ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
OLDER FICTION
Onoseta, Rimma

How You Grow Wings

336 pp. | Algonquin | August, 2022 | Trade ISBN 978-1-6437-5191-7 $18.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-1-6437-5289-1 $11.99
(2) YA Nigerian sisters Cheta and Zam could not be more different. Fiery, outspoken Cheta takes the brunt of their mother's severe physical and mental abuse, while quiet, withdrawn Zam attempts to keep her head down to avoid them both. The sisters' life paths diverge when Zam is welcomed into their wealthy aunt and uncle's mansion in Abuja and Cheta is left behind at their parents' rural home. Eventually, Cheta leaves and finds herself trying to survive in desperate circumstances as a result, while Zam deals with the aftermath of a frightening incident in the family. In her riveting debut novel, Onoseta draws readers into a story of a contemporary family grappling with myriad issues in a variety of ways. The compelling tale, with alternating narration by the two sisters, boasts a complex, multifaceted cast. The rich cultural, linguistic, and social customs of Nigerian life are on full display, transporting readers into diverse lives and homes. While the difficult themes of abuse, familial dysfunction, classism, and colorism, among others, are front and center, the sisters' stories take readers on a rewarding journey from brokenness toward wholeness and healing.
Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

RELATED 

OLDER FICTION

What Beauty There Is
by Anderson, Cory
OLDER FICTION

Between Perfect and Real
by Stoeve, Ray
OLDER FICTION

Zoe Rosenthal Is Not Lawful Good
by Werlin, Nancy
OLDER FICTION

Home Is Not a Country
by Elhillo, Safia
OLDER FICTION

All Our Hidden Gifts
by O'Donoghue, Caroline
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?