When Funke's mother dies in an accident in Lagos, she's sent to live with her maternal family in England. Against a backdrop of condescension and mild neglect, sensible Funke strives to fit in, determined to become one of them. Free-spirited Liv has always wanted to break free of her joyless family, to be nothing like them. Fiercely protective of Funke, she at last has an ally. The two cousins give each other what they need most: love.
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.
