"When you study history, you must always ask yourself, Whose story am I missing? Whose voice was suppressed so that this voice could come forth? Once you have figured that out, you must find that story too. From there, you begin to get a clearer, yet still imperfect, picture."

Reading this book has changed me.

This is such a powerful story following two half-sisters who never knew each other and their descendants as they journey through the hardships of life in both Ghana and America.

Every chapter held the life, the essence of each family member and witnessing their struggles, their stories unfold was so damn moving and hard. I've cried so many times while reading this book and I've been horrified by its contents and its truths even more so. Each person has their own tale to tell and their own path to take and I truly cared for all of them so much that I hated to see their story end with each chapter. But their stories never came to a close. Their descendants lived on and carried these stories with them throughout their respective lives and looked back on them when hope felt lost. I ached when these characters faced difficulties unlike any other. And I smiled when hope bloomed once more within. The way the author writes the chapter endings in a subtle yet clear way that foreshadows what the future holds for this family is beautiful.

This book inspired me and gave me a feeling I can't quite name. I want to say it feels a little bit like hope.

I'm a first generation Iranian-American. I have lost the ability to speak my mother tongue like I might have been able to if teachers had not informed my mother that I was speaking a language other than English. I cannot even go back in my history past my great-grandparents because records were either never taken or destroyed. My parents haven't told me many stories about their own families or predecessors, and language barriers have hindered me from finding out more on my own. After finishing this book, I have never regretted this fact more.

These stories that are passed down generation to generation, ancestor to descendant, are the most important parts of us, our lives, our history. Live them, tell them. Ask for them, consume them.

History is storytelling.