Reviews
It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian gallerist, writer, and historian, never quits what she has started, "Meditative, gestural, philosophic: a brave reinvention of the immigrant narrative, unapologetically inward-facing, seductively lyric. Cesaire's Notebook meets Duras' Lover. Unprecedented." - Taiye Selasi, author of GHANA MUST GO "I read this novel very slowly. I didn't want to miss anything. Maya's story is a journey through Akan history and culture, through migrating and returning home, through colonial subjugation and an assertion of African identity. It is a rich, beautiful book and when I got to the end, I wanted to start again" - Chibundu Onuzo, author of WELCOME TO LAGOS and THE SPIDER KING'S DAUGHTER "It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian gallerist, writer, and historian, never quits what she has started." - Vogue "Ghanaian art historian, writer, and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim is one of the foremost architects of the contemporary African arts scene . . . building a flourishing arts ecosystem." - OkayAfrica, I read this novel very slowly. I didn't want to miss anything ... It is a rich, beautiful book and when I got to the end, I wanted to start again, "Meditative, gestural, philosophic: a brave reinvention of the immigrant narrative, unapologetically inward-facing, seductively lyric. Cesaire's Notebook meets Duras' Lover. Unprecedented." -- Taiye Selasi, author of GHANA MUST GO "I read this novel very slowly. I didn't want to miss anything. Maya's story is a journey through Akan history and culture, through migrating and returning home, through colonial subjugation and an assertion of African identity. It is a rich, beautiful book and when I got to the end, I wanted to start again" -- Chibundu Onuzo, author of WELCOME TO LAGOS and THE SPIDER KING'S DAUGHTER "It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian gallerist, writer, and historian, never quits what she has started." -- Vogue "Ghanaian art historian, writer, and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim is one of the foremost architects of the contemporary African arts scene . . . building a flourishing arts ecosystem." -- OkayAfrica, "Meditative, gestural, philosophic: a brave reinvention of the immigrant narrative, unapologetically inward-facing, seductively lyric. Cesaire's Notebook meets Duras' Lover. Unprecedented." -- Taiye Selasi, author of GHANA MUST GO "It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian gallerist, writer, and historian, never quits what she has started." -- Vogue "Ghanaian art historian, writer, and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim is one of the foremost architects of the contemporary African arts scene . . . building a flourishing arts ecosystem." -- OkayAfrica "I read this novel very slowly. I didn't want to miss anything. Maya's story is a journey through Akan history and culture, through migrating and returning home, through colonial subjugation and an assertion of African identity. It is a rich, beautiful book and when I got to the end, I wanted to start again " -- Chibundu Onuzo, author of Welcome to Lagos and The Spider King's Daughter, Pioneering and admirable ... Ayim is adept at capturing the anxiety of a preteen whose desire to fit in is exacerbated by being black in a world where blackness and Africa are not valued ... Books such as The God Child have the potential to enrich [world literature] and, in Berger's words, bring new ways of seeing, It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian writer and historian, never quits what she has started, "A beautifully told story of family secrets and conflicting cultural expectations." -- Booklist (starred review) "A compelling and ambitious novel . . . Through Maya's disjointed experiences of wandering-searching-leaving-returning, Ayim adroitly navigates the lasting consequences of family dysfunction, immigration, colonial legacy, and political upheaval. Part parable, part history, part warning, The God Child is a resonating, intimate drama of family gone awry across a shrinking global stage." -- Shelf Awareness "Meditative, gestural, philosophic: a brave reinvention of the immigrant narrative, unapologetically inward-facing, seductively lyric. Cesaire's Notebook meets Duras' Lover. Unprecedented." -- Taiye Selasi, author of GHANA MUST GO "I read this novel very slowly. I didn't want to miss anything. Maya's story is a journey through Akan history and culture, through migrating and returning home, through colonial subjugation and an assertion of African identity. It is a rich, beautiful book and when I got to the end, I wanted to start again" -- Chibundu Onuzo, author of WELCOME TO LAGOS and THE SPIDER KING'S DAUGHTER "It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian gallerist, writer, and historian, never quits what she has started." -- Vogue "Ghanaian art historian, writer, and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim is one of the foremost architects of the contemporary African arts scene . . . building a flourishing arts ecosystem." -- OkayAfrica, 'An intriguing debut ... From gender politics to life as a young black immigrant in Europe, the central themes are invigorated through rich characterisation and detail ... A lyrical prose style swoops the reader into its fold from the outset ... Brightly detailed ... Vibrant in its themes, prose and characterisation, "Meditative, gestural, philosophic: a brave reinvention of the immigrant narrative, unapologetically inward-facing, seductively lyric. Cesaire's Notebook meets Duras' Lover. Unprecedented." -- Taiye Selasi, author of GHANA MUST GO "It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian gallerist, writer, and historian, never quits what she has started." -- Vogue "Ghanaian art historian, writer, and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim is one of the foremost architects of the contemporary African arts scene . . . building a flourishing arts ecosystem." -- OkayAfrica, Hugely readable ... Dizzying ... Intriguing and engrossing ... A classic coming-of-age narrative ... Deeply concerned with Ghanaian history and the psychic dislocations of exile, "It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian gallerist, writer, and historian, never quits what she has started." -- Vogue "Ghanaian art historian, writer, and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim is one of the foremost architects of the contemporary African arts scene . . . building a flourishing arts ecosystem." - OkayAfrica, Meditative, gestural, philosophic: a brave reinvention of the immigrant narrative, unapologetically inward-facing, seductively lyric ... Unprecedented, "It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian gallerist, writer, and historian, never quits what she has started." -- Vogue "Ghanaian art historian, writer, and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim is one of the foremost architects of the contemporary African arts scene . . . building a flourishing arts ecosystem." -- OkayAfrica, "Meditative, gestural, philosophic: a brave reinvention of the immigrant narrative, unapologetically inward-facing, seductively lyric. Cesaire's Notebook meets Duras' Lover. Unprecedented." -- Taiye Selasi, author of GHANA MUST GO "I read this novel very slowly. I didn't want to miss anything. Maya's story is a journey through Akan history and culture, through migrating and returning home, through colonial subjugation and an assertion of African identity. It is a rich, beautiful book and when I got to the end, I wanted to start again" -- Chibundu Onuzo, author of WELCOME TO LAGOS and THE SPIDER KING'S DAUGHTER "It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian gallerist, writer, and historian, never quits what she has started." -- Vogue "Ghanaian art historian, writer, and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim is one of the foremost architects of the contemporary African arts scene . . . building a flourishing arts ecosystem." -- OkayAfrica "A beautifully told story of family secrets and conflicting cultural expectations." -- Booklist (starred review), "It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian gallerist, writer, and historian, never quits what she has started." -- Vogue "Ghanaian art historian, writer, and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim is one of the foremost architects of the contemporary African arts scene . . . building a flourishing arts ecosystem." -- Okay Africa, "A beautifully told story of family secrets and conflicting cultural expectations." -- Booklist (starred review) "A compelling and ambitious novel . . . Through Maya's disjointed experiences of wandering-searching-leaving-returning, Ayim adroitly navigates the lasting consequences of family dysfunction, immigration, colonial legacy, and political upheaval. Part parable, part history, part warning, The God Child is a resonating, intimate drama of family gone awry across a shrinking global stage." -- Shelf Awareness "Meditative, gestural, philosophic: a brave reinvention of the immigrant narrative, unapologetically inward-facing, seductively lyric. Cesaire's Notebook meets Duras' Lover. Unprecedented." -- Taiye Selasi, author of GHANA MUST GO "I read this novel very slowly. I didn't want to miss anything. Maya's story is a journey through Akan history and culture, through migrating and returning home, through colonial subjugation and an assertion of African identity. It is a rich, beautiful book and when I got to the end, I wanted to start again" -- Chibundu Onuzo, author of WELCOME TO LAGOS and THE SPIDER KING'S DAUGHTER "It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian gallerist, writer, and historian, never quits what she has started." -- Vogue "Ghanaian art historian, writer, and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim is one of the foremost architects of the contemporary African arts scene . . . building a flourishing arts ecosystem." -- OkayAfrica "Immigrant narratives are especially important now, and Nana Oforiatta Ayim's is one to take in fully and carefully. Examinations of family, cultural expectations, secrets, legacy and in(ter)dependence are skillfully woven throughout this extraordinary debut." -- Ms. Magazine "This is a story that is obsessed with stories . . . I sometimes had the sense that there was another narrative running just beneath the surface of the text . . . At times this feeling was thrilling, and at others maddening. Yet isn't this precisely the experience of migration, of trying to situate yourself in contexts that weren't created for you? . . . A story [like this one] will illuminate Ghana's history . . . will coax something whole from the broken parts." -- New York Times Book Review " Expansive and contemplative." - Electric Literature, "A beautifully told story of family secrets and conflicting cultural expectations." -- Booklist (starred review) "A compelling and ambitious novel . . . Through Maya's disjointed experiences of wandering-searching-leaving-returning, Ayim adroitly navigates the lasting consequences of family dysfunction, immigration, colonial legacy, and political upheaval. Part parable, part history, part warning, The God Child is a resonating, intimate drama of family gone awry across a shrinking global stage." -- Shelf Awareness "Meditative, gestural, philosophic: a brave reinvention of the immigrant narrative, unapologetically inward-facing, seductively lyric. Cesaire's Notebook meets Duras' Lover. Unprecedented." -- Taiye Selasi, author of GHANA MUST GO "I read this novel very slowly. I didn't want to miss anything. Maya's story is a journey through Akan history and culture, through migrating and returning home, through colonial subjugation and an assertion of African identity. It is a rich, beautiful book and when I got to the end, I wanted to start again" -- Chibundu Onuzo, author of WELCOME TO LAGOS and THE SPIDER KING'S DAUGHTER "It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian gallerist, writer, and historian, never quits what she has started." -- Vogue "Ghanaian art historian, writer, and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim is one of the foremost architects of the contemporary African arts scene . . . building a flourishing arts ecosystem." -- OkayAfrica "Immigrant narratives are especially important now, and Nana Oforiatta Ayim's is one to take in fully and carefully. Examinations of family, cultural expectations, secrets, legacy and in(ter)dependence are skillfully woven throughout this extraordinary debut." -- Ms. Magazine "This is a story that is obsessed with stories . . . I sometimes had the sense that there was another narrative running just beneath the surface of the text . . . At times this feeling was thrilling, and at others maddening. Yet isn't this precisely the experience of migration, of trying to situate yourself in contexts that weren't created for you? . . . A story [like this one] will illuminate Ghana's history . . . will coax something whole from the broken parts." -- New York Times Book Review, A story that, like this one, will illuminate Ghana's history; a story that will coax something whole from the broken parts of their lives, "A beautifully told story of family secrets and conflicting cultural expectations." -- Booklist (starred review) "A compelling and ambitious novel . . . Through Maya's disjointed experiences of wandering-searching-leaving-returning, Ayim adroitly navigates the lasting consequences of family dysfunction, immigration, colonial legacy, and political upheaval. Part parable, part history, part warning, The God Child is a resonating, intimate drama of family gone awry across a shrinking global stage." -- Shelf Awareness "Meditative, gestural, philosophic: a brave reinvention of the immigrant narrative, unapologetically inward-facing, seductively lyric. Cesaire's Notebook meets Duras' Lover. Unprecedented." -- Taiye Selasi, author of GHANA MUST GO "I read this novel very slowly. I didn't want to miss anything. Maya's story is a journey through Akan history and culture, through migrating and returning home, through colonial subjugation and an assertion of African identity. It is a rich, beautiful book and when I got to the end, I wanted to start again" -- Chibundu Onuzo, author of WELCOME TO LAGOS and THE SPIDER KING'S DAUGHTER "It is a rare kind of woman who enjoys a project so vast that it's practically unfinishable, but Nana Oforiatta Ayim, a Ghanaian gallerist, writer, and historian, never quits what she has started." -- Vogue "Ghanaian art historian, writer, and filmmaker Nana Oforiatta-Ayim is one of the foremost architects of the contemporary African arts scene . . . building a flourishing arts ecosystem." -- OkayAfrica "Immigrant narratives are especially important now, and Nana Oforiatta Ayim's is one to take in fully and carefully. Examinations of family, cultural expectations, secrets, legacy and in(ter)dependence are skillfully woven throughout this extraordinary debut." -- Ms. Magazine "Engrossing and memorable." - Ben Okri, Man Booker Prize-winning author of THE FAMISHED ROAD "This is a story that is obsessed with stories . . . I sometimes had the sense that there was another narrative running just beneath the surface of the text . . . At times this feeling was thrilling, and at others maddening. Yet isn't this precisely the experience of migration, of trying to situate yourself in contexts that weren't created for you? . . . A story [like this one] will illuminate Ghana's history . . . will coax something whole from the broken parts." -- New York Times Book Review " Expansive and contemplative." - Electric Literature
