Half Lives

by Krystle Zara Appiah

First published 2026

Evelyn and Maggie grow up as opposite sisters in 1970s Ghana. Dependable Evelyn supports the family while rebellious Maggie chases boys instead of attending school. The sisters share one dream: escape to America together. Evelyn's path opens when she marries Gus, a rich surgeon living in New York. She becomes pregnant soon after. Maggie discovers she is also carrying a child, but she has no husband. When an accident kills Evelyn's unborn baby, the solution appears obvious. Evelyn will take Maggie's unwanted child to America and raise it as her own. The sisters believe this arrangement will solve both their problems. But the decision creates new wounds that neither anticipated. When one sister wants to change the agreement, both women face a choice that could destroy them. Krystle Zara Appiah explores how far love can stretch before it snaps.

Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, african-literature, family-drama

Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family

Setting: America, Ghana, New York

Period: 1970s

Kindle Edition · The Borough Press

Content warnings: pregnancy-loss

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