Overview

An extraordinary debut novel, Freshwater explores the surreal experience of having a fractured self. It centers around a young Nigerian woman, Ada, who develops separate selves within her as a result of being born with one foot on the other side. Unsettling, heartwrenching, dark, and powerful, Freshwater is a sharp evocation of a rare way of experiencing the world, one that illuminates how we all construct our identities. Ada begins her life in the south of Nigeria as a troubled baby and a source of deep concern to her family. Her parents, Saul and Saachi, successfully prayed her into existence, but as she grows into a volatile and splintered child, it becomes clear that something went terribly awry. When Ada comes of age and moves to America for college, the group of selves within her grows in power and agency. A traumatic assault leads to a crystallization of her alternate selves: Asughara and Saint Vincent. As Ada fades into the background of her own mind and these selves--now protective, now hedonistic--move into control, Ada's life spirals in a dark and dangerous direction.

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9781665139670

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Reviews

[A] mind-blowing debut...Complex and dark, this novel will simultaneously challenge and reward lovers of literary fiction. A must-read. -- Booklist (starred review) Author Akwaeke Emezi navigates the different voices residing in Ada...Emezi's consistent tempo rhythmically draws listeners into Ada's chaotic world. The meshing of voices is dark and captivating, and Emezi's steady pitch doesn't get in the way of the tale. It feels right. There is just enough flux in her voice to show range but not derail the plot, which takes place within the main character. -- AudioFile Ground-shaking...It is a battle for a body and a soul, and the stakes are high. -- Paris Review Stunning...The talk of the literary town...A novel that sidesteps contemporary fiction's more obvious beats. -- Entertainment Weekly A stunning and disorienting story...Its shape-shifting perspective is radical and innovative...A novel so unique and fresh, it feels as if the medium has been reinvented. -- Toronto Star (Canada)

Author Information

Akwaeke Emezi is an Igbo and Tamil writer and artist based in liminal spaces. Born and raised in Nigeria, she received her MPA from New York University. She was awarded a 2015 Miles Morland Writing Scholarship and won the 2017 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Africa. Her work has been selected and edited by Chimamanda Adichie and published in various literary magazines, including Granta. Akwaeke Emezi is an Igbo and Tamil writer and artist based in liminal spaces. Born and raised in Nigeria, she received her MPA from New York University. She was awarded a 2015 Miles Morland Writing Scholarship and won the 2017 Commonwealth Short Story Prize for Africa. Her work has been selected and edited by Chimamanda Adichie and published in various literary magazines, including Granta.

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