Jen Nghishitende
Jen Nghishitende is a Namibian writer, researcher, and mother based in the UK. She is the founder of African Queens' Ink, her passion project launched in December 2024. The blog amplifies the voices of African women and women of African descent through storytelling, literature, and advocacy. Jen is a former lecturer and postgraduate researcher, and she now works as an Equality and Human Rights Project Manager. Her work weaves together personal experience, scholarly insight, and deep cultural roots—exploring themes such as motherhood, migration, identity, and freedom. She holds a PhD focused on the lived experiences of women who have survived modern slavery. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s exploring the great outdoors, traveling, or making and eating delicious food with her daughter.
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Book Review and Reflection: The Book of Not by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Published: 2006Genre: Fiction, Coming of AgeCountry: ZimbabweBuy the book here Introduction The Book of Not is the powerful sequel to Nervous Conditions. It follows Tambudzai’s (Tambu’s) story even more intimately. This novel broke my heart. As Tambu moves from colonial Rhodesia through the liberation war (Chimurenga) and into independent Zimbabwe, her internal struggles take centre stage. Her attempts to rise, to fit in, to be seen (mostly to herself) all become a quiet but relentless internal war. Book Summary Tambu has been through the wringer. So much happens to her in this novel. The book picks up right after Nervous Conditions, following her into high school at the elite Young Ladies’…
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Book Review and Reflection of The Book of Memory by Petina Gappah
Published: 2015 Country: Zimbabwe Genre: Fiction Buy the book Here. Introduction The Book of Memory is one of those books you finish and keep wondering if it’s a true story, not just fiction. So many nuances and crevices sound too real to be made up. That is a testament to the author’s brilliant prose. Book Summary Memory has been sentenced to death for killing a white man. As she languishes behind bars, her lawyer asks her to write down everything she can remember about what happened. She decides to write her life story, both for her lawyer, who is trying to reduce her sentence to life imprisonment instead of death, and…
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Book Review and Reflection of So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ
Published: 1979 Genre: Semi-autobiographical Country: Senegal Click HERE to Buy Book “The flavour of life is love. The salt of life is also love.” – p. 64 Introduction An African proverb says, “Marriage is like a groundnut, you have to crack it to see what’s inside.” This saying reminds us that the true nature of a marriage only reveals itself through the everyday realities and challenges of life. Some of those challenges are expected and manageable; others arrive swiftly and violently, shaking you to the core and forcing you to question everything. The protagonist in this novel, Ramatoulaye Fall, experiences both and more. But it’s how she navigates the wreckage of…
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Book Review and Reflection: My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Buy Book Here Introduction In preparation for Oyinkan Braithwaite’s follow-up book, Cursed Daughters (due for release in September 2025), to My Sister, the Serial Killer, I have decided to re-read My Sister, the Serial Killer and write a review about it this time. I’m glad I did, because it not only gave me a chance to reflect on it again, but also really looking forward to the new book as I was left wanting more of the story. Cursed Daughters seems to promise the “more” I’ve been seeking. Book Summary My Sister, the Serial Killer is Oyinkan Braithwaite’s debut novel, and it is as gripping as it is humorous. It follows…
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Book Review and Reflection of Living, Loving and Lying Awake at Night by Sindiwe Magona
Published: 2003Genre: Short Story Collection / Literary Fiction Buy the book HERE Introduction Motherhood is a multitude of existence. When one becomes a mother, they cease to exist for themselves. The first chapter of Living, Loving and Lying Awake at Night reflects this. Mothers are charged with bringing life into the world, cultivating it, pruning it, watering it, and caring for it. Most mothers would do anything for their children’s well-being and survival. Sometimes, it means leaving them (physically) to be their mother, as one of the protagonists in this book emphasised. Book Summary and Reflections Living, Loving, and Lying Awake at Night is a collection of short stories in two…
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Book Review and Reflection of We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
Genre: Coming of Age, FictionDate of Publication: 2013Get a copy HERE Introduction Another literary gem from Zimbabwe. Firstly, I adore the cover of the hard copy I received. We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo is striking from the very start. Chilling themes are revealed early on and continue to unfold throughout the book. The writing is excellent. NoViolet takes readers into a vivid world that feels almost tangible, with its incredible nuances threaded throughout. One may miss hidden meanings if they aren’t looking closely. For instance, in Chapter One, Darling, the protagonist, says: “We just walk nicely like Budapest is now our country too, like we built it even, eating…
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Book Review and Reflection: Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza
Book Published: 2006Buy the Book: HERE Introduction I have always had a keen interest in learning about the Rwandan Genocide, stemming from my undergraduate studies in law. The 1994 Rwandan Genocide, where nearly one million Tutsis were slaughtered in just 100 days, is a significant aspect of Rwanda’s history. My dissertation for my LLB honours degree focused on the human rights of women and children during this tragic time. However, most of my early research was based on official documents and academic papers. As my interest deepened, I grew a strong desire to learn about people’s lived experiences of the Genocide. Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza was the first book…
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Book Review and Reflection of My Black Motherhood: Mental Health, Stigma, Racism and the System Sandra Igwe
Published: 2022 Buy Book HERE Introduction This book is not very long, so it is easy to get through—yet it took me a while to finish. I kept reading, pausing, and coming back to it. That’s because it is not an easy read. I am a Black mother living in England at the time of reading. Fortunately for me, I had my daughter outside England. I was lucky enough to have a well-paying job, so I was able to afford giving birth in a private hospital, where I received premium care. Moving to England, I quickly realised that motherhood here was very, very different. In this book, Sandra takes us through…
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Book Review and reflection of: Nephilim Origins: Rise of the Nephilim by Chido Hove
Introduction I often go into books blind — no synopsis, no reviews, no expectations — just vibes. I want my reading experiences to be fresh and unfiltered. Nephilim Origins: Rise of the Nephilim by Chido Hove was one such read. The title was unfamiliar, but the cover hinted at supernatural elements that piqued my curiosity. Book Summary Set in a quiet village, the story follows Naamah, a young girl whose life takes an unexpected turn after a visit to the market. There, she meets a mysterious, ethereal man by the stream — tall, beautiful, and utterly enchanting. At the same time, Naamah is promised to another man by her father, a…
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Book Review and Reflection of If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga
Published: 2022Accolades: [As listed on Amazon] Genre: Fiction (This becomes confusing towards the end, but research confirms it is fiction.)Buy the book HERE Country: Egypt Introduction If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English is framed around two individuals from vastly different backgrounds meeting and forming a relationship. What a book! The first thing that struck me, and I loved it very early on, was how it was written. The story is narrated by the boy from Shobrakheit and the American girl. It is lyrical and poetic. Book Summary and reflections The book is divided into three parts. Every section in Part One begins with a question, such as, “Question: If you’re waiting for…