A review by nini23
Sankofa by Chibundu Onuzo

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.
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