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The Purple Violet of Oshaantu by Neshani Andreas
Book Review First published: 2001 Genre: FictionNotable quote: “Time is a wonderful thing. It is an ointment. It is a healer.” – Page 64 Click here to buy Introduction Have you ever read a book and felt like you were home? The Purple Violet of Oshaantu by Neshani Andreas did precisely that for me. I could not put it down. Every page transported me back home, filling me with nostalgia and warmth. The novel is set in a fictional village based in Owamboland, where I am from, where the Ovawambo (not Ovambo, Ambo, Vambo, as we have often been mislabelled) of Namibia reside. Our tribe is divided into five mini-tribes, each…
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Treasure by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Author: Oyinkan BraithwaiteRelease Date: 2020 (Hush Collection) Formats Available: Kindle (free on unlimited), Audible (£1.99) Genre: Dark FictionSetting: Lagos, Nigeria Get book here BOOK REVIEW Summary Treasure by Oyinkan Braithwaite follows the story of an aspiring Instagram influencer, Treasure, who carefully curates a glamorous online persona—one far removed from her actual life. She borrows her wealthy employer’s belongings to maintain the illusion, as she works in an affluent estate in Lagos, hoping to grow her follower count and eventually monetise her presence on social media. Her life takes a dark turn when she crosses online paths with @Sho4Sure, a man who must be struggling with mental health issues because there are…
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The Visit by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Book Details Year Published: 2021Available Formats: Kindle (£0.00), Audible (£1.74)Buy Book HERE Book Review When I first started reading The Visit, I was a little confused. Like most books I read, I went in blind—no previews, no reviews—just an open mind. But within a few pages, I realized what was happening, and I absolutely loved it! Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie flips the script in this thought-provoking short story. The Visit follows Obina, a house husband with a successful wife, as he receives a visit from an old friend who now lives in America. Obina is unemployed, staying at home to care for their children while his wife works long hours, often away…
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Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
First Published in 2003Available formats: Audible (included in membership), paperback, hardback, Kindle UnlimitedBuy book HERE Book Review and Reflection Purple Hibiscus is not based on actual events, but reading it gives the impression that it could be. In this debut novel, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie delivers a profoundly intersectional and complex story of family life, domestic abuse, religion, self-discovery, and the consequences of political unrest and failing governments. Spanning 17 chapters, the story follows Kambili, a 15-year-old girl raised by a wealthy, abusive, religious fundamentalist father. Kambili lives with her older brother, Jaja, her resigned mother, and her domineering father, whom she calls Papa. Kambili struggles to find her voice and sense…
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Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Book Details Published: 1988Formats Available: Audible, Paperback, Kindle, HardcoverBuy Book HERE Book Review Introduction Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga is the first book in Tsitsi Dangarembga’s acclaimed trilogy, followed by The Book of Not (2006) and This Mournable Body (2020). It was the first novel published in English by a Black woman from Zimbabwe and was named one of the BBC’s Top 100 Books That Have Shaped the World in 2018. It is an African literary classic. This brilliantly crafted and thought-provoking novel follows the life of Tambudzai, a young Shona girl growing up in colonial Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Through Tambudzai’s lived experiences, the story confronts intricate themes of patriarchy, colonialism,…
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Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah
The debut novel of Krystle Zara Appiah, a British-Ghanaian authorBuy Book HERENarrated by: Diana Yekinni and Clifford SamuelOther formats available: Kindle, Hardcover, and PaperbackBook published: 2023 The book begins with a Ghanaian proverb: “Marriage is like a groundnut. You have to crack it to see what’s inside.” This proverb sets the tone for a story as intricate and layered as Efe’s life, weaving together themes of migration, young love, parental expectations, mental health, marriage, loss, abandonment, the complexities of motherhood, and the importance of support systems. The narrative follows Efe’s journey chronologically, spanning 19 years before a pivotal event in her life. A young Ghanaian girl, Efe, moves to London with…