The Book Of Echoes

BEST NEW FICTION: A beautifully written testament to oppression that reverberates across the centuries.

Searing and rhapsodic. Filled with beauty, devastation and the power of ancestral connections that ripple through the ages

Bewitching. I almost felt like I time-travelled back into Brixton 1981. A gorgeous book - totally recommended.

Impassioned. Lyrical and affecting

A beautiful rich story that shows how hope can get people through the worst of times

A breath-taking read. Both intimate and sweeping

Bewitching. I almost felt i'd time-travelled back to Brixton in the 1980s. Highly recommended

ROSANNA AMAKA was born to African and Caribbean parents. She began writing THE BOOK OF ECHOES twenty years ago to give voice to the Brixton community in which she grew up. Her community was fast disappearing - as a result of gentrification, emigration back to the Caribbean and Africa, or simply with the passing away of the older generation. Its depiction of unimaginable pain redeemed by love and hope was also inspired by a wish to understand the impact of history on present-day lives. Rosanna Amaka lives in South London. This is her first novel. Meet her at @RosannaAmaka

SHORTLISTED FOR THE AUTHOR'S CLUB FIRST NOVEL AWARD, THE RSL CHRISTOPHER BLAND PRIZE and THE HWA DEBUT CROWN AWARD 
 
'A new classic' SARA COLLINS, author of THE CONFESSIONS OF FRANNIE LANGTON 
'Impassioned. Lyrical and affecting' GUARDIAN 
_____________ 
 
Brixton 1981. Sixteen-year-old Michael is already on the wrong side of the law. In in his community, where job opportunities are low and drug-running is high, this is nothing new. 
 
But when Michael falls for Ngozi, a vibrant young immigrant from the Nigerian village of Obowi, their startling connection runs far deeper than they realise. 
 
Narrated by the spirit of an African woman who lost her life on a slave ship two centuries earlier, her powerful story reveals how Michael and Ngozi's struggle for happiness began many lifetimes ago. 
 
Through haunting, lyrical words, one unforgettable message resonates: love, hope and unity will heal us all. 
_____________ 
 
'A searing, rhapsodic novel. Filled with beauty, devastation and the power of ancestral connections that ripple through the ages' IRENOSEN OKOJIE, author of NUDIBRANCH 
 
'A gorgeous book' ALEX WHEATLE, author of BRIXTON ROCK 
_____________ 
 
Readers love THE BOOK OF ECHOES: 
 
'A powerful and honest debut which is going to stay with me for a long time' ***** 
 
'You can feel Amaka's passion rising off the page' ***** 
 
'BRILLIANT, thoughtful and masterfully crafted' ***** 
 
'Oh my goodness, the book itself is even more beautiful and haunting than the cover' *****

Rosanna Amaka

Part love story, party mystery. Superb

[H]er narrative soars ... Amaka's perspective is refreshing. She vividly conveys how the historical injustice of colonialism continues to reverberate down the decades.

An emotionally resonant and lyrically written story of one young man's heartbreak, set against the trauma of a world falling apart

Tackling themes of war, colonialism and first love, this novel follows a boy from a Nigerian village on the cusp of the Second World War.

COSMOPOLITAN, The Best New Books Out in February 2023

Amaka's evocation of Nigeria's part in the war is wholly beguiling and this spirited novel animates some shamefully unknown history

An Independent Best Books for Summer Pick 
 
'Powerful, lyrical, and with a central character so wracked with love, he goes to war, deeply relatable' ANN NAPOLITANO, author of Hello Beautiful 
 
'Wholly beguiling and spirited' THE TIMES 
 
'Emotionally resonant and lyrical story of one young man's heartbreak, set against the trauma of a world falling apart' IRISH TIMES 
 
'Stunning. Both an unrequited love story and a mystery. It will live with me for a long time. 
JENDELLA BENSON 
 
Most Anticipated Books 2023: COSMOPOLITAN, GLAMOUR, THE FLOOR, HUFFINGTON POST, THE BLACK BRITISH LIST and BRITTLE PAPER 
 
For readers of Toni Morrison, Richard Flanagan and BURMA BOY - gripping and intimate historical novel of a black soldier's experience in the Second World War - a rare and moving tale of love and sacrifice by the acclaimed author of THE BOOK OF ECHOES. 
------------------------------------- 
 
One war, one soldier, one enduring love 
 
1939: In a village in south-east Nigeria on the brink of the Second World War, young Obi watches from a mango tree as a colonial army jeep speeds by, filled with soldiers laughing and shouting, their buttons shining in the sun. To Obi, their promise of a smart uniform and regular wages is hard to resist, especially as he has his sweetheart Rose to impress and a family to support. 
 
Years later, when Rose falls pregnant to another man, his heart is shattered. As the Burma Campaign mounts, and Obi is shipped out to fight, he is haunted by the mystery of Rose's lover. When his identity comes to light, Obi's devastation leads to a tragic chain of unexpected events. 
 
In ROSE AND THE BURMA SKY, Rosanna Amaka weaves together the realities of war, the pain of first love and how following your heart might not always be the best course of action. Its gritty boy's-eye view brings a spare and impassioned intensity, charging it with universal resonance and power. 
___________ 
'Refreshing. Vividly conveys how the historical injustice of colonialism continues to reverberate' GUARDIAN

Rosanna Amaka

Praise for Rose and the Burma Sky

Part love story, party mystery. Superb

[H]er narrative soars ... Amaka's perspective is refreshing. She vividly conveys how the historical injustice of colonialism continues to reverberate down the decades.

An emotionally resonant and lyrically written story of one young man's heartbreak, set against the trauma of a world falling apart

Part love story, party mystery. Superb

[H]er narrative soars ... Amaka's perspective is refreshing. She vividly conveys how the historical injustice of colonialism continues to reverberate down the decades.

An emotionally resonant and lyrically written story of one young man's heartbreak, set against the trauma of a world falling apart

Part love story, party mystery. Superb

[H]er narrative soars ... Amaka's perspective is refreshing. She vividly conveys how the historical injustice of colonialism continues to reverberate down the decades.

An emotionally resonant and lyrically written story of one young man's heartbreak, set against the trauma of a world falling apart

Books by Rosanna Amaka

Videos

"I first wrote the book 20 years ago" | How Rosanna Amaka Got 'The Book of Echoes' Published

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