I read this book because I loved learning about the culture
of Ghana in another debut book, Maame, by Jessica George. Because I’d read that
one and loved it, I was prepared to meet more multidimensional characters and
fascinating settings with the same type of background. In that regard, I wasn’t
disappointed. I loved the characters…Efe whose childhood trauma shaped her
adult choices and ability to make decisions and speak up for herself. Her
husband, Sam, whose own childhood was marred by the abandonment of his mother. These
characters were faced with the same problems most young people starting out
face: financial, work life balance and the shift of responsibility that happens
when children come along. I never doubted that Sam and Efe loved each other,
even when they individually sought relationships with others. But once their
daughter was born, they seemed to stop listening or hearing each other. Sam
wanted a traditional family. Efe couldn’t overcome her PPD and disconnect in a
way that let her give that to him.
Without giving away the wonderful plotting and weaving of
the characters in their dual locations of London and Ghana, I must confess that
the ending ruined this book for me. The author had the skill…she showed it
throughout the novel, to deal with a complicated ending, and in my opinion, she
just didn’t. As a reader, I was insulted. I felt too invested in the characters
and the way they worked through issues to accept the ending choice of the
author. That’s why I’m not giving my usual 5 star. Maybe she’ll get a chance to
do a script for the movie version and can rewrite it! I hope so.
Thank you to Random House Ballantine for the review copy. The book is available now.
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