Readers often talk about liking a novel (or not) because they connected to the protagonist (or didn’t). Reasons, sometimes inexplicable, for connecting—or not—vary from one reader to the next. That said, I immediately loved and connected with twenty-four-year-old Ghanaian American Akosua, the protagonist and narrator of Esinam Bediako’s thrilling debut novel, Blood on the Brain.
Akosua’s status as a grad student is a bit hazy, as is her love life. And then she falls and hits her head, adding to the haziness. As she deals with the aftermath of a concussion, Akosua explores her identity, family, and culture. I devoured Blood on the Brain, hungry for Bediako’s compelling voice and this rich meditation on memory, history, and imagination.