I first heard of this book from the Women’s Prize for Fiction. When I learned that one of the longlisted titles was from a country unread to me, I knew I had to dive into it. Luckily it was also one of the books chosen for the Readalong promoted by Asako on Discord. It has been fun to share my impressions with other readers.

But let’s talk about this book.

Nightbloom is mainly the story of two friends, Akorfa and Selasi, growing up in Ghana. But it’s also the story of how far family resentment can go and the impact pain can have for generations.

The two friends, who are also cousins, are inseparable in childhood, even though they have very different backgrounds and personalities. But growing up separates them, both geographically and emotionally. Akorfa moves to the U.S. with the dream of becoming a doctor. Selasi stays in Ghana.

But there’s something other than the Atlantic Ocean keeping them apart and they end up being antagonists in adult life. How did they get there? You’ll have to read to find out.

In the beginning, the book reminded me a lot of A Girl is a Body of Water, by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi. In that story you also have two girls growing up in an African country (Uganda) and separated by life circumstances. But while AGBW focus on the protagonist’s story, Nightbloom divides the attention equally between Akorfa and Selasi and gives them both different voices and perspectives.

This was one of the highlights of the book for me. How Medie changes from one perspective to the other and is able to describe the same events under two very different lights. It’s a powerful reminder that point of view matters, and can often define how you see yourself and others.

Somebody on Discord described this book as “an exploration of the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and how they impact those around us”. I couldn’t agree more.

The family trauma endured by the mother of one of the protagonists plays a crucial role in the story and it also comes to contaminate the relationship between Selasi and Akorfa.

Overall is an excellent read. I’m sad to see that it didn’t make the shortlist. I just have two complaints: 1. The audiobook narration of the last part is awful and it made it difficult to understand certain dialogues. 2. There was one of the family stories, towards the end, that I think could have been better explored.

Other than that is a great read, especially in book format.