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a novel by
AYESHA HARRUNA ATTAH
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review:

"The power in Ayesha's debut novel is in its telling of a story that usually suffers in silence, hidden behind a veil of pretense and a desperate attempt to present oneself as totally together -- just fine. Using the raw realities of Lizzie, her daughter Akua Afriyie, and Akua's daughter, Sugri, Ayesha creates a saga for sisters, and a safe space that connects women of all ages and nationalities -- letting them know, once and for all, it's okay if your life didn't turn out to be the fairytale you hoped as a girl it would be because no one's life did. Not even the woman married to the "big man" with the gated house, German car and his own business.

In Ghana, just as they do everywhere else in the world, women fall in love and into bed with the wrong men, swallow their tongues to keep the peace, pursue their passions in spite of proscription, and often nurture others at the expense of themselves -- all at the same time. All while managing households and relationships. All while working really hard to make things better for their families. All without feeling sorry for themselves. All while looking amazing doing it.

Lizzie, Akua Afriyie, and Sugri aren't super women and they never profess to be. They are every woman -- and across three generations of political unrest, broken hearts, and amazing grace their stories of growth and survival never lose their power to relate to the reader, and inspire her (and him!) to learn from life's unexpected twists, and to share your life honestly." -- Nana Brew Hammond, author of Purple Necklace

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