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Sankofa

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Sankofa

By: Chibundu Onuzo
Narrated by: Sara Powell
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About this listen

A Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick

A BBC 2 Between the Covers Book Club pick

Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction Futures Prize

An Amazon Best Book of the Year

Shortlisted, The Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize, 2022

Anna is at a stage of her life when she's beginning to wonder who she really is. She has separated from her husband, her daughter is all grown up and her mother—the only parent who raised her—is dead.

Searching through her mother's belongings, she finds clues about the West African father she never knew. Through reading his student diary, chronicling his involvement in radical politics in 1970s London, she discovers that he eventually became the president—some would say the dictator—of a small nation in West Africa. And he is still alive.

She decides to track him down and so begins a funny, painful, fascinating journey, and an exploration of race, identity and what we pass on to our children.

©2021 Chibundu Onuzo (P)2021 Hachette Audio UK Family Life Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction World Literature Africa

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Critic reviews

"A fantastic novel about a woman's search for her personal, familial and national identity." (Sefi Atta)

"Wonderful. Poignant and powerful and so timely and the beautiful ending had me in tears, reminding me to look within as well as without for my answers." (Stella Duffy)

"Slick pacing and unpredictable developments keep the reader alert right up to the novel's exhilarating ending." (Guardian Book of the Day)
All stars
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Absolutely loved it. This is my cup of tea. Could not put it down

Loved it

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A wonderful tale. I was so
Disappointed when it ended . The author plays with past, present and future, families and fictions, perception and reality and foreignness and families. It’s extremely good.

Thoroughly enjoyable, exemplary narration

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This book was truly amazing. The emotional story takes you on a smooth journey full of nuance and relatable irony especially from an African perspective. I would fully recommend this listen, it was thoroughly enjoyable.

So beautiful

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I loved this book, from start to finish. The characters came alive. It was interesting and beautifully written.

Wonderful weaving of a story

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Thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. Chibundu has a beautiful way of writing and describing that brings the story to life. The story itself is gripping from the beginning right to the end.

Brilliant Story

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Loved it - the narrator was amazing- I thought the ending was a little abrupt and I was actually waiting for the next chapter to start ! Very disappointed it didn’t continue - a fantastic read

Great read

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Original,captivating and memorable
Beautifully read I adored this book I highly recommend it takes you on a journey you don’t want to leave

Brilliant

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Her books are ways heartfelt and genuine. I hope we get an update - maybe a part 2. She has the ability to confront hard issues without the hate, State the facts without harshness and I appreciate that. I am always complaining of African stories being traumatic and this was not that. I have added Onuzo to the 'read anything she writes list'. I am sad to leave this world.

Heartfelt

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I honestly almost gave up listening but something in the diary (around chapter 4) hooked me.

All the characters are complicated and I found them each likeable and unlikeable, but also understood their duality. Anna is brilliant at just being Anna and whether in agreement or not, I empathised with her tremendously. Such an interesting novel about identity in Britain and colonialism in Africa. Excellent read!

Slow starter but fantastic story

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It felt a bit like a history lesson. interesting but a bit dry until the end

OK

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