Deft ... It’s in this dissection of the consequences of family privilege and toxic personal grievance that the novel gains traction. Nikki May’s second novel excels at portraying the intricate cuts and scarring caused by family conflict and status obsession on an interpersonal level. Race complicates things, but not in a particularly political way ... Melodramatic but satisfying.
Though there are a few hard-to-believe plot twists, especially toward the end, May’s warm way with her characters and her sharp eye for the details of life in Lagos, as well as the outsider’s view of English culture she presents, make this an engaging and thought-provoking family-centered novel about race and reinvention.
The heat and humidity of crowded Lagos sizzles off the page, while the gray clouds and isolation of Somerset perfectly mirror the suffocating expectations of legacy, culture, and identity that Kate and Liv face. A meaningful modern tale of becoming, belonging, and the ties that bind.
Intelligent ... May keenly portrays how Kate’s relatives make her a scapegoat for their problems, resulting in her return to Nigeria. This is worth a look.
