When Funke’s mother dies in an accident in Lagos, she’s sent to live with her maternal family in England. Against a backdrop of condescension and mild neglect, sensible Funke strives to fit in, determined to become one of them.
Free-spirited Liv has always wanted to break free of her joyless family, to be nothing like them. Fiercely protective of Funke, she at last has an ally. The two cousins give each other what they need most: love.
But the past casts long shadows and the choices made by their mothers haunt them, shaping the trajectory of their adult lives. Can they escape their legacy?
Witty, warm, hugely entertaining, This Motherless Land bridges three decades and two continents, delving into the thorny territories of race and culture and belonging. At its heart is a story about love and how it can make the difference between surviving and thriving.
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This Motherless Land by Nikki May is published on 18 July 2024 by Doubleday. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review.
I read and reviewed Nikki May's debut novel, Wahala in January 2022 and really loved it. I've been looking forward to her follow up for a long time.
This Motherless Land is billed as a de-colonial retelling of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. Don't judge me, but I have not read Mansfield Park! Jane Austen kind of passed me by, I had my nose stuck in glitzy novels from the likes of Jackie Collins, Penny Vincenzi and Judith Krantz when I was in school. Maybe I need to catch up?
Despite this, and despite not really knowing anything about Mansfield Park, I adored this novel. It is up to date and current, it is educational, it is sometimes funny and it is packed with characters that I loved so much. This author certainly creates characters to admire and to support, she did it in Wahala and she's done it again here.
Funke has enjoyed a happy, quite idyllic upbringing in Lagos, Nigeria with her British mother and her Nigerian father. When tragedy strikes, and her mother is killed in a road traffic accident, Funke is sent to England to live with her mother's family. Not only is she grieving for her mother, and the life she's left behind, she also has to cope with the total difference in culture. Not helped at all by how dreadfully her Aunt Margot treats her. Her one ally is her cousin Liv, and the authors description of their beautiful relationship and how it develops and lasts is quite wonderful.
Just as Funke begins to feel as though she is fitting in, Aunt Margot sends her back to her father in Lagos. Everything has changed there and once again Funke feels like an outsider. The depth and strength of her feelings are so well portrayed, it's often heartbreaking to read.
Meanwhile, back in England, Liv blames herself for everything. Questioning her own lifestyle, she spirals out of control.
What May does so very well is give such an insight into two very different cultures. She exposes the bigotry of some communities whilst also supporting her characters so well. The compare and contrast elements of this vividly written story are exquisite. It's an exploration of how we belong, it can be so emotionally draining at times, but always beautifully written. It's a bold, daring and clever story with characters to cheer for, oh and a parrot called Billy! Highly recommended by me.
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THIS MOTHERLESS LAND is her second novel.
Nikki lives in Dorset with her husband, two standard Schnauzers and way too many books. She should be working on her third book but is probably reading.
Twitter/X: @NikkiOMay
Instagram: @NikkiMayWriter
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