by Diana Evans
First published 2024
Alice has made her decision. She wants to return to Nigeria to die, but her three daughters cannot agree on whether to honor this wish. The family faces the challenge of building Alice the Nigerian home she dreams of, a task that reopens old arguments and buried resentments. Their father exists somewhere between worlds, trapped in purgatory and unable to find peace. Alice's daughter Melissa lives apart from Michael, the man who once shared her life. Though Michael has found someone new, he questions whether anyone will understand him as Melissa did. Melissa carries her own longing for what they once built together. Their two children connect them still, suggesting their bond remains intact despite the separation. As Grenfell's tragedy casts shadows over a struggling Britain, these family members confront basic questions about identity, desire, and belonging. They must decide where they truly want to live and with whom they want to share their lives.
Genres: literary-fiction, family-life, african-literature, 21st-century, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, found-family
Setting: Nigeria, Britain
Period: 21st-century
352 pages · Paperback · Vintage