This book captivated me from the start. We meet our narrative anchor for the novel - a nameless voice whose experiences and metaphorical sons and daughters span the whole globe, having stemmed from Africa and being torn apart by slavery.

From then, across the span of well over a decade, we follow the lives of Michael in Brixton and Ngozi in Nigeria - growing with them thriugh their struggles, triumphs and sufferings.

The author does an impeccable job of interlinking the experiences of many black people across the dual narratives, illustrating how mistreatment and trauma truly Echoes through generations.

With this, Amaka offers pathways that present hope, difficult choices, ones that will provide no forward progress and pathways that may even provide negative progress for our characters. We journey with them as they find out for themselves which direction they are destined for.

This is a novel that offers a critical, angry eye at the way black men and women were mistreated by the white population in London, the way poverty erodes all aspects of life in Nigeria and the way women in particular have to engage with men to earn a living.

For a novel with such darkness, such trauma and so much reflection on the root of division and mistreatment through the slave trade, it may be surprising to hear that the main feeling I came away with was one of hope - but it is true.

This is a novel that will stick with me for years to come.

Thanks Randomthingstours for a copy of this book.