vieles nur angedeutet oder angeschnitten wird und man extrem viel zwischen den Zeilen lesen muss. Wäre mir vielleicht leichter gefallen, wenn ich mehr über Ghana gewusst hätte. So fühlte ich mich aber leider in der Handlung sehr verloren, die zudem auch immer wieder sehr sprunghaft ist. Plötzliche, größere Zeitsprünge, ohne das der vorherige Abschnitt sich abgeschlossen anfühlte, waren regelmäßig vorhanden. Zudem bleibt auch Kojo in seinen Erklärungen zum Leben in Ghana sehr rätselhaft und scheint Maya absichtlich nicht alles sagen zu wollen. Man bekommt immerhin das Gefühl, dass auch Maya nicht genau weiß, worum es Kojo eigentlich geht. Macht es aber nicht einfacher, den Inhalt zu verstehen.

Erst am Ende löst sich alles auf und ergibt plötzlich einen Sinn, aber bis dahin muss man erstmal durchhalten.

Insgesamt kann ich "Wir Gotteskinder" nur bedingt empfehlen. Es ist keine Lektüre für Zwischendurch und man muss aufmerksam lesen und wahrscheinlich hilft es auch, wenn ein wenig über das Leben in Ghana Bescheid weiß. Dennoch habe ich einiges aus dem Roman mitnehmen können, vor allem was den Lebensalltag von Maya angeht.

[nyakhakhu_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story follows the life of Maya, a young German girl born in Germany to Ghanaian parents as she struggles to understand her own identity while navigating the complex family dynamics.
The author does an excellent job of describing the cultural differences between the different settings.

The way this book addressed the subject of cultural heritage and how it shapes our identities is one of the aspects of it that liked the best.

Through Maya's story we can see how our cultural heritage can both be a source of pride and strength as well as confusion and conflict.

The relationships between the characters are intricate and layered, each one is well developed and detailed. Particularly Maya, who battles to understand her mixed origins and find her place in the world which makes her relatable.

Unfortunately, because of the writing style- which is metaphorical, but overdone- I did not appreciate it as much as I had anticipated. Because of Ghana's sociocultural and political system the book was difficult to get into at first and the time jumps that did not indicate how much time had elapsed (This annoys me all the time).

I see why a lot of people find this book to be perplexing. I could not really make up the plot; it appeared more like a memoir than anything else. If you intend to read this book, you must be prepared to immerse yourself completely.

This novel explores themes of identity, belonging, trauma, and the legacies of colonialism.

[Rokkan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The timeline felt somewhat meandering in this book, the plot more about Maya's cousin and mother despite her being the point of view character. There were several points in the book where I felt that other points of view - usually Kojo's - were available. Then again, only seeing Maya's point of view does help explain the disconnect she feels when she returns to Ghana. Despite Kojo's attempts to explain things to her - and therefore the reader - there are still things that are misunderstood or lacking due to lived experiences. Having lived all her life in westernised countries, winding up back in Ghana is a culture shock, for Maya and the reader. It's understandable, but overall made me feel like the book didn't really go any where.

[Tylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an uneven read for me personally. I really enjoyed parts of the story and then it would either not continue it, or when it came back it felt as an afterthought. What I felt was the primary thread of the novel didn't go anywhere at all. I appreciate shorter novels, but this felt at if pages' worth of story could've been added. The italicized words throughout were distracting. All that said, this was my first novel based on or involving the country of Ghana and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the culture and the author has some beautiful stylistic prose. I wonder over time if I'll grow to appreciate it as I either learn more about Ghana, or about the author.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. I found this a thought provoking and interesting novel, providing insight into the immigrant experience and its impact on family relationships, and considering themes of cultural appropriation and historical narrative among others. I particularly loved Maya and her mothers relationship which is wonderfully observed and vividly depicted. However this was a somewhat inconsistent and uneven read and I found the structure with its frequent leaps in time and place to be a little disjointed and confusing.