I bought this a while ago in a charity shop, mainly because it was set in Benin. I started it, lost the book (accidentally left it at work, in a classroom that I'm never usually in), found it again but generally found it hard to follow - perhaps because of the hiatus in the middle of reading it.

Set in contemporary London, 1970s London, 1950s Nigeria (via a diary) and 19th century, pre-colonial Benin, the book weaves a complex and colourful tale of family, tradition, betrayal and mental illness. An interesting book but I'm not sure I fully appreciated it.

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I found this book while on vacation in the UK, visiting the home of the Brontes. Specifically, I found the book on a table at the nearby pub, The Kings Arms. I couldn't resist picking up a travelling book!

I picked this book up in September, but only finished it last week, the start of November. I found the story very intriguing, especially the narrative that took place in Benin and the story of Adesua. The book is worth reading for this narrative and how actions of long-ago affect Joy, the modern character in London. However, I also found the book hard to follow at times as it jumps time and place and I was sometimes unsure how the stories and characters were related until more than halfway through the novel. However, I'm glad I stuck with it and it moved along for me nicely from halfway point until end. I do recommend the book however, for its strong narrative and female characters.

This book has already traveled from UK to USA. Hope it goes far!