Rootless

Title:  Rootless

Author:  Krystle Zara Appiah

Publication Information:  Ballantine Books. 2023. 368 pages.

ISBN:  0593500458 / 978-0593500453

Rating:   ★★★

Book Source:  I received this book through NetGalley free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

Opening Sentence:  "Sam knows he is too late even as he sprints back from the station."

Favorite Quote:  "I can love her and still want something more for my life. Love and regret aren't mutually exclusive."

Efe walks out on her husband and her toddler. Why? To everyone who saw them, Efe and Sam are the perfect couple with a happy marriage and a beautiful child. Eve travels from London back to her roots in Accra, Ghana.

The story is of about 5 months before the present, about 19 years earlier, of the present, and of six months after. Where and when the present is does not become clear until almost the end of the book. The timelines lies at the heart of the book's conclusion, but that does not become clear until the conclusion itself.

The "why" of the book covers a lot of ground - the immigrant experience, discrimination and prejudice, cultural expectations from both the individual's point of origin and their adopted home, parental expectations, gender expectations, parenthood, and the mental health challenges any and all of these can lead to.

The shifting timeless prove a challenge to follow and prove an impediment to developing an understanding of the characters - particularly Efe. There are several "aha' moments in which some aspect of Efe's life is revealed that explains what transpires in her life. However, because that part of the story may have been told earlier in the book, I find myself needing to flip back with each revelation and reread to better understand the context. Each revelation adds depth to the story but the shifting timelines puts that depth at a distance somewhat removed understanding the character. 

An overarching theme of the book becomes Efe's relationship with her parents and the scars that it leaves on Efe's life:

• "When it comes to her parents, Eve is prone to giving in, shrinking back, conforming. All her life she's let them tell her who to be friends with and dictate all her wants...  Efe has spent a lifetime biting back words, feeling like she's holding her breath."
• "the sirens wailing, the hospital stay, and the hurried move back to Ghana that same week"
• "Pack my bags and ship me off like you did? Do you know how hard that was? Do you not remember what those kids did to me?"
• "I sent you to London for your own good. You were older. You were safe."
• "People - even the ones who love you - can be a weight around your neck. You just have to choose which weights you want to carry. And I'm strong. This. This I can live with."

That aspect of the story is tragic, leaving me so sad for Efe. Despite the shifting timelines, the empathy that develops for Efe could have resulted in an emotional story.

Then comes the ending. It seems to come out of nowhere. I read the pages multiple times. My reaction... Really? Really? After all that, this is how it ends? If the ending is to make some philosophical point, I miss it. I am left wondering... Did I really read that entire book and begin to invest in it for this?

Please share your thoughts and leave a comment. I would love to "talk" to you.