Ancestor Stones by Aminatta Forna

Ancestor Stones

Aminatta Forna

This novel is narrated through the different voices of four women living in the patriarchal, polygamist, culture of West Africa. It charts their personal triumphs and tragedies, and captures the social and political changes of their time. An ideal read for a book group, and worth a re-read to digest the many facets of the various stories.

Extract
Shame bubbles up and pricks at the the underneath of my skin. And the tune hangs around like the smell of smoked fish. At night I can't sleep. I hit my head to try to knock the melody out.
Parallels
  • Red Tent by Anita Diamant
  • Falling Leaves by Adeline Mah
  • Small Island by Andrea Levy