Im joining up with Jo Linsdell and her link party this week. Please have a read of my two reviews.
I have just finished two amazing debut novels that hit hard on the big themes. Both are diverse feminine perspectives.
Freshwater
Genre: Literary
Author: Akwaeke Emezi
Page count: 240
***** 5/5
Okay, I’ll be honest – There were moments, while reading Freshwater, where I hated the book. It gripped me by the wrists and forced me to look in its terrible eyes, although I wanted to look away. By the time I finished this novel, heartbroken yet full of wonder, I was deeply touched and using it as a framework to reflect on my own life. It is not often that I rave about a book in such glowing terms, so this is a special read.
Freshwater explores the surreal experience of having a fractured self. It centers around a young Nigerian woman, Ada, who develops separate selves within her as a result of being born “with one foot on the other side.” Unsettling, heartwrenching, dark, and powerful, Freshwater is a sharp evocation of a rare way of experiencing the world, one that illuminates how we all construct our identities.
It is a difficult book to read in more ways than one. The narrative is incomplete, fractured and not always in order. The narrator is often unreliable. Seemingly, big events happen in a sentence and small moments take a page to discuss. The writing style is a puzzle in itself, which needs to be solved to fully appreciate the author’s message. However, it is a short read and a page turner once you get used to the style.
Main character Ada is a lonely soul with a special view of the world. Things happen to her but we see them from a distance, as if through frosted glass. As we begin to peel away the layers of the novel, so Ada begins to face her past and deal with it.
Freshwater is a novel that blends Igbo spirituality with coming-of-age, identity, sexuality and mental health issues seamlessly. I identified with the psychological perspective of the story but it seems different things in the novel would spark awareness in other people. It is written fiercely from a unique point of view that is somehow relatable for anyone who has felt displaced.
I am at a loss how to review the book more deeply without giving away some major spoilers, so I’ll just add that you need to read this if you can handle triggers (sexual abuse, violence, suicide) and want alternative perspectives on religion, spirituality and living as an immigrant in a foreign country. We need more books like this.
What We Lose
Genre: Literary
Author: Zinzi Clemmons
Page count: 213
**** 4/5
Raised in Pennsylvania, Thandi views the world of her mother’s childhood in Johannesburg as both impossibly distant and ever present. She is an outsider wherever she goes, caught between being black and white, American and not. She tries to connect these dislocated pieces of her life, and as her mother succumbs to cancer, Thandi searches for an anchor—someone, or something, to love.
The author has described this novel as being loosely based on her own experience nursing her mother. I thankfully don’t know what it is to lose a parent. And yet… I do. After reading this book, I felt I could identify with that loss. I could empathise with the child that has a mother-shaped hole in their life and yet, for her the most shattering thing is beginning to forget things about her mother. It is another read that is not easy at times but definitely worthwhile.
The book is well-written in a series of snapshots, some factual, some fictional prose. It reads like a memoir or notebook, starting off with some memories of South Africa. There are plenty of uncomfortable moments, from prejudice, to heartbreak and I found myself crying and cheering along with the main character. It is a very poignant coming-of-age novel about race, identity, life and death.
The only reason I marked it down to four stars is a selfish one. It made me feel sad to imagine my own children going through something similar at some point in their lives. What We Lose is a short and punchy read, evoking stark images of loss and love.
Join me on Goodreads to discuss great books!
Join me on Goodreads
Have a read of my Top 5 Books of 2017 and let me know of any recommendations. I’m always looking for more books to add to my (gigantic) TBR pile.
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So glad you could join in with the link up this week. Freshwater and What We Lose both sound quite intense.
What We Lose sounds like a book I would enjoy. Great reviews!