In Decembre 2020 I was in the city centre of Singapore. Those streets usually filled up by tourists were instead significantly empty. My wife and I were heading for Kinokuniya, a bookstore at Takashimaya shopping centre. We like to loose ourselves inside, find new and old books, offer variety is great. While heading for nothing specific, I let my eyes get captured by the book you see below (photo credit: The Museum of the African Diaspora).
I am very aware you should not choose a book from the cover, and I am never. Not even this time. What captured me was the title. We decided to buy it, along with many others. I started reading immediately in the metro. I was captivated, hold hostage by the storytelling.
The novel is harsh on many things, but it is rich in hope and willingness. Dogmas, customs and these kind of stuff are the prison but also the salvation. It's the story a girl, her brother and the society around them, the hopes, their personal struggles with family, friends, growth, sexuality and society. I deeply suggest it. One more note, for Italian speakers, read it in English. The characters suddenly speaks in our language, it will make you face with the reality of the Italian colonization of Africa which our school omit. It is a knife in the chest, when you think about.
One last thing, the author twitter account is @sulaimanaddonia follow him, it's definitely interesting.
I give:
For everyone?
Not really, if do not want to face the harsh reality of a refugee camp and its dynamics, stay away
Read it and let me know. No, not here, or rather not yet... I will find a way to avoid spammers. I'm on twitter as @giulioenrico