In her new novel, Ghana Must Go, Taiye Selasi beautifully tells the story of an immigrant family, weaving together brothers, sisters, and parents into one story. At times I felt like I was reading a poem, it was so lyrical, and at other points remarks were sharp and to the point. I would give it four stars, but since I’m a poor writer and can’t afford them, I give it four pennies. A success!
Ghana Must Go is Selasi’s first novel, and I’m definitely going to read her next one when/if it comes (I hope it does!).
Generally when I read a book I look for one character to hold on to, and I get confused and disoriented when forced to switch into another person’s point of view. Selasi’s characters are all so real that I don’t mind the large story begin told through all of them. I can see myself in every character, and I can also see other people in their differences. By the end of the novel, I felt like I knew them.
It’s not perfect. There are times when the prose is too prosy, or the novel becomes so focused on plot that characters’ seem a bit lost. But these problems are small compared to a story that seems to stay true to itself, its characters, and its places (which are, of course, described beautifully).
Read it, y’all. That’s my advice.
Poor Writers 