Every time I switch on the television, there is always something negative to concentrate on. Every time I talk to people, be they black or white, there is always something negative to chew on. It’s almost as if the TV, the media, the stories I hear around me, the people we see and know around this estate are trying to rob me of my belief, trying to stop me from succeeding. Taking away my will to fight and carry on but I won’t let them.
Excerpt from The Book of Echoes by Rosanna Amaka, page 262
Set mostly in Brixton, United Kingdom, and parts of Nigeria, Rosanna explores the themes of slavery; love and loss; family, and emigration through her characters.
Rosanna uses both first and second-person narration to tell the story of Ngozi and Michael; one Nigerian-born and the other a Black British whose origins are in Jamaica. Ngozi strives to save both her family and herself from poverty even if it costs her her virginity and sanity. Michael witnesses his mother stabbed to death by his brother and has to fend for himself and his little sister. Both protagonists are destined to be together by a force that is greater than themselves. Their past and history bind them in a love that heals their shattered pieces.
Flashbacks of the third-person narrator’s journey, a black woman from Nigeria to slavery in London and ultimate death, keep the book very engaging.
I would recommend this for its rich history in narrating the origins of Brixton; police brutality at the height of independence and forgiveness.
Do let me know what you thought about the book in case you have read it, in the comment section.
You can get a paperback/ hardcover copy of this book to your doorstep on Amazon using this link /https://amzn.to/3wzYyxA. Happy reading!
Caleb Grun
I like how you maintain the confidentiality of the review process.
Khanani Daniella
Thank you Caleb.