The First Woman by Jennifer Makumbi follows the journey of Kirabo, a Ugandan girl from a rural village, as she searches for her identity to try and find a place in the world. We explore her experiences with family traditions, feminism (mwenkanonkano), relationships, and the changing social and cultural landscape of Uganda during the time of Idi Amin's presidency. The complexities of identity and womanhood are understood through Kirabo's journey, as well as the folklore and mythology told to...

This episode, we are joined by Mani Mengiste (no relation to the author) who is part of a Boston based African bookclub, to discuss The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste. In her book, Maaza melodically tells a story of a group of people bound by a call to arms by the Ethiopian Emperor Halle Selassie as a result of the 1935 invasion of the Italians into Ethiopia. We talk about the history surrounding this time period, interesting themes in the book, and seek to understand the resounding pride that...

At Night All Blood is Black, by David Diop is a novel about a Senagalese man by the name of Alfa Ndiaye, who goes off to war with his childhood friend fighting for the French during World War I. The story takes us through his emotions as he fights in the trenches to survive, both mentally and physically.  Please listen and support the community. Like, share and subscribe :)

This book talks about the real hustle of an American immigrant. The reality on ground, the battles they face in their home, work, and within the family. Please listen to us review this amazing book

The Fortune Men by Nadifa Mohamed takes you through the emotions of a Somali immigrant named Mahmood, who finds himself in Cardiff, Wales. He has three children with a Welsh woman, but lives on his own with the belief that he has made it to the land of justice for all. A murder disrupts the city, and Mahmood finally understands how the justice system might not provide justice for all. 

Kopano Matlwa tells the story of a young doctor who struggles to find  her voice and speak out in defense of patients who have been  discriminated against in South Africa's political climate. The theme of  femininity and blood run throughout the book, while exploring xenophobia  towards black nationalists, further unraveling its impact in general on  the human condition.      Book: Period Pain by Kopano Matlwa  Guest: Wewe       Thanks for listening!    C O N N E C T :  instagram:...

Laila Lalami takes us through the emotional journey of a young man in Morocco by the name of Youseff, who searches for, and eventually finds his father. While skeptical of his father when they finally meet, Youssef can't help but to beleive that his father had good intentions for him as a young man. Through this journey, Youssef discovers his mother's secrets, his father's true nature, and the consequence to being associated with the wrong crowd.     Book: Secret Son by Laila Lalami...

Helene Cooper takes us through her childhood in Liberia, and the hardship that she and her family endured after the coup of 1980, forcing her and her family to relocate to America and start a new a storyteller and playwright who is native to Liberia. Check out her projects and follow Ciatta-Mae on Instagram @Lappastories.

Emma McCune, a British humanitarian aid worker, found herself establishing schools in what is now known as South Sudan. She falls in love with, and marries a warlord. How does a humanitarian aid worker end up marrying a warlord? This was a brilliant book, and helps the reader understand the history of Sudan and the etiology of the conflicts that have occurred, and still are occurring. *Emma's War by Deborah Scroggins

In this episode, we are joined by a special guest, Rufaro Mboneli, to discuss Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga. With Rufaro being from Zimbabwe, which is the setting of this novel, she was able to add a fresh perspective on the culture and characters. The title "Don't challenge me" represents the difficulties that young people, especially women may face in certain cultures just to attain a certain level of decency and comfort.     Find out more about Rufaro Mboneli: Instagram:...

In this episode, we are joined by a special guest, Eric Mugendi to discuss Dust by Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor. We unpack the idea of silence that follows the characters, and gain important perspective from our guest who is from Kenya, the setting of this novel. Thanks for listening! Find out more about Eric Mugendi: twitter: @mougendi Instagram: @mougendi facebook: Eric Mugendi

In this episode, we share our thoughts on the novel Book of Echoes by Rosanna Amaka, where we follow the lives of two people from different parts of the world, connected by an important spirit. We give some background on the book, disect different themes, and discuss our favorite characters. Thanks for listening! C O N N E C T : instagram: @afroreadspodcast facebook: AfroReads Podcast twitter: @afro_reads B U S I N E S S: For business inquiries, please contact:...

In this episode, we share our thoughts on the novel Homegoing by Yaa  Gyasi, who takes us on a journey in exploring 7 generations of family.  We give some background on the book, disect different themes, and discuss our favorite charaters. Thanks for listening!

On this episode, we review Freshwater, by Akwaeke Emezi, a Nigerian and Tamil author. She takes us through the main character Ada's journey, from birth to adulthood, and the struggles she faces as an Ogbanje (deity's child). This book touches on Igbo mythology and encourages readers to think critically about the relationship between spirit and body. 

Thank you for joining us on our first episode where you get to know a little about us and the purpose for this podcast. We announce the first book that we will be reading and reviewing on our next episode. We hope that by embarking on this project, the world sees the African experience as being more than the flies in our eyes.