As always, I love to read a book with characters who look like me. The backstory behind historians and their critical part in the Wanjiru culture was very intriguing. I wish I got more of a back story on the Historians. I would love a book that focused on the Historians and understanding the knowledge that they shared generation after generation. Of course, we were introduced to some of the knowledge but I wanted more. The parallel to humans' relationship with creatures in the ocean was very foretelling. I think this book at several times hinted at climate change and our relationship with mammals.

I am still stuck (in a good way) by the description of the birth of one of the mermaids. The way the author described the scales had me in awe and I couldn't think of anything less than black gold. I think I need to re-read this book. I felt lost at times and want to give it a re-read.

UPDATE:

I re-read this book and kept thinking to myself... all the burdens that the first historian put on Yetu. I constantly was conflicted with the choices she made that I had to rewrite it. I put on my therapist had on the second read and picked up things I didn’t catch with the second read. This book is so complex that it just is. There was no need for more to be said because we (Black people) are living it. We share the burden and i don’t know if that’s better or worse than instilling it inside one person.

The constant mentioning of anxiety caused me to think about intergenerational trauma and how it plagues generation after generation. The book repeatedly referred to “it’s in our DNA.” That anxiety is there and woven into who we are. Yetu’s Aba ignorance of the world was heart breaking, to be shielded from your history and only get glances periodically only to forget is heartbreaking. To constantly forget who you are is heartbreaking. This book transformed me and caused me remember.