Muna experiences a tremendous amount of loss in the novel. What do her experiences show of the struggles refugees go through when displaced from their homes? I think she wanted to do something new and different, she was young and had no reason not to. If I had been in her position I would have wanted to do the same thing too. - gaylamath

Even as a white American woman who has immigrated to Sweden, these characters spoke to cultural exclusion I’ve experienced where my (white American) husband thrives. The stark difference being that he was recruited for a high level position (similar to Kemi’s story) and I followed. This puts me in a position closer to Muna’s, where I struggle to find steady employment, despite an American university degree and fluency in English - advantages that Muna doesn’t have. The three women don’t interact very much at all in the book. Why did you opt to keep them isolated and disconnected from one another? This was overall a pleasant reading experience that I looked forward to continuing! I’d give this book a strong 3.5, so I just rounded up to four stars. Jonny’s privilege and the protection his money affords him ultimately become problematic for Brittany and her child. What do you think the author was trying to say about wealth, choice, and accountability at the end of Brittany’s story? And refugee Muna Saheed, who lost her entire family, finds a job cleaning the toilets at Jonny’s office as she works to establish her residency in Sweden and, more importantly, seeks connection and a place she can call home.

In Every Mirror She's Black

The author also intended for these characters to have the space to make mistakes and not be restrained as representatives of their race, ethnicity, and religion. They all certainly made mistakes! I found Muna’s to be the most egregious (although they were generally small and inconsequential outside of affecting her interpersonal relationships), simply because she seemed to have the most to lose. Well I had to sleep over my emotions before writing this review. I had this as a gift from a friend I wondered what means her curiosity served though. It was really not my cup of tea, lol. I couldn’t decide what kind of character she was with that side ; was she quiet or outspoken? Because she barraged people with personal questions but couldn’t speak to Kemi ? The author, Lola Akinmade Åkerström (who I’ve been following for years as a travel blogger) is a Nigerian-American woman who has lived in both Sweden and America, and thus brings a depth of experience to the novel which few others could pull off. What is It Like to Read? If you’re looking for a novel filled with action, this isn’t it. It’s more of a social commentary made through the lives of each of the main characters - Kemi, Brittany, and Muna - and how they survive day-to-day. I found each of their stories interesting, and how they’re all connected through one powerful man.

Kemi, Brittany-Rae, and Muna can have nothing whatsoever in common, however as the three separate stories are interweaved through the common character of Jonny, one finds many similarities. To my agent @craig_literary, friend and writing mentor @theleighshulman, all my friends, family, and dear readers who continue to support my work, my gratitude knows no bounds. Thank you ❤️ The theme of friendship was rather on the bitter side; right from the beginning when Kemi’s friend turned out to be jealous it went downhill from there. I went in with the expectation that when the three main characters meet it’d be a good thing.

I think the character of Jonny was essential in this book, but that doesn't mean that he was likable. - gaylamath Throughout the novel, Muna develops many short-lived relationships, with the longest being her uncomfortable acquaintance with Yagiz. Why do you think these relation- ships are transient, and what do you think the author is trying to convey in her relationship with Yagiz? These are not fairy tale lives or absurdly perfect romances or tales of young women whose parents provided them with such an auspicious start in life that there's no way they can fail. This is contemporary life where women who are dating past high school are going to run into some uncomfortable and/or insulting situations. Kemi’s relationship with Ragnar is unhealthy almost from the start. What does her final interaction with him show about her own growth and what she’s learned about herself in Sweden? The profusion of themes and plotlines, all tenuously connected to Jonny, can feel a bit unwieldy, but Åkerström powerfully conveys all of the women's experiences with race as Muna is pushed to the limit with racist taunts from strangers and Kemi gradually comes to terms with the realities of the city's currents of racism." - Publishers Weekly