The Sweetest Remedy
-
-
4.9 • 22 Ratings
-
-
- $8.99
-
- $8.99
Publisher Description
When a woman travels to Nigeria to attend the funeral of the father she never knew, she meets her extravagant family for the first time, a new and inspiring love interest, and discovers parts of herself she didn't know were missing, from Jane Igharo, the acclaimed author of Ties That Tether.
Hannah Bailey has never known her father, the Nigerian entrepreneur who had a brief relationship with her white mother. Because of this, Hannah has always felt uncertain about part of her identity. When her father dies, she's invited to Nigeria for the funeral. Though she wants to hate the man who abandoned her, she’s curious about who he was and where he was from. Searching for answers, Hannah boards a plane to Lagos, Nigeria.
In Banana Island, one of Nigeria's most affluent areas, Hannah meets the Jolades, her late father's prestigious family—some who accept her and some who think she doesn't belong. The days leading up to the funeral are chaotic, but Hannah is soon shaped by secrets that unfold, a culture she never thought she would understand or appreciate, and a man who steals her heart and helps her to see herself in a new light.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Igharo's distinguished sophomore outing (after Ties that Tether) follows biracial Hannah as she connects with her roots and falls in love along the way. After a brief fling with Hannah's white American mother, Hannah's Black Nigerian father, Chief Jolade, returned to his wife and children. Hannah had no contact with his side of the family growing up and, as a result, feels out of touch with her Nigerian heritage—until Chief Jolade's death and posthumous request that she attend his funeral. Upon Hannah's arrival in Nigeria, her siblings and extended relations learn of her existence for the first time. As Hannah navigates a foreign culture and finds her place within a complex family dynamic, her only lifeline is Lawrence, a longtime friend of her father's family whom Hannah happens to have met at a party in her hometown of San Francisco. The pair reconnect in Nigeria, and in the midst of finding herself, Hannah finds love with Lawrence as well. This well-paced, multi-narrator tale expertly marries romance with a moving story of family and identity. Readers will be impressed.
Customer Reviews
Great book club pick!
For Hannah, everything changed when her mother informed her that her father whom she didn’t know had died and that she was invited to his funeral in Nigeria. Her mother wanted her to go , so she could meet the family she had never known. With pressure from her mother, Hannah decides to attend. What will this mean for Hannah? Will she find solace in getting to know her new family or will this just create more conflict and stress?
This book highlights the importance of family even when secrets are kept and revealed after a death of a family member. I loved how this author kept it realistic when the family didn’t welcome Hannah, in fact they were quite shocked and upset. In the end, is the Sweetest Remedy going to be eventually making peace and accepting new family members or going on with your life without them? This book will having you turn the pages to find out! A great book club pick!