She Who Knows by Nnedi Okorafor

She Who Knows by Nnedi Okorafor tells the origin story of the Kponyungo Sorceress, a character from her other book, Who Fears Death. Although I haven't read Who Fears Death, this book was still good as a stand-alone story, and I'm sure that when I get around to buying and reading Who Fears Death, I will enjoy it even more.

That said, let me give you a little back story before jumping into a review of the book:

I have admired this author from afar for a long time. Not because I had read any of her work, but because she writes in my favourite genre with an African spin. Something I hope to do at some point in my life. So when I saw this book at the Ake Festival, I decided to grab a copy and get my first taste of her writing.

Review

Now, I can't say that I was overwhelmed by this book. It's a rather small book (clocking in at 124 pages), but it is a good book. Part of the reason it probably didn't blow my mind is that most of the world-building and setting had been done in Who Fears Death, and this story was kind of just plugging into that.

The story follows Najeeba, a 13-year-old girl at the beginning of the story, who experiences something no girl in her village ever has. She gets the call to journey the salt roads. This call, an ingrained feeling and direction that the men of the Osu-nu tribe start to get when they come of age, is a blessing from their goddess that shows them the way to the Dead lake - A massive repository of Salt - which they collect and sell to survive. Because for the Osu-nu, Salt is Life.

Najeeba's calling, therefore, leads to her travelling with her father and brothers on this journey to collect and sell salt for their survival. But it is what happens on this journey, and the subsequent ones after it, that changes their lives forever.

Conclusion

So, buy your copy today to learn all about Najeeba and her life-changing journey. As for me, I am encouraged to buy Who Fears Death and learn all about who Najeeba becomes.