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Ghostroots: Stories
A debut collection of stories set in a hauntingly reimagined Lagos where characters vie for freedom from ancestral ties.
’Pemi Aguda opens her collection of twelve stories with the chilling tale of a woman who uncannily resembles her sinister, deceased grandmother. When the woman shows a capacity for deadly violence, she wonders—can evil be genetic, passed from generation to generation?
Set in Lagos, Nigeria, Aguda’s stories unfold against a spectral cityscape where the everyday business of living—the birth of a baby, a market visit, a conversation between mothers and daughters—is charged with an air of supernatural menace. In “Breastmilk” a new mother’s inability to lactate takes on preternatural overtones. In “24, Alhaji Williams Street” a mysterious disease wreaks havoc with frightening precision. In “The Hollow,” an architect stumbles on a vengeful house.
Evocative, strange, and yet familiar, “the speculative conceits of these stories are elegantly balanced with the gorgeous fullness of human emotion, all the hunger and longing and fear and delight of being a human in the world” (Lauren Groff).
’Pemi Aguda opens her collection of twelve stories with the chilling tale of a woman who uncannily resembles her sinister, deceased grandmother. When the woman shows a capacity for deadly violence, she wonders—can evil be genetic, passed from generation to generation?
Set in Lagos, Nigeria, Aguda’s stories unfold against a spectral cityscape where the everyday business of living—the birth of a baby, a market visit, a conversation between mothers and daughters—is charged with an air of supernatural menace. In “Breastmilk” a new mother’s inability to lactate takes on preternatural overtones. In “24, Alhaji Williams Street” a mysterious disease wreaks havoc with frightening precision. In “The Hollow,” an architect stumbles on a vengeful house.
Evocative, strange, and yet familiar, “the speculative conceits of these stories are elegantly balanced with the gorgeous fullness of human emotion, all the hunger and longing and fear and delight of being a human in the world” (Lauren Groff).
224 pages, Hardcover
First published May 7, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
April 28, 2024
In a Nutshell: A beautiful OwnVoices collection of short stories set in Lagos, Nigeria. The locational feel as well as the writing is outstanding. Each story feels unique. An excellent debut, much recommended, especially to speculative fiction and dark fantasy lovers.
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The highlight of this collection of twelve stories is its setting. Each narrative is based in Lagos, a city that juxtaposes the modern as well as the traditional, the African culture with a sprinkling of Western modernity. (Probably, a bit like India in this sense. We have the best of both worlds – traditional roots and modern wings.) The stories have an authentic vibe that immerses you in the location and makes you feel Lagos and its sights and sounds.
The cover, with the inherent contrast between the serene smile and the gush of blood, ought to prepare you for the content. Most of the stories are a combination of the routine and the supernatural. Characters are portrayed in ordinary situations, but their ordinary itself is extraordinary, what with sentient houses and macabre babies and women turning into birds. If you expect straightforward or traditional stories, this book isn’t for you. But if you like the twisted, the dark, and the speculative, you will relish this creative set.
Each tale is primarily a chronicle of human struggle, whether against the sins of the past or the oppression of the present or a threat of the future. You see a granddaughter who suddenly finds her late grandmother reincarnate in the weirdest way possible. You see a servant girl who is kidnapped by someone least expected to commit such an act. You see a street full of fearful families as a strange virus takes the life of its sons, going linearly from one end of the road affecting each house in numerical sequence. The stories generate varied emotions, not just the negative ones. There is a fun and happy undertone as well in a couple of the tales, but most of the stories stay firmly rooted on the darker side.
A majority of the stories come to us from the female perspective, which seems to be the common situation in African writing. However, there are a couple of really strong tales with male leads as well. All the main characters feel relatable to us in their responses, even if their situations are too wild to be within the normal realm of human experience.
I am truly impressed that this is a debut work. The writing is so vivid and polished! I love how the author takes the heart of Nigerian culture and blends it seamlessly with the bizarreness that is spec fic. None of the stories repeats themes or plots, so every story feels distinct in content as well as impact. Nothing in the writing makes it seem like it required further polish or proofing. The endings are apropos to the speculative genre, so they worked excellently for me, but they aren’t for readers requiring happy endings.
The only thing I wish this collection would have incorporated is an author’s note. My friends know my fondness for authors’ notes, especially in collections/anthologies. Knowing the author’s intent behind the stories or even getting an idea of the theme connecting the stories prepares a great preparatory foundation, helping us know what to expect from the book.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the twelve stories, only two stories failed to touch the three-star mark, and that too by a narrow margin. The rest were all at 3.5 stars and above, leading to a great reading experience. These were my top favourites:
All in all, this has been a brilliant and satisfying OwnVoices work, even more impressive when you remember that it is a debut offering. The plotlines, the emotions, the cultural setting, and the strangeness work in harmony to create a mesmerising yet haunting effect.
Strongly recommended to all short story lovers who enjoy African speculative fiction. If you love content that challenges your mind and leaves you restless, this book is made for you. I am definitely going to keep a keen eye on what this writer will pen next.
4 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each story. (If you are familiar with my ratings, you will know that an average that goes to 4 stars and beyond is outstanding for an anthology.)
My thanks to W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the DRC of “Ghostroots”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The highlight of this collection of twelve stories is its setting. Each narrative is based in Lagos, a city that juxtaposes the modern as well as the traditional, the African culture with a sprinkling of Western modernity. (Probably, a bit like India in this sense. We have the best of both worlds – traditional roots and modern wings.) The stories have an authentic vibe that immerses you in the location and makes you feel Lagos and its sights and sounds.
The cover, with the inherent contrast between the serene smile and the gush of blood, ought to prepare you for the content. Most of the stories are a combination of the routine and the supernatural. Characters are portrayed in ordinary situations, but their ordinary itself is extraordinary, what with sentient houses and macabre babies and women turning into birds. If you expect straightforward or traditional stories, this book isn’t for you. But if you like the twisted, the dark, and the speculative, you will relish this creative set.
Each tale is primarily a chronicle of human struggle, whether against the sins of the past or the oppression of the present or a threat of the future. You see a granddaughter who suddenly finds her late grandmother reincarnate in the weirdest way possible. You see a servant girl who is kidnapped by someone least expected to commit such an act. You see a street full of fearful families as a strange virus takes the life of its sons, going linearly from one end of the road affecting each house in numerical sequence. The stories generate varied emotions, not just the negative ones. There is a fun and happy undertone as well in a couple of the tales, but most of the stories stay firmly rooted on the darker side.
A majority of the stories come to us from the female perspective, which seems to be the common situation in African writing. However, there are a couple of really strong tales with male leads as well. All the main characters feel relatable to us in their responses, even if their situations are too wild to be within the normal realm of human experience.
I am truly impressed that this is a debut work. The writing is so vivid and polished! I love how the author takes the heart of Nigerian culture and blends it seamlessly with the bizarreness that is spec fic. None of the stories repeats themes or plots, so every story feels distinct in content as well as impact. Nothing in the writing makes it seem like it required further polish or proofing. The endings are apropos to the speculative genre, so they worked excellently for me, but they aren’t for readers requiring happy endings.
The only thing I wish this collection would have incorporated is an author’s note. My friends know my fondness for authors’ notes, especially in collections/anthologies. Knowing the author’s intent behind the stories or even getting an idea of the theme connecting the stories prepares a great preparatory foundation, helping us know what to expect from the book.
As always, I rated the stories individually. Of the twelve stories, only two stories failed to touch the three-star mark, and that too by a narrow margin. The rest were all at 3.5 stars and above, leading to a great reading experience. These were my top favourites:
🧿 Manifest - When a pimple manifests on the narrator's face, it's the first sign of a greater manifestation. Creepy and gripping. I anyway have a soft corner for the second person pov, so this was an easy winner. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🧿 Breastmilk - Not so speculative as much as psychological. The titular breastmilk plays an important role in this story about a woman struggling to let go, in more ways than one. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🧿 The Hollow - What is a house? Protection, secrecy, shelter, imprisonment? All this and more. I love it when speculative fiction combines the inexplicable seamlessly with reality. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
🧿 Things Boys Do - When you read the title, would you expect the story to be about a group of new fathers trying to fit into their new role? And when I tell you that it's about these new dads, would you expect the story to be one of love or one of guilt and terror? Full marks for surprising me with the plot and satisfying me with the ending. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🧿 Masquerade Season - It's an open secret that I am very dense when it comes to reading metaphorical/allegorical content. I know for sure that this story is in that category, and the deeper meaning of it went above my head. But the writing is so beautiful and so poignant that it ended up as one of my favourites. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
All in all, this has been a brilliant and satisfying OwnVoices work, even more impressive when you remember that it is a debut offering. The plotlines, the emotions, the cultural setting, and the strangeness work in harmony to create a mesmerising yet haunting effect.
Strongly recommended to all short story lovers who enjoy African speculative fiction. If you love content that challenges your mind and leaves you restless, this book is made for you. I am definitely going to keep a keen eye on what this writer will pen next.
4 stars, based on the average of my ratings for each story. (If you are familiar with my ratings, you will know that an average that goes to 4 stars and beyond is outstanding for an anthology.)
My thanks to W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for the DRC of “Ghostroots”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
September 29, 2024
Goddamn, this slapped so hard. Every story sunk its fangs into me. Loved the unapologetically ferocious tone. (Those first two stories are burned into my psyche). Better believe I’ll read any future story she puts out. Hoping there’s a novel on the way because I know it’ll be badass.
(Jeeeez, all the books on this National Book Award fiction longlist are bangers)
(Jeeeez, all the books on this National Book Award fiction longlist are bangers)
Shelved as 'tbr-overdrive'
December 25, 2023i'm in love with the cover design. a+++ work
April 1, 2024
Reading for review in the April 2024 issue of Library Journal
Three Words That Describe This Book: Strong Sense of Place, Uncanny, strong narrative voice
Draft Review:
In this debut collection, O'Henry Award winner Aguda makes her home city of Lagos the star, bringing the place and its inhabitants to life. The 12 thought-provoking, speculative stories, featuring mostly female protagonists, a strong narrative voice, and a focus on the unsettling results of generational divides, lay bare the universal human experience illuminating the menace that constantly lurks just below the surface. The first story, “Manifest,” follows a young woman who might be possessed by her grandmother, superbly setting the uncanny tone that defines the entire volume. Other standouts include “The Hollow” in which an architect attempts to renovate a house that holds generations of secrets in its walls, “24, Alhaji Williams Street,” where a fever is killing each youngest son, on a single street, one address at a time, and “Birdwoman” a tale that is as upsetting as it is beautiful.
Verdict: Aguda is one of a number of Nigerian speculative fiction authors deserving of a wider American audience right now. The breadth of this excellent collection is similar to last year’s critically acclaimed, Jackal, Jackal by Tobi Ogundiran, but her appeal is evident in works by authors from around the world such as Eugen Bacon, Lisa Tuttle, and most strikingly, Karen Russell.
Unsettling
These are stories of the human experience w/ underlying menace.
12 stories. I love how the author gives readers a real sense of life in Lagos without worrying about making it palatable to a Western office.
Mostly female protagonists
A real focus on the old and new ways and how they are combining or in conflict. As well as the every day weird that remains
Very strong collection and will appeal to a wide readership of speculative tales. My favorites were: "Manifest" (a great opener to set the tone), "Contributors," "The Hollow," "24, Alhaji Williams Street" (my overall favorite), "Things Boys Do," "Birdwoman"
Readalikes: There are many Lagos writers of Speculative fiction you should be reading now, but the breadth of this collection across the speculative landscape reminded me of Jackal, Jackal by Tobi Ogundiran. Also, Australian Eden Bacon's collection Chasing Whispers, and the work of Lisa Tuttle. American readers who want to know who Aguda is most similar to, that is easy-- Karen Russell.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Strong Sense of Place, Uncanny, strong narrative voice
Draft Review:
In this debut collection, O'Henry Award winner Aguda makes her home city of Lagos the star, bringing the place and its inhabitants to life. The 12 thought-provoking, speculative stories, featuring mostly female protagonists, a strong narrative voice, and a focus on the unsettling results of generational divides, lay bare the universal human experience illuminating the menace that constantly lurks just below the surface. The first story, “Manifest,” follows a young woman who might be possessed by her grandmother, superbly setting the uncanny tone that defines the entire volume. Other standouts include “The Hollow” in which an architect attempts to renovate a house that holds generations of secrets in its walls, “24, Alhaji Williams Street,” where a fever is killing each youngest son, on a single street, one address at a time, and “Birdwoman” a tale that is as upsetting as it is beautiful.
Verdict: Aguda is one of a number of Nigerian speculative fiction authors deserving of a wider American audience right now. The breadth of this excellent collection is similar to last year’s critically acclaimed, Jackal, Jackal by Tobi Ogundiran, but her appeal is evident in works by authors from around the world such as Eugen Bacon, Lisa Tuttle, and most strikingly, Karen Russell.
Unsettling
These are stories of the human experience w/ underlying menace.
12 stories. I love how the author gives readers a real sense of life in Lagos without worrying about making it palatable to a Western office.
Mostly female protagonists
A real focus on the old and new ways and how they are combining or in conflict. As well as the every day weird that remains
Very strong collection and will appeal to a wide readership of speculative tales. My favorites were: "Manifest" (a great opener to set the tone), "Contributors," "The Hollow," "24, Alhaji Williams Street" (my overall favorite), "Things Boys Do," "Birdwoman"
Readalikes: There are many Lagos writers of Speculative fiction you should be reading now, but the breadth of this collection across the speculative landscape reminded me of Jackal, Jackal by Tobi Ogundiran. Also, Australian Eden Bacon's collection Chasing Whispers, and the work of Lisa Tuttle. American readers who want to know who Aguda is most similar to, that is easy-- Karen Russell.
June 25, 2024
Twelve short stories set in Nigeria.
Each story displays a character struggling, in some way, with the ghosts of the past. They’re not horror stories in the traditional sense—dread, terror, gore—but there is a little touch of magic, mythology, and the supernatural which I adored. Aguda has a compelling, strong narrative voice and I would be delighted to read more of her work.
Favorites are hard to choose out of such a potent collection but my top three were *probably* Contributions, The Hollow, and Girlie with The Hollow ringing in at the top.
Each story displays a character struggling, in some way, with the ghosts of the past. They’re not horror stories in the traditional sense—dread, terror, gore—but there is a little touch of magic, mythology, and the supernatural which I adored. Aguda has a compelling, strong narrative voice and I would be delighted to read more of her work.
Favorites are hard to choose out of such a potent collection but my top three were *probably* Contributions, The Hollow, and Girlie with The Hollow ringing in at the top.
April 29, 2024
A spectacular collection.
I’ve read and loved Pemi’s writing for more than a decade now and I am continuously stunned. If you’ve never read her work before, this is an excellent introduction. Each story is perfectly constructed, deeply human, breathtakingly beautiful, and just a bit numinous. Go get it.
Full review to come in Locus.
I’ve read and loved Pemi’s writing for more than a decade now and I am continuously stunned. If you’ve never read her work before, this is an excellent introduction. Each story is perfectly constructed, deeply human, breathtakingly beautiful, and just a bit numinous. Go get it.
Full review to come in Locus.
September 15, 2024
4.5/5
An inventive short story collection of “haunting”, from the paranormal to paranoid, GHOSTROOTS delivers stories with compelling writing that blends character and plot.
A strong NBA contender!
My favorites
-manifest: asks the question if evil can be passed down through a complex mother daughter relationship. Are we just manifesting what’s predetermined?
-contributions: a short yet wild story that describes a community of women who contribute money to a mutual fund. But what happens when someone comes up short?
-hollow: speaks of the violence people can pretend not to see, but the houses always witness it
-masquerade season: what are we willing to give for an idea lifestyle?
An inventive short story collection of “haunting”, from the paranormal to paranoid, GHOSTROOTS delivers stories with compelling writing that blends character and plot.
A strong NBA contender!
My favorites
-manifest: asks the question if evil can be passed down through a complex mother daughter relationship. Are we just manifesting what’s predetermined?
-contributions: a short yet wild story that describes a community of women who contribute money to a mutual fund. But what happens when someone comes up short?
-hollow: speaks of the violence people can pretend not to see, but the houses always witness it
-masquerade season: what are we willing to give for an idea lifestyle?
April 1, 2024
I believe this is a debut short story collection with Nigerian backdrops steeped in folklore, superstition, and the supernatural. The stories are purposeful, suspenseful, and most have satisfying endings (albeit, a few were a bit too open-ended for me). Their protagonists were diverse, but equally troubled dealing with everyday pressures and challenges of their lives. For example, one story glimpses a homesick house girl is abducted at a market by a strange woman; in another a strange plague (eerily similar to the Biblical reckoning) slowly progressing from house to house that takes the lives of the youngest son of the household; and yet another one that plays on the “Sins of the Father” parable.
The author examines the weight and after effects of guilt and sacrifice on the individual and the effects on the family, the karmic laws of the universe, the search for happiness, the effects of loneliness, the tests of faith, etc on relatively ordinary characters. My favorites were Manifest, Things Boys Do, Imagine Me Carrying You, 24, Alhaji Williams Street, and Birdwoman. I enjoyed this set of stories and will definitely read this author again.
Thanks to the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.
The author examines the weight and after effects of guilt and sacrifice on the individual and the effects on the family, the karmic laws of the universe, the search for happiness, the effects of loneliness, the tests of faith, etc on relatively ordinary characters. My favorites were Manifest, Things Boys Do, Imagine Me Carrying You, 24, Alhaji Williams Street, and Birdwoman. I enjoyed this set of stories and will definitely read this author again.
Thanks to the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.
June 24, 2024
It’s like a fever dream. Wonderful writing style makes it easy enough to chew. Pemi writes in this sweet and silky smooth prose. But the ideas and stories are odd and strange making them hard to swallow.
July 20, 2024
Like all short story collections, some were stronger than others. I appreciated the consistency of the themes, though some stories felt too similar to each other.
Breastmilk, Girlie, and Things Boys Do were my favorites.
Breastmilk, Girlie, and Things Boys Do were my favorites.
September 29, 2024
tl;dr ‘pemi aguda’s visceral and frightening tales of family, femininity, and selfhood form a collage of a haunted Lagos
A Nigerian masquerade, or mmanwu, is a costume that, when worn, is meant to summon Ancient ancestral spirits. I had to look this up while reading the final tale of ‘Pemi Aguda’s debut story collection Ghostroots, and it perfectly contextualized the themes that she weaves throughout. Notably, only men are allowed to craft, handle, and touch the masks and costumes associated with the masquerade season, and so Aguda summons ancestral spirits of her own in 12 stories that form a haunted collage of Nigeria’s capital city.
In “Manifest”, a story that I read and then re-read immediately afterwards because of how outrageous it was, a woman’s changing face begins to frighten her mother, and our unreliable second-person narrator (which I’ve never seen done before? not like this at least) tells of increasingly violent, increasingly frightening events at the main character’s – or your – hand. It’s a hell of a first impression, and Aguda sets the tone of the story collection at an extremely high bar. Who are you, and who do you become? ‘Pemi Aguda conjures the oppressive weight of familial trauma onto the reader, in all of its frightening, stark, and irreconcilable reality.
‘Pemi Aguda explores femininity and selfhood in the stories “Girlie” and “Birdwoman”, the former being a strange portrayal of a certain kind of desperate motherhood, and the latter being a magical realist, or possibly allegorical, tale of self-determination. Aguda interrogates Nigerian culture about the cost of selfhood in Lagos, especially for women. “Birdwoman” has an especially startling, disturbing ending to answer this question.
There’s also the question of community, and Ghostroots’s shortest story, Contributions is a perfect embodiment of the very paradox at the center of community, and how looking out for others can quickly become a hermetic unit of ostracization, the demise of an outsider. It reminded me of my own culture’s humanist outlook that has been co-opted or even corrupted by colonialism and capitalism. The striking progression of the story felt like Biblical, which against the contemporary backdrop of it and the rest of the collection felt like a horror story.
‘Pemi Aguda’s rich and frightening vision of Lagos is a measured and potent portrayal of a society, its many limbs shaped and broken and shaped and broken countless times over by forces both cultural and capital. The ghosts of this violent resculpting haunt to this day, and persist, as a lament for a traumatic past, or a harbinger for what still may come.
A Nigerian masquerade, or mmanwu, is a costume that, when worn, is meant to summon Ancient ancestral spirits. I had to look this up while reading the final tale of ‘Pemi Aguda’s debut story collection Ghostroots, and it perfectly contextualized the themes that she weaves throughout. Notably, only men are allowed to craft, handle, and touch the masks and costumes associated with the masquerade season, and so Aguda summons ancestral spirits of her own in 12 stories that form a haunted collage of Nigeria’s capital city.
In “Manifest”, a story that I read and then re-read immediately afterwards because of how outrageous it was, a woman’s changing face begins to frighten her mother, and our unreliable second-person narrator (which I’ve never seen done before? not like this at least) tells of increasingly violent, increasingly frightening events at the main character’s – or your – hand. It’s a hell of a first impression, and Aguda sets the tone of the story collection at an extremely high bar. Who are you, and who do you become? ‘Pemi Aguda conjures the oppressive weight of familial trauma onto the reader, in all of its frightening, stark, and irreconcilable reality.
‘Pemi Aguda explores femininity and selfhood in the stories “Girlie” and “Birdwoman”, the former being a strange portrayal of a certain kind of desperate motherhood, and the latter being a magical realist, or possibly allegorical, tale of self-determination. Aguda interrogates Nigerian culture about the cost of selfhood in Lagos, especially for women. “Birdwoman” has an especially startling, disturbing ending to answer this question.
There’s also the question of community, and Ghostroots’s shortest story, Contributions is a perfect embodiment of the very paradox at the center of community, and how looking out for others can quickly become a hermetic unit of ostracization, the demise of an outsider. It reminded me of my own culture’s humanist outlook that has been co-opted or even corrupted by colonialism and capitalism. The striking progression of the story felt like Biblical, which against the contemporary backdrop of it and the rest of the collection felt like a horror story.
‘Pemi Aguda’s rich and frightening vision of Lagos is a measured and potent portrayal of a society, its many limbs shaped and broken and shaped and broken countless times over by forces both cultural and capital. The ghosts of this violent resculpting haunt to this day, and persist, as a lament for a traumatic past, or a harbinger for what still may come.
September 13, 2024
3.8/5
I finally finished reading “GhostRoots” by Pemi Aguda, and while I totally enjoyed this story, I got angry at one of the stories. I am not sure about the title, but it is the third to the last and about a character who went missing in the market. The author wrote “Ugu” as “Ugwu.” The story took a trajectory for me, here. That’s an Igbo word for green vegetables. “Ugwu” on the other hand is a unisex Igbo name that means mountain, north, or dignity. This is quite little, but it changed the whole trajectory of the reading for me. In fact, I found the next story slow and annoying, although the last story redeemed it.
Without that good, this story is 4.5/5. I have never enjoyed a collection of short stories as I did with each story. They felt interconnected with each other despite not being safe stories. On me recommending it? Mixed reactions.
But anyways…
It could have simply gone through a fact checker who is Igbo.
I finally finished reading “GhostRoots” by Pemi Aguda, and while I totally enjoyed this story, I got angry at one of the stories. I am not sure about the title, but it is the third to the last and about a character who went missing in the market. The author wrote “Ugu” as “Ugwu.” The story took a trajectory for me, here. That’s an Igbo word for green vegetables. “Ugwu” on the other hand is a unisex Igbo name that means mountain, north, or dignity. This is quite little, but it changed the whole trajectory of the reading for me. In fact, I found the next story slow and annoying, although the last story redeemed it.
Without that good, this story is 4.5/5. I have never enjoyed a collection of short stories as I did with each story. They felt interconnected with each other despite not being safe stories. On me recommending it? Mixed reactions.
But anyways…
It could have simply gone through a fact checker who is Igbo.
September 3, 2024
Aguda's writing scratches an eschatological itch in me; they make me think of what comes after, what lies beneath reality. They signal to something, somewhere out of our reach, out of our complete understanding. And the reason why the collection unnerves me is because Aguda never really shows what lies behind this veil instead she gives you flashes and glimpses. If a writer like Eloghosa enshrouds you in the metaphysical and spiritual, you eventually adjust to the setting but Aguda feels like waking up from a weird dream and having that feeling of unease and discomfort stay with you for an elongated period of time.
Sort of makes sense since most of these stories center around escape and freedom.
Favourites include: Manifest, Contributions, 24 Alhaji Williams Street, Dusk Market and Masquerade Season.
Sort of makes sense since most of these stories center around escape and freedom.
Favourites include: Manifest, Contributions, 24 Alhaji Williams Street, Dusk Market and Masquerade Season.
August 5, 2024
Pretty solid short story book! The least strong stories were ones that felt like they just didn’t say much or felt incomplete, but the line to line writing on all of them was great. My favorite one was definitely ‘24, Alhaji Williams Street’, and other favorites include ‘Imagine Me Carrying You’, ‘The Wonders of the World’, and ‘Masquerade Season’!
September 6, 2024
Really strong collection of speculative short stories set in Nigeria where most stories are set around the haunting of motherhood, inheritances, and the seen and unseen consequences of past choices. After establishing my footing in the first story I got hooked on these stories. My favorites were Contributions, Breast milk, and Things Boys Do. The collection ended a bit more weakly with the last two stories, but I appreciated that the last story was a reclamation of sorts in a collection of characters that are so often bound by the choices and desires of those around them. I am excited to read what Pemi writes next.
September 7, 2024
4.5 stars
Pemi Aguda, the woman that you are! May both sides of your pillow be cold and fluffy
12 incredible stories that leave you stunned(complementary)
My favourites were,
- contribution
- the hallow
- imagine me carrying you
- 24, alhaji Williams street
- things boys do
- masquerade season
Pemi Aguda, the woman that you are! May both sides of your pillow be cold and fluffy
12 incredible stories that leave you stunned(complementary)
My favourites were,
- contribution
- the hallow
- imagine me carrying you
- 24, alhaji Williams street
- things boys do
- masquerade season
September 22, 2024
A brilliant collection. Who knew dark surrealist stories could be told with such effervescence? I really liked the fact that the stories are deeper than they appear and unpredictable. Some of them will certainly stay with me for a while.
July 3, 2024
I quite enjoyed this read!
August 20, 2024
This is one of the best short story collections I’ve read in awhile ‼️
Read
September 22, 2024Dnf a little over halfway and read the last story.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
October 8, 2024"Manifest": good. The next four stories: mid. Conclusion: I'm over it.
September 29, 2024
Wow. This collection of stories feels gothic, surreal and other-worldly yet presents such an intimate and grounded insight into humanity.
Rich and thoughtful storytelling that leaves a haunting impression long after the book is closed.
Rich and thoughtful storytelling that leaves a haunting impression long after the book is closed.
July 17, 2024
I loved these spooky tales and unsettling stories. ‘Pemi Aguda’s writing style is lush and immersive and I settled right into the worlds she created. I loved every story in this anthology but these were my faves and brief descriptions:
- Manifest: generational possession and the sins of the mother
- Contributions: got eeeeemm
- The Hollow: this house protec but it also attac
- Things Boy Do: welcome back, John
- The Dusk Market: liminal spaces that go bump at dusk
- Masquerade: emotional incest syndrome and its effects
- Manifest: generational possession and the sins of the mother
- Contributions: got eeeeemm
- The Hollow: this house protec but it also attac
- Things Boy Do: welcome back, John
- The Dusk Market: liminal spaces that go bump at dusk
- Masquerade: emotional incest syndrome and its effects
August 11, 2024
I'm not going to leave a rating only because I think this book really wasn't for me. I liked a few of the stories, but it just felt a bit disjointed? Again, likely just *me*.
July 4, 2024
It's been a while since I wrote a considered book review. Breaking out of a hibernation of sorts for this special book:
In Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, a character tells the protagonist, Milkman, “You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.”
The beauty of most short story collections is that as one reads the writer's obsession starts to emerge. This is evident to anyone who reads 'Pemi Aguda's debut short story collection. Set in Lagos, Nigeria, Aguda's characters are eager to unburden themselves of what they believe they have inherited or has been passed down to them. In some instances, like in the stories "Contributions" and "Birdwoman,"the freedom they seek is from their physical bodies. Another thread is this astutely written collection is the centering of the familial dynamics: what they cost us and what we do to get free.
This book's strength lies not only in the surprisingly surreal and psychological twists that Aguda brings to her stories. It is also in the precise and exacting prose, as well as the writer's astute gaze and psychological read on situations that one can easily pass off as mundane.
So, do yourself a favor and run to get this brilliantly layered and sharply written collection of short stories. Since I began this review with a Toni Morrison quote, I'll end with one: "Sometimes you don’t survive whole. You just survive in part. But the grandeur of life is that attempt."
In GHOSTROOTS, we see the characters make this attempt and it's a marvel to experience.
In Toni Morrison's Song of Solomon, a character tells the protagonist, Milkman, “You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.”
The beauty of most short story collections is that as one reads the writer's obsession starts to emerge. This is evident to anyone who reads 'Pemi Aguda's debut short story collection. Set in Lagos, Nigeria, Aguda's characters are eager to unburden themselves of what they believe they have inherited or has been passed down to them. In some instances, like in the stories "Contributions" and "Birdwoman,"the freedom they seek is from their physical bodies. Another thread is this astutely written collection is the centering of the familial dynamics: what they cost us and what we do to get free.
This book's strength lies not only in the surprisingly surreal and psychological twists that Aguda brings to her stories. It is also in the precise and exacting prose, as well as the writer's astute gaze and psychological read on situations that one can easily pass off as mundane.
So, do yourself a favor and run to get this brilliantly layered and sharply written collection of short stories. Since I began this review with a Toni Morrison quote, I'll end with one: "Sometimes you don’t survive whole. You just survive in part. But the grandeur of life is that attempt."
In GHOSTROOTS, we see the characters make this attempt and it's a marvel to experience.
February 14, 2024
eee, I absolutely adored the stories in 'ghostroots'!! this collection had a big focus on family, parenthood & identity. loved all the magic & mythology sprinkled throughout and the writing style kept me hooked on stories that might've otherwise bored me. so many of these stories had me so impressed that I assumed they'd be my fav and then I'd read another that amazed me just as much!
it was also really cool learning more about lagos - nigeria is a setting i love in books in general but these stories felt like being transported there, v immersive. highly recommend this one and looking forward to telling all my friends about it!!
thanks netgalley and ww norton & company <3
4.5 rounded down
it was also really cool learning more about lagos - nigeria is a setting i love in books in general but these stories felt like being transported there, v immersive. highly recommend this one and looking forward to telling all my friends about it!!
thanks netgalley and ww norton & company <3
4.5 rounded down
May 7, 2024
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this story collection, and once I started reading I could hardly put it down. I was out of sync with the first couple stories, the off-putting images, the strangeness and dread, but after reading "Contributions" I was hooked, and had a better grasp on what this book was going to do to me. 'Pemi Aguda has a WAY with story, I imagined I could hear her voice reading to me of spirits and ground and distinctly human horror. Many of these stories did not feel resolved, but they felt finished (?) I'm not sure what I mean. I felt like I ate and swallowed each story - some did not fill me, some did, but each one left a certain taste - YES! I could taste each story, like a feeling, and by certain I mean specific, not as placeholder. They tasted like milk or a split lip, like freedom in captivity. I'm rambling now. I recommend this collection. The more I think on it the more I like it.
May 29, 2024
Sublime. Absolutely excellent read.
Started it with scepticism because of the genre, but couldn't put it down at all. Amazing storytelling, musical writing, captivating scene setting.
10/10 recommend
Started it with scepticism because of the genre, but couldn't put it down at all. Amazing storytelling, musical writing, captivating scene setting.
10/10 recommend
May 19, 2024
‘Pemi Aguda’s gorgeously conceived and constructed stories are compelling, haunting, and unforgettable. These stories swept me away.
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