Scan barcode
emzireads's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Eating disorder and Death of parent
abominablesnowaro's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
Moderate: Confinement, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Police brutality, Dementia, and Death of parent
Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
kkm0112's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
An interesting premise but the writing felt a bit wooden at times. Anna, now in middle aged and sorting through the items her recently deceased mother left behind, discovers that her father was a man who became president - some would say dictator - of a small West African (fictional) country. She decides to track her father down in Banama and learns more about him, herself, and her roots. I appreciated the way the author illustrated Anna’s struggle with what she discovers, but I think there could have been more emotion drawn out with this. (TW: mentions of eating disorders)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder
catladyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Confinement, Eating disorder, Slavery, and Colonisation
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death, and Death of parent
nini23's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Sankofa - a mythical bird that flies forward with its head facing backward. While rooting around her deceased mother's belongings, biracial Anna finds a journal diary written by her African father in his London student days and embarks on a journey to find him. It's a rather common and I would argue, overused, plot device for the protagonist to discover their roots and family secrets. The evolution of her father from idealistic angry revolutionary to 'benevolent' dictator of a fictional small West African country was intriguing but Anna herself and the other side characters like her daughter Rose with an eating disorder and philandering husband Robert were not. While Ms Onuzo highlighted some problems common to a few African countries rich in mineral wealth, I prefer to have the setting in a real country. The many contradictory facets of the powerful ex-president of Bamama, Anna's father, was interesting especially from the differing viewpoints of his children, Anna's half-siblings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder