First published 2019
Attila, a Ghanaian psychiatrist, has come to London to deliver a speech on trauma and check on Ama, the daughter of family friends who has stopped calling home. When a fox crosses Waterloo Bridge, Attila collides with Jean, an American researcher studying urban foxes. Their chance meeting becomes crucial when Ama gets caught in an immigration sweep and her young son Tano disappears. Jean mobilizes her network of fox spotters throughout London. These volunteers include rubbish collectors, security guards, and doormen, many of them West African immigrants who know the city's hidden corners. As the search for Tano unfolds across London's streets, Attila and Jean develop a deepening friendship. The hunt for the missing boy forces Attila to examine his own theories about trauma and confront a personal grief he has long carried. Forna weaves together questions of connection and loss, showing how lives intersect in unexpected ways within the rush of city life.
Genres: literary-fiction, mystery, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unlikely-allies
Setting: Ghana, London, Waterloo Bridge
Period: contemporary
320 pages · Paperback · Grove Press
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness