A review by siobhanward
Wade in the Water by Nyani Nkrumah

challenging emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

 I sat with this book for a few days before reviewing because it was definitely a lot to digest at times. The exploration of race and racism in a post civil rights America was fascinating and definitely felt true (unlike other books where white women swoop in to help...). Ella was a great character, but her story was very hard to read at times. Her looking to Kate as a savior initially seemed like this book was going to take a turn towards white saviorism, so I was thrilled when that wasn't the direction of the book. Racism doesn't just magically go away and Nkrumah created a strong narrative which serves as a reminder of this. 
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