Aftershocks: A Memoir
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- Create Date：2021-01-13 04:20:47
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Nadia Owusu
- ISBN：9781982111229
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Summary
Notes From Your Bookseller
A searing and wonderful debut work; a memoir that stares hard at the fault lines that sorrow and trauma etch into us and into those we love。 It is as well a meditation on the meaning of home and the raw urgency of family。 In a world that loves a simple explanation， but is rent by sexism， racism， nationalism and hurt， Owusu offers up the reality of complication and the ability to embrace and create our own stories。 Aftershocks is a book that will linger in the mind long after the last page。
In the tradition of The Glass Castle， a deeply felt memoir from Whiting Award–winner Nadia Owusu about the push and pull of belonging， the seismic emotional toll of family secrets， and the heart it takes to pull through。
A Most-Anticipated Selection by * The New York Times * Entertainment Weekly * O， The Oprah Magazine * New York magazine *Vogue * Time * Minneapolis Star Tribune * Electric Literature * Goodreads * Refinery29 * HelloGiggles *
Young Nadia Owusu followed her father， a United Nations official， from Europe to Africa and back again。 Just as she and her family settled into a new home， her father would tell them it was time to say their goodbyes。 The instability wrought by Nadia’s nomadic childhood was deepened by family secrets and fractures， both lived and inherited。 Her Armenian American mother， who abandoned Nadia when she was two， would periodically reappear， only to vanish again。 Her father， a Ghanaian， the great hero of her life， died when she was thirteen。 After his passing， Nadia’s stepmother weighed her down with a revelation that was either a bombshell secret or a lie， rife with shaming innuendo。
With these and other ruptures， Nadia arrived in New York as a young woman feeling stateless， motherless， and uncertain about her future， yet eager to find her own identity。 What followed， however， were periods of depression in which she struggled to hold herself and her siblings together。
Aftershocks is the way she hauled herself from the wreckage of her life’s perpetual quaking， the means by which she has finally come to understand that the only ground firm enough to count on is the one written into existence by her own hand。
Heralding a dazzling new writer， Aftershocks joins the likes of Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight and William Styron’s Darkness Visible， and does for race identity what Maggie Nelson does for gender identity in The Argonauts。
A Most-Anticipated Selection by * The New York Times * Entertainment Weekly * O， The Oprah Magazine * New York magazine *Vogue * Time * Minneapolis Star Tribune * Electric Literature * Goodreads * Refinery29 * HelloGiggles *
Young Nadia Owusu followed her father， a United Nations official， from Europe to Africa and back again。 Just as she and her family settled into a new home， her father would tell them it was time to say their goodbyes。 The instability wrought by Nadia’s nomadic childhood was deepened by family secrets and fractures， both lived and inherited。 Her Armenian American mother， who abandoned Nadia when she was two， would periodically reappear， only to vanish again。 Her father， a Ghanaian， the great hero of her life， died when she was thirteen。 After his passing， Nadia’s stepmother weighed her down with a revelation that was either a bombshell secret or a lie， rife with shaming innuendo。
With these and other ruptures， Nadia arrived in New York as a young woman feeling stateless， motherless， and uncertain about her future， yet eager to find her own identity。 What followed， however， were periods of depression in which she struggled to hold herself and her siblings together。
Aftershocks is the way she hauled herself from the wreckage of her life’s perpetual quaking， the means by which she has finally come to understand that the only ground firm enough to count on is the one written into existence by her own hand。
Heralding a dazzling new writer， Aftershocks joins the likes of Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight and William Styron’s Darkness Visible， and does for race identity what Maggie Nelson does for gender identity in The Argonauts。
Editor Reviews
05/11/2020
In her enthralling memoir， Whiting Award–winner Owusu （So Devilish a Fire） assesses the impact of key events in her life via the metaphor of earthquakes。 The biracial daughter of an Armenian mother and Ghanaian father， Owusu’s early life was fractured by her parents’ divorce and multiple moves necessitated by her father’s U。N。 career。 Living in Rome at age seven， she was visited by her long-absent mother on the day a catastrophic quake hit Armenia， seeding an obsession with earthquakes “and the ways we try to understand the size and scale of impending disaster。” She believed “an instrument in my brain”—a kind of emotional seismometer—picked up vibrations and set off protective alarms。 Her shaky relationship with her stepmother Anabel， meanwhile， worsened in her teens after her father’s death from cancer。 College in Manhattan offered escape， but at 28 she was devastated by Anabel’s claim that her father died of AIDS: “Although。。。 Anabel was a liar。。。 the alarm continued to sound。” A subsequent breakup with a boyfriend released long-suppressed anxiety， and she spent a week sitting in a chair in her apartment—“almost like sitting in my father’s lap，” and it was only then that she could contemplate the complex love she， her mother， and her stepmother felt for her father。 Readers will be moved by this well-wrought memoir。 （Jan。）
Reviews
B&NLindsay B
，
Nadia Owusu’s debut book read very much like a novel-esque style memoir to me。 Full of very raw emotions from her nomadic childhood， she deftly draws a parallel of her coming-of-age story to the phases of an earthquake， even down to the details in the cover。 The foreshocks。 The mainshocks。 The aftershocks。 I cannot wait to see and read what she writes next！
Allison
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway。 This is a interesting good memoir。 Nadia Owusu story is heart breaking and inspiring。 This story about a girl who is abandoned my her Mother and raised by her father and step mother in different parts of the world。 She touches on race， culture， sexism， and feminism world wide。 I enjoyed looking at the world through her eyes。
Kari
，
My Review ofAFTERSHOCKSBy Nadia OwusuPublished by SimonandSchusterOn Tour with and Gifted by: @BibliolifestyleOn Sale: 1/12/21 - Link in my Bio ******A very heartbreaking memoir from the Author that gets to the heart of several sensitive topics such as racism， assault， loss and family。 The many traumas that Nadia had to withstand in her lifetime that ultimately shaped her。Seeing how the racism existed throughout her father moving them to other countries for his job was disheartening。 A raw look My Review ofAFTERSHOCKSBy Nadia OwusuPublished by SimonandSchusterOn Tour with and Gifted by: @BibliolifestyleOn Sale: 1/12/21 - Link in my Bio ******A very heartbreaking memoir from the Author that gets to the heart of several sensitive topics such as racism， assault， loss and family。 The many traumas that Nadia had to withstand in her lifetime that ultimately shaped her。Seeing how the racism existed throughout her father moving them to other countries for his job was disheartening。 A raw look at mental illness and of a woman struggling to learn the meaning of home and yearning for one of the same。 。。。more
Sarah
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This book has a solid place on my list of nonfiction I think everyone should read。 The author does an amazing job keeping your attention with her beautiful writing。I cried SOOO MUCH reading this。 I love。
Mallory Wassberg
，
What is home？ That’s the main question it seemed Nadia Owusu was asking herself throughout this powerful memoir。 She lived most of her childhood moving to and from Africa and Europe， and settling in New York City as a young woman。 Struggling with abandonment from her mother， and the early death of her father， it felt as if she did not have a true home。 I was fascinated with her story， and I can’t do it justice in this short review。 Her writing is hauntingly beautiful， and I would recommend this What is home？ That’s the main question it seemed Nadia Owusu was asking herself throughout this powerful memoir。 She lived most of her childhood moving to and from Africa and Europe， and settling in New York City as a young woman。 Struggling with abandonment from her mother， and the early death of her father， it felt as if she did not have a true home。 I was fascinated with her story， and I can’t do it justice in this short review。 Her writing is hauntingly beautiful， and I would recommend this to anyone wanting an inside view of a black woman struggling with and pulling herself out of grief and depression。 。。。more
Erin W Jacobson
，
Nadia Owusu's memoir Aftershocks is heartbreaking and lyrical， shifting between different cities she grew up in - her birth city of Dar es Salaam， Rome， London， New York City， Kampala - at different periods of her life。 Twice abandoned by her mother， first at the age of two and again following the death of her father when she was 13， Nadia struggles with her identity。 She sees herself as Ghanaian， European， American， Armenian and Black all at once and not at all。 Sheltered and insulated by the p Nadia Owusu's memoir Aftershocks is heartbreaking and lyrical， shifting between different cities she grew up in - her birth city of Dar es Salaam， Rome， London， New York City， Kampala - at different periods of her life。 Twice abandoned by her mother， first at the age of two and again following the death of her father when she was 13， Nadia struggles with her identity。 She sees herself as Ghanaian， European， American， Armenian and Black all at once and not at all。 Sheltered and insulated by the privileges afforded her as the daughter of a UN employee， she grows up struggling to reconcile who she is with who she thinks she ought to be and what others expect her to be。 Different incidents lead to reconciling her "proper" manners with her biracial appearance， which makes Owusu question herself， where she comes from and where to call home。Owusu touches on her struggles with mental illness， racism， religion， and family。 She deals with sexual abuse and abandonment。 She talks about historical events in the countries she's lived in and how colonialism and slavery shaped Ghana。 She grapples with the aftershocks of a fight with her stepmother， and how it changes her perception of her entire life。This is beautifully written but sometimes I struggled with the non-linear timeline。 She jumps around and adds in historical context， sometimes at length and to the detriment of her story。 I'm guessing she assumes the reader knows little to nothing of the background of the countries she's lived in。 It's helpful but at times does not seem to tie in with her personal story。 I do see this as a memoir that will linger in the minds of readers for quite a while and will be at the forefront of the evolving discussions on race， identity， and mental illness across many different countries。" 'Rather than love， than money， than fame， give me truth。' But what is truth when you cannot be sure of who you are？" 。。。more
（a）lyss（a）
，
I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review。This is a powerful read！Nadia shares a painful and incredible memoir of identity， family， and belonging。 Part Ghanaian and part Armenian Owusu grew up all over the world。 She learned about racial and ethnic identity through trial and error changing her accent， learning how to answer questions， and trying to blend in。 Owusu shares beautiful prose about losing herself and trying to invent herself。 She talks about lo I received this book through a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review。This is a powerful read！Nadia shares a painful and incredible memoir of identity， family， and belonging。 Part Ghanaian and part Armenian Owusu grew up all over the world。 She learned about racial and ethnic identity through trial and error changing her accent， learning how to answer questions， and trying to blend in。 Owusu shares beautiful prose about losing herself and trying to invent herself。 She talks about loss， assault， and other tragedies that tore apart her life and sent her in different directions。An incredible read！ 。。。more
Diane
，
Interesting memoir and how Nadia Owusu equates the different phases of an earthquake to her own life。 Some people might like to be as well traveled as Nadia but in her travels and her current landing place of New York City she has experienced abandonment， sexual assault and racism to name a few。 In short how much can one person take in their lives and she's still young。 Hopefully by writing about all this has been cathartic and the aftershocks have subsided or are fully subsiding。 I think by her Interesting memoir and how Nadia Owusu equates the different phases of an earthquake to her own life。 Some people might like to be as well traveled as Nadia but in her travels and her current landing place of New York City she has experienced abandonment， sexual assault and racism to name a few。 In short how much can one person take in their lives and she's still young。 Hopefully by writing about all this has been cathartic and the aftershocks have subsided or are fully subsiding。 I think by her raising her glass and tossing down many libations has helped her to come to terms with what she has seen and experienced。 。。。more
Faith
，
I received this ARC via Goodreads giveaway。 This book was amazing！ I don't normally tend to gravitate towards memoirs， but Owusu's descriptions and prose made this very enjoyable to read！ I read this highlighter in hand and had to force myself not to highlight each and every thing。 One of my favorite aspects of this book is Owusu's "small summaries" （for lack of a better term）。 She builds these big ideas so beautifully that you think that there's no other way to possibly describe the feeling or I received this ARC via Goodreads giveaway。 This book was amazing！ I don't normally tend to gravitate towards memoirs， but Owusu's descriptions and prose made this very enjoyable to read！ I read this highlighter in hand and had to force myself not to highlight each and every thing。 One of my favorite aspects of this book is Owusu's "small summaries" （for lack of a better term）。 She builds these big ideas so beautifully that you think that there's no other way to possibly describe the feeling or event or emotion then promptly ends the thought with a clear， succinct summary sentence。 The juxtaposition of these two components is incredible。Additionally， her balance of her personal history and the history of the places that she's been is amazing。 I literally could not put this book down once I started it。 I'm very excited to read Owusu's other work and will definitely be on the lookout for when she publishes her next piece。 。。。more
Kyra Johnson
，
Nadia Owusu spent her childhood traveling the world while her father worked as a civil servant for the U。N。 Her mother abandoned her when she was a toddler。 Nadia’s father passed away when she was a teenager which left her stepmother as her caregiver and their relationship was strained to begin with。 Born to a Ghanaian father and an Armenian-American mother， Nadia didn’t know where she fit into her family’s histories。 In this beautifully written memoir， Nadia tells her story and the story of tho Nadia Owusu spent her childhood traveling the world while her father worked as a civil servant for the U。N。 Her mother abandoned her when she was a toddler。 Nadia’s father passed away when she was a teenager which left her stepmother as her caregiver and their relationship was strained to begin with。 Born to a Ghanaian father and an Armenian-American mother， Nadia didn’t know where she fit into her family’s histories。 In this beautifully written memoir， Nadia tells her story and the story of those who came before her。 Born into a scattered and complex family， Nadia longed for connection and a place to call home。 With gorgeous prose， Owusu compares her emotional trauma to the wreckage from earthquakes。 Owusu shares her struggles with identity， abandonment， mental illness， and grief as a biracial dual citizen。 She explains how her cultured upbringing has shaped who she has become。 I was in complete awe of Nadia’s journey and highly recommend this vulnerable coming-of-age story which is out tomorrow！ TW: sexual assault， mental illness， death， parental abandonment 。。。more
Lisa
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The moving target of mainshocks and all that comes before and after is a beautifully fitting device for how this book comes together。 Through multiple cities where she grew up as daughter of a UN official， we experience "otherness" through Owusu's eyes - born to a Ghanaian father and Armenian American mother， living in privilege on UN compounds in the midst of poverty-stricken cities， looking for roots and home through the loss of parents and self。 The relationship between father and daughter， a The moving target of mainshocks and all that comes before and after is a beautifully fitting device for how this book comes together。 Through multiple cities where she grew up as daughter of a UN official， we experience "otherness" through Owusu's eyes - born to a Ghanaian father and Armenian American mother， living in privilege on UN compounds in the midst of poverty-stricken cities， looking for roots and home through the loss of parents and self。 The relationship between father and daughter， and the families surrounding them， is told with passionate depth。 Bobbing and weaving with memories that flood like stream of consciousness rather than chronologically， this could have easily been a jumbled mess in the words of someone less agile at navigating emotions and story as one。 Cultural background and literary references bind the story and illustrate Owusu's highs and （many） lows vividly。May one hope she never gets pulled back into the blue chair。 *Received ARC in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Brynn Teaman
，
Thank you @netgalley for the ARC。 Pub date is 1/12！ “We cannot think another’s thoughts， but we can feel their pain。 Also， their pleasure， but we focus on pain because pain threatens us。 We turn our eyes and block our ears and pretend it is not ours to feel。 We are wired to do this， to avoid dangers。”Nadia Owusu has struggled with her identity ever since her mother abandoned her when she was two years old。 Nadia grew up all over the world， and when her father passed away at age 13， she was raise Thank you @netgalley for the ARC。 Pub date is 1/12！ “We cannot think another’s thoughts， but we can feel their pain。 Also， their pleasure， but we focus on pain because pain threatens us。 We turn our eyes and block our ears and pretend it is not ours to feel。 We are wired to do this， to avoid dangers。”Nadia Owusu has struggled with her identity ever since her mother abandoned her when she was two years old。 Nadia grew up all over the world， and when her father passed away at age 13， she was raised by her stepmother。 Aftershocks is about Nadia’s journey through her life experiences， and how she comes to term with who she is。 Aftershocks is a powerful memoir that covers important topics such as privilege， racism， religion， mental health and more。 I truly loved how vulnerable Nadia was with sharing the trials she has had to faceIf you’re a Book of the Month member， you might want to add Aftershocks to one of your future boxes！ 。。。more
Dawn
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Challenging and thought provoking。 At times it feels off topic as we travel the mind paths of the author。 A very vulnerable memoir that must have taken courage to write and share。 An interesting and honest read。 Easy to recommend it and great for a discussion group。
Ilana
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Incredible。 Review to come on NPR。
Abbie
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This is one of the most beautiful and moving books I have read and it was a great way to start off my reading in 2021。 This memoir tells about the life and struggles and triumphs of a young woman who is trying to understand her identity as she lives in Rome， London， Dar-es-Salaam and Kampala。 The book is non-linear and throbs between memories and feelings from Owusu's past。 She explores race and identity， family and guilt， depression and hope。 The writing is beautiful。 The pace is interesting， f This is one of the most beautiful and moving books I have read and it was a great way to start off my reading in 2021。 This memoir tells about the life and struggles and triumphs of a young woman who is trying to understand her identity as she lives in Rome， London， Dar-es-Salaam and Kampala。 The book is non-linear and throbs between memories and feelings from Owusu's past。 She explores race and identity， family and guilt， depression and hope。 The writing is beautiful。 The pace is interesting， following the tempo of the earthquakes after which the book is titled。 An incredible debut！thanks to #NetGalley。 。。。more
Wavelength
，
The narrative structure （or lack of） prevented me from emotionally connecting to the story and the author。 The earthquake metaphor felt imposed as if an editor suggested it to provide some cohesion to the otherwise disjointed story。I did like this passage， "Everything on this earth is connected！" my father exclaimed。 "A better religion to me， is the practice of noticing that connection， of deepening our understanding of it。" In Christianity， there was no need for microscopes or space shuttles or The narrative structure （or lack of） prevented me from emotionally connecting to the story and the author。 The earthquake metaphor felt imposed as if an editor suggested it to provide some cohesion to the otherwise disjointed story。I did like this passage， "Everything on this earth is connected！" my father exclaimed。 "A better religion to me， is the practice of noticing that connection， of deepening our understanding of it。" In Christianity， there was no need for microscopes or space shuttles or radiocarbon dating。 Questions were frowned upon。 Everything was already decided。 "and that is absolutely maddening，"my father said。 "If that's the case， why live？" 。。。more
Jamie
，
Layers， layers， layers。 Open faults and live wires。 This is Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu。 This memoir moves between Dar Salaam， New York， London， Addis Ababa and several other cities as she comes of age。 Sheltered by her father’s political status， she works to understand racial， cultural and class contexts that define the places she lives and how it affects her perception。 From her multicultural and international lens， Owusu finds ways to chart her personal histories along with the histories of th Layers， layers， layers。 Open faults and live wires。 This is Aftershocks by Nadia Owusu。 This memoir moves between Dar Salaam， New York， London， Addis Ababa and several other cities as she comes of age。 Sheltered by her father’s political status， she works to understand racial， cultural and class contexts that define the places she lives and how it affects her perception。 From her multicultural and international lens， Owusu finds ways to chart her personal histories along with the histories of the places she inhabits with her family。And that personal history is full of traumas that make her feel unsteady， personal earthquakes brewing inside of her， exemplifying the cracks and divisions she feels both within her family and with the world around her。 Having a mother that leaves her early in life and a father who dies of cancer， we find out early in the book Owusu relies on her reluctant stepmother to finish raising her in her critical teenage years。 Their strained relationship reveals a lot about the lessons Owusu learned about independence， risk-taking， responsibility and the limits of love。 Moving between her adulthood and childhood， Owusu weaves in the story of her depression， stranding herself on an NY apartment， locked to a blue chair as she processes all she’s experienced。 This is the space she tackles these personal earthquakes， what she calls the “faults in her body。”She writes， “An earthquake is trauma and vulnerability: the earth’s， mine， yours。”Written in short chapters that move between time， the book is immersive， yet sometimes jarring in its shifts， which feels intentional。 The second half in particular moved at a quick speed， as she layers different memories of war， danger， fear and questioning who is protected。 It’s a book you have to handle with focus and patience， but I think it’s worth the reward。 。。。more
Sara K
，
To be completely honest， I almost stopped reading this book around the ⅓ mark。 I just could not get into it。 The book began more as a history book （which I personally love， having studied history in college， but was not in the mood for） and less a personal memoir。 Luckily， I kept pushing through based on the reviews that I read and I am so happy that I did。Nadia not only tells the story of her life， but connects it to history， both that she lived through and that came before her。 Aftershocks is To be completely honest， I almost stopped reading this book around the ⅓ mark。 I just could not get into it。 The book began more as a history book （which I personally love， having studied history in college， but was not in the mood for） and less a personal memoir。 Luckily， I kept pushing through based on the reviews that I read and I am so happy that I did。Nadia not only tells the story of her life， but connects it to history， both that she lived through and that came before her。 Aftershocks is a raw and honest story about Nadia’s struggle with mental health， her search for who she is and where she belongs。 She connects all her struggles to history and the struggles of her people。 Nadia’s mother abandoned her， her father died when she was young， her relationship with her step-mother was tense。 She spent her childhood moving around different countries - learning the languages， her place in the social， economic and racial hierarchy of where she lived and how these things shaped who she became。This memoir gave a fascinating insight into the life of a multicultural， intelligent woman。 Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for my Advanced Reader Copy！ 。。。more
Christie Bettendorf
，
Only made it halfway through。
Quirkyreader
，
First off， I won this as a goodreads giveaway。 Thank you Simon & Schuster。This was a memoir of a world traveller。 When Nadia Owusu wrote of her childhood spent in different countries in Africa I felt like I was there。 Especially when she wrote about the dry season in Ghana。 The memoir also taught me new things about Ghana’s political structure。 Possible Spoiler。。。。The main theme of this book is identity and where does one belong。 Ms。 Owusu describes her long journey as to what it meant to be her First off， I won this as a goodreads giveaway。 Thank you Simon & Schuster。This was a memoir of a world traveller。 When Nadia Owusu wrote of her childhood spent in different countries in Africa I felt like I was there。 Especially when she wrote about the dry season in Ghana。 The memoir also taught me new things about Ghana’s political structure。 Possible Spoiler。。。。The main theme of this book is identity and where does one belong。 Ms。 Owusu describes her long journey as to what it meant to be her and find “home”。When this book comes out， look for it and enjoy her writing。 。。。more
Jenna Bachman
，
Won an ARC via a giveaway。 Really gutting memoir that reflects on the tragedies of childhood and their reverberations throughout our lives。 Still reeling from a lot of the emotional punches and revelations this one packs。TWs for sexual assault， severe mental illness， parental death， parental abandonment， and mentions of police brutality。
Nursebookie
，
A memoir that will move you， beautifully written and heart breaking but will leave an impactful message into the life of a woman who is a citizen of the world。
Alyssa Skaggs
，
The authors writing is good。 It brings you on a personal life journey and you can feel the words and emotions in your body。
BookOfCinz
，
Nadia Owusu raised the memoir bar， visceral， beautifully written， and deeply moving， I did not want this book to end！ I finished reading this book and I felt like the earth shifted from under me。 Nadia Owusu took us in her world and I did not want to leave。 In the memoir Aftershocks which is told in a non- linear way we are taken to Rome， New York， Ghana， Tanzania， London and New York with the author piecing together her life。 From being abandoned twice by her Armenian mother， to the death o Nadia Owusu raised the memoir bar， visceral， beautifully written， and deeply moving， I did not want this book to end！ I finished reading this book and I felt like the earth shifted from under me。 Nadia Owusu took us in her world and I did not want to leave。 In the memoir Aftershocks which is told in a non- linear way we are taken to Rome， New York， Ghana， Tanzania， London and New York with the author piecing together her life。 From being abandoned twice by her Armenian mother， to the death of her father， from battling with mental health issues， to racism， abandonment and trying to fit in。 Owusu packs so much in less than 300 pages and it is done in the most beautiful way， I do not have the words to express。 Any river loses its identity when entering the sea…” 。 Owusu comes from a diverse background she is many things， but is not one thing and we get this from she explores her identity in the memoir。 Just 28 years old and I feel like she’s lived a rich， yet exhausting life。 She’s seen and been through so much， yet she walks us through it with grace and beauty。 I love the historical looks at Armenia， Ghana and Tanzania， from that I learned so much。 Owusu walks us through how those moments impacted her in someone way or the members of her family。 How the author had the running use of aftershocks and earthquake through the books worked amazingly well for me。 This memoir is one that I would call required reading。 Please add this to your list。 。。。more
IquoImoh Terry
，
Owusu’s Aftershocks is moving， emotional and raw。 She had many losses in her life yet those losses shaped her allow her to write her story in way that is poetic and heart wrenching。
Tonja
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I’m going to do my best to write a review that does justice to this book。 There is so much to say！ Nadia Owusu’s book is a memoir， it is also historical and her writing soulful and poetic。 As a mother and daughter， her story of abandonment and loss broke my heart。 Nadia’s mother left her when she was two， choosing a man and another family over her。 It is understandable that Nadia idolized her father。 He was her “God”。 When her father passes away of cancer， she has nowhere and no one to belong to I’m going to do my best to write a review that does justice to this book。 There is so much to say！ Nadia Owusu’s book is a memoir， it is also historical and her writing soulful and poetic。 As a mother and daughter， her story of abandonment and loss broke my heart。 Nadia’s mother left her when she was two， choosing a man and another family over her。 It is understandable that Nadia idolized her father。 He was her “God”。 When her father passes away of cancer， she has nowhere and no one to belong to。 It was easy to understand why she felt she belonged nowhere。 Nadia was half Armenian and half African。 She was moved so often she thought of “the World”as her home。 Finally in her twenties she can no longer hold it together。 Her soul searching is painful， honest and insightful。 Her story includes her experience and thoughts in areas such as mental illness， religion， racism and family。 Although I understand why her story could not be told in a neat and tidy timeline， I did struggle slightly with the story jumping to different times and places in her life。 Thank you to Edelweiss and Simon Schuster for an ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Karol K
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Not a fan of coming of age books but I enjoyed this one because of its international storyline。 I can relate to feeling different and trying desperately to cope with that phenomenon。
Zoe's Human
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Nadia Owusu is American， European， Ghanaian， Armenian， and Black。 She is also none of these things。 Fractured by a upbringing that leaves her with a foot in many lands but firm standing in none， having been abandoned as a toddler by her mother， and having lost her father to a terrible disease， she reaches adulthood only to find herself face-to-face with her own madness。 This memoir is composed of gorgeous prose that draws you into Nadia's life， heightening your empathy and creating a sense of vu Nadia Owusu is American， European， Ghanaian， Armenian， and Black。 She is also none of these things。 Fractured by a upbringing that leaves her with a foot in many lands but firm standing in none， having been abandoned as a toddler by her mother， and having lost her father to a terrible disease， she reaches adulthood only to find herself face-to-face with her own madness。 This memoir is composed of gorgeous prose that draws you into Nadia's life， heightening your empathy and creating a sense of vulnerability and atmosphere。 She thoroughly examines the complex intersections of her identities with unrelenting honesty about both her experiences of marginalization and her privilege。 This book is intimate and personal。 I am enamored of it。CONTENT ADVISORY: （view spoiler）[sexual assault， sexual assault on a child， violence against a child， depictions of racism and sexism， police brutality （hide spoiler）] 。。。more
Judy
，
Thanks to Renata Kotowska and Simon & Schuster for sending me this good reads giveaway。 Fantastic telling of a very difficult life。 Will we ever be able to walk in another's shoes？ Thanks to Renata Kotowska and Simon & Schuster for sending me this good reads giveaway。 Fantastic telling of a very difficult life。 Will we ever be able to walk in another's shoes？ 。。。more
Daina （Dai2DaiReader）
，
This is the heart-breaking and moving debut of Nadia Owusu。 In this memoir， she struggles with her sense of identity and belonging， being abandoned by her mother， her relationship with her father and stepmother， and her physical and emotional traumas。 You really feel her struggle and debate within each chapter。 There is so much packed into this book as she tells her story， how the big and little impacts or aftershocks affect her and how she navigates life through them。
Kristen
，
I received the ARC of Aftershocks in a goodreads giveaway。 Beautifully written and deeply moving。 It took me some time to get used to the way the author jumped back and forth in time。 the aimlessness and confusion that created ultimately helped me to better understand what the author was grappling with。 Feeling untethered， being everywhere and no where all at once。 And the way you look back on your life in order to make sense of it， doesn’t happen chronologically。 It was， I think， a really inter I received the ARC of Aftershocks in a goodreads giveaway。 Beautifully written and deeply moving。 It took me some time to get used to the way the author jumped back and forth in time。 the aimlessness and confusion that created ultimately helped me to better understand what the author was grappling with。 Feeling untethered， being everywhere and no where all at once。 And the way you look back on your life in order to make sense of it， doesn’t happen chronologically。 It was， I think， a really interesting way to comment on how we think about our past， the life we’ve lived so far， as a complete thing， it has all already happened and exists in memory in a nonlinear sort of way。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Aftershocks: A Memoir
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Aftershocks: A Memoir&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Aftershocks: A Memoir&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0