Autobiography

Dear Senthuran: A Black spirit memoir

Dear Senthuran: A Black spirit memoir

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  • Create Date：2021-06-10 03:31:21
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Akwaeke Emezi
  • ISBN：0593329198
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Summary

"[One] of our greatest living writers。" --Shondaland

Named a Most Anticipated Book of the Year by Harper's Bazaar， BuzzFeed， The Advocate， Lit Hub， Book Page， and Paperback Paris

A full-throated and provocative memoir in letters from the New York Times-bestselling author， "a dazzling literary talent whose works cut to the quick of the spiritual self。" --Esquire

In three critically acclaimed novels， Akwaeke Emezi has introduced readers to a landscape marked by familial tensions， Igbo belief systems， and a boundless search for what it means to be free。 Now， in this extraordinary memoir， the bestselling author of The Death of Vivek Oji reveals the harrowing yet resolute truths of their own life。 Through candid， intimate correspondence with friends， lovers， and family， Emezi traces the unfolding of a self and the unforgettable journey of a creative spirit stepping into power in the human world。 Their story weaves through transformative decisions about their gender and body， their precipitous path to success as a writer， and the turmoil of relationships on an emotional， romantic， and spiritual plane， culminating in a book that is as tender as it is brutal。

Electrifying and inspiring， animated by the same voracious intelligence that distinguishes their fiction， Dear Senthuran is a revelatory account of storytelling， self， and survival。

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Reviews

Ephemeral ，

An intimate exploration of a non-human experience。 Stripping away the pretense and fear that has long made authors bury their truths behind "magical realism" and acts of shrinking， as to not affront the colonial gaze， Akwaeke Emezi unabashedly offers a true look at what it means to stand tall with a foot on the other side。 With all of its gore and glory， it is truly a marvel to watch a god grow。 An intimate exploration of a non-human experience。 Stripping away the pretense and fear that has long made authors bury their truths behind "magical realism" and acts of shrinking， as to not affront the colonial gaze， Akwaeke Emezi unabashedly offers a true look at what it means to stand tall with a foot on the other side。 With all of its gore and glory， it is truly a marvel to watch a god grow。 。。。more

Julia ，

This book is brilliant。 Truly， such a stunning and thought-provoking reflection on self， body， career， godhood， and more。 I recommend everyone pick this one up！

Kathleen Gray ，

Emezi's letters to a range of people create a layered portrait of a human who has dealt with challenges and come out stronger on the other side。 The letters are not in a straight time line， which allows Emezi's portrait to emerge in a lush fashion。 It's hard to review memoirs because it feels as those you are judging the author or the author's life choices。 That's not the case here。 This lays bare Emezi's life。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 It's an unusual sort of memoir and a very valuable r Emezi's letters to a range of people create a layered portrait of a human who has dealt with challenges and come out stronger on the other side。 The letters are not in a straight time line， which allows Emezi's portrait to emerge in a lush fashion。 It's hard to review memoirs because it feels as those you are judging the author or the author's life choices。 That's not the case here。 This lays bare Emezi's life。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 It's an unusual sort of memoir and a very valuable read。 。。。more

Sacha ，

4。5 stars Thanks to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for this arc， which I received in exchange for an honest review。 Here is that review: Emezi only ever takes readers to places they have never been in ways they never expected were possible， and this memoir is no exception。 Through a series of letters， readers experience deep insights into what feel like extremely personal explorations。 At times， these articulations create kinship; more often， they reflect a sense of alienation between the gods （E 4。5 stars Thanks to NetGalley and Riverhead Books for this arc， which I received in exchange for an honest review。 Here is that review: Emezi only ever takes readers to places they have never been in ways they never expected were possible， and this memoir is no exception。 Through a series of letters， readers experience deep insights into what feel like extremely personal explorations。 At times， these articulations create kinship; more often， they reflect a sense of alienation between the gods （Emezi） and typical folks。 The way Emezi articulates the experience of being a god is aspirational; they're existing in the highest levels of self-awareness， and regardless of how readers identify， anyone can be inspired by the directness and the commitment to uncovering personal truths here。 Emezi explains that "There are always costs when you choose a center，" and this statement encompasses an essential point of the work: that Emezi has identified a central self and that this has come with very specific traumas and challenges。 I particularly love how this process of growth and struggle is reflected in Emezi's physical body and their related descriptions。In the final quarter of the work， Emezi explains， "I'm constantly resetting， remembering what's most important to me， remembering that sometimes success doesn't look like what you've dreamed about - it looks like goals that didn't even fit in your dreams。" Readers may not see themselves as gods， particularly enlightened beings， or especially skilled creators， but it is moments like this that make an exceptional and revolutionary structure， format， and message resonate much more broadly。 I love that Emezi brings something I've never seen before to every work and keeps playing with aesthetics and structure in ways that challenge my expectations and experiences。 They are a force and an innovator， and we are lucky to have access。 Recommended: you know who you are。 。。。more

Toya （the reading chemist） ，

Akwaeke’s writing is unmatched when it comes to storytelling。 Now combine their powerful and masterful writing with an unflinching lens into the examination of themselves， and that’s what this memoir is。 Absolutely incredible。

Roxane ，

Dear Senthuran is a memoir in letters from Akwaeke Emezi that is unlike anything I’ve read。 There are many magnificent parts where the language， the insight， the writing are simply unparalleled。 They also are fearlessly open about identity， success， human frailty， mental health， destructive decisions that are sometimes necessary to achieve a greater goal。 They are an ogbanje and one of the most successful parts of this memoir is how they convey how it is to live in their body， and experience thi Dear Senthuran is a memoir in letters from Akwaeke Emezi that is unlike anything I’ve read。 There are many magnificent parts where the language， the insight， the writing are simply unparalleled。 They also are fearlessly open about identity， success， human frailty， mental health， destructive decisions that are sometimes necessary to achieve a greater goal。 They are an ogbanje and one of the most successful parts of this memoir is how they convey how it is to live in their body， and experience this world。 There is a deliberate self-interest that is uncommon。 Instead of dismissing their work and experiences， they are remarkably clear eyed about the best and worst parts of themselves。 There are parts that feel like a manifesto， like a guide to choosing the life you want and abandoning things that don’t serve you and nurturing unabashed ambitions。 This book is incredibly intimate。 It does not care what the reader thinks which makes for a rather freeing reader experience。 At times， there is repetition that doesn’t always serve the overall narrative well。 But whatever。 This is a remarkable memoir and really expands possibilities for the genre。 Anyway。 I’ll be thinking about this one for a while。 。。。more

Jeifa Tackie ，

Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi。What a book！！ I’m yet to read Freshwater so all this was really hard for me to digest。 My chest was heavy the whole time。Dear Senthuran is a memoir written in a series of letters to loved ones。 There is so much in there that I can’t really pen down in this review because girl！， I’m still wrapping my head around it， tbh。 Talking about gender convergence， the need to be successful， suicidal thoughts， self-harm， toxic relationships。Their words in this memoir are poet Dear Senthuran by Akwaeke Emezi。What a book！！ I’m yet to read Freshwater so all this was really hard for me to digest。 My chest was heavy the whole time。Dear Senthuran is a memoir written in a series of letters to loved ones。 There is so much in there that I can’t really pen down in this review because girl！， I’m still wrapping my head around it， tbh。 Talking about gender convergence， the need to be successful， suicidal thoughts， self-harm， toxic relationships。Their words in this memoir are poetic and addictive but very harsh and I haven’t read anything that’s had my heart in my neck（literally） before。 Will always go back to the part they were extremely hungry for success for some motivation。 Thank you @riverheadbooks for gifting me an e-copy of this book。 It’s out in June 8 and I can’t wait for you all to grab this gem。 。。。more

Susie Dumond ，

Emezi has established themself as a notable fiction writer， but this new memoir shows they’re an unmatched voice across genres。 Told through letters to friends， family， and other storytellers， Dear Senthuran explores the love， trauma， pain， and real magic in Akwaeke Emezi’s life。 It's a memoir unlike any other I've read， about a person unlike any other。 Emezi's writing is beautiful， unapologetic， and holds such incredible power。 I'll read anything they write， honestly。Thanks to NetGalley and the Emezi has established themself as a notable fiction writer， but this new memoir shows they’re an unmatched voice across genres。 Told through letters to friends， family， and other storytellers， Dear Senthuran explores the love， trauma， pain， and real magic in Akwaeke Emezi’s life。 It's a memoir unlike any other I've read， about a person unlike any other。 Emezi's writing is beautiful， unapologetic， and holds such incredible power。 I'll read anything they write， honestly。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more

Rica Ntwari ，

recommended by Zebablay

Leinani Lucas ，

Thank you Riverhead for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Find the full review in the 6/2/21 edition of Real Change News， Seattle。This review contains discussion of suicide。From the first page of “Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir，” Akwaeke Emezi is clear about something: they are the god of their own destiny。 In this book， Emezi grants readers the privilege of seeing their private letters to their friends， acquaintances， family members， heroes and everyone in-between。 Emezi uses vi Thank you Riverhead for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 Find the full review in the 6/2/21 edition of Real Change News， Seattle。This review contains discussion of suicide。From the first page of “Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir，” Akwaeke Emezi is clear about something: they are the god of their own destiny。 In this book， Emezi grants readers the privilege of seeing their private letters to their friends， acquaintances， family members， heroes and everyone in-between。 Emezi uses visceral language around their body， cutting off parts they don’t need to be their most authentic self。 In their letter “Propagation （Dear Katherine），” they discuss their 30 plants and love of pothos， or climbing ivy。 They can cut away at the plant， nourish it in water and grow something completely new。 This is not unlike how Emezi treats themselves， snipping away body parts and relationships that cannot help them grow。 The plants serve another purpose as well。 Emezi describes the way it reminds them how long they have survived。“Dear Senthuran” takes the brutalities of the world and challenges the reader to sit with them。 Reading these descriptions brings up a fraction of the discomfort it takes to navigate the world as a marginalized person。 It is a refreshing take in a society that places so much importance on being beautiful and acceptable。 While dominant society emphasizes the idea of flawlessness， Emezi finds reassurance in their keloid scars， their many masks and being in control of their destiny rather than being another person’s idea of perfection。 When they set boundaries for their mental health， Emezi is punished again and again， just like many Black people。 They write about disappointing who they call their “flesh mother，” being shunned by their cohort during their MFA and fearing that others think they are arrogant or haughty just for preferring to work on their craft。 It is an echo of what is currently happening with tennis star Naomi Osaka， who was fined $15，000 and is facing expulsion from the French Open for prioritizing her mental health and not speaking to the media at that event。Emezi describes how they considered suicide over and over again， in anticipation of the release of their debut novel。 They found themselves thinking that news of their death would help book sales。 It was hard for them to ignore that Black bodies have a larger effect on people dead than alive。 The resulting success and critical reviews of that novel， “Freshwater，” didn’t bring peace。 Being dead， their brain kept suggesting， would provide some assurance， relief and shelter。A therapist might classify these as intrusive thoughts。 But， as a Black person witnessing America in the wake of George Floyd， how it took eight horrifying， recorded and broadcasted minutes of a man dying for his murderer， a police officer， to be convicted。 Describing these suicidal tendencies as intrusive almost feels invalidating to Black people， when it is very much how we are seen in the United States。 Charleena Lyles。 Tamir Rice。 Tyianna Alexandra。Typically at the end of my reviews， I like to do a “If you like this， you may also like 。。。” section， but that would be doing a disservice to “Dear Senthuran。” As Emezi points out， there is nothing out there comparable to what they are writing。 They have created an entire universe within themselves that they have deigned to share with the readers。 。。。more

Luke ，

So much to talk about here and so little that I'm qualified to do so。Really powerful stuff in here regarding embodiment and what it means to be a person/spirit/being inhabiting a corporeal form。 On the less metaphysical side of things， there are rich personal histories of violence， love， success， and self-awakening。 Emezi is such a powerful writer and this memoir is yet another banger。 So much to talk about here and so little that I'm qualified to do so。Really powerful stuff in here regarding embodiment and what it means to be a person/spirit/being inhabiting a corporeal form。 On the less metaphysical side of things， there are rich personal histories of violence， love， success， and self-awakening。 Emezi is such a powerful writer and this memoir is yet another banger。 。。。more

Jendella ，

This is Akwaeke Emezi at the height of their powers。 If you’ve read their other work， you will know they can write， but this memoir feels like another dimension: unfettered & sublime。 Now onto the content: there is a lot to take away from the letters。 I think each reader will hone in on a different element – Akwaeke is very generous with their telling – but there is a lot to unpack and imbibe from taking yourself seriously as an artist and storyteller， to dealing with rejection in many forms （th This is Akwaeke Emezi at the height of their powers。 If you’ve read their other work， you will know they can write， but this memoir feels like another dimension: unfettered & sublime。 Now onto the content: there is a lot to take away from the letters。 I think each reader will hone in on a different element – Akwaeke is very generous with their telling – but there is a lot to unpack and imbibe from taking yourself seriously as an artist and storyteller， to dealing with rejection in many forms （the personal and professional） and carving a space for yourself in a world that is indifferent at best， actively hostile at worst。 This memoir through letters is intimate but grand in its scope。 It is something I have no doubt I’ll return to again and again。 。。。more

Kara ，

In one word - braggadocious。 But then， if you are godkind， should your voice not sound out over the hills and deep in the valleys？ This book is like the colorful mirror-studded ghagra worn by Rajasthani women。 You might catch a glimpse of your own face in those tiny mirrors， but you might also be able to see into parallel realities through those micro wormholes。This work is a gift。 It's beautiful to be able to create work that touches so many across vast distances。 I truly believe that everyone In one word - braggadocious。 But then， if you are godkind， should your voice not sound out over the hills and deep in the valleys？ This book is like the colorful mirror-studded ghagra worn by Rajasthani women。 You might catch a glimpse of your own face in those tiny mirrors， but you might also be able to see into parallel realities through those micro wormholes。This work is a gift。 It's beautiful to be able to create work that touches so many across vast distances。 I truly believe that everyone will find something that resonates within these pages。 A god rips apart skin and muscle to show you what lays within， and you come away from that experience with a dedication to cultivating your own strength， your chi。Consummation | Dear Kanninchen and Grief | Dear Eugene are my favorites。 。。。more

Jamie ，

In a series of powerful letters， Akwaeke Emezi traces moments important moments of their life， from childhood memories， to struggling as a writing student， to complicated relationships， to embodiment。 They describe the hollows of depression， complicated by a spiritual identity beyond physical form。 They define themselves in ways that resonate with their cultural and spiritual center， taking the reader on the pains & joys of making their body closer to a physical self that closer matches this spi In a series of powerful letters， Akwaeke Emezi traces moments important moments of their life， from childhood memories， to struggling as a writing student， to complicated relationships， to embodiment。 They describe the hollows of depression， complicated by a spiritual identity beyond physical form。 They define themselves in ways that resonate with their cultural and spiritual center， taking the reader on the pains & joys of making their body closer to a physical self that closer matches this spirit， and decorating their body and spaces to resemble their joy。 Emezi also writes frankly about writing processes and the creative self。 Of writing as a way through。 They detail their publishing journey as well as the complexity of being visible。 Deeply affecting to me， Emezi writes about relationships， from family to friends to loves。 They interrogate their fragility in the face of their spirit and godliness， searching for the strength & pain & terror & depth it takes for these bonds to stay—perhaps finding the most resilient ones in chosen friendships。 They find survival in both themselves and these bonds。 I know I will keep carrying this book， whether physically or spiritually， in my gratitude。 Its beyond， beyond。 Its visceral， layers and layers of insides。 Its given me ways to think about the self & craft & spirit echoing outside of this form 。。。more

Ahtiya （BookinItWithAhtiya） ，

✨3。5✨ Emezi’s writing is legit poetry， and I found myself consistently moved by their words， experiences， and understanding of the universe around them。 I deeply connected to their experiences as a writer and creative， especially a Black creative coming up in predominantly white spaces where they were expected to curb or downplay their greatness。 This is definitely a love letter to Emezi’s dearest friends， while also being a deeply reflective journey that will help a lot of people。I will say， it ✨3。5✨ Emezi’s writing is legit poetry， and I found myself consistently moved by their words， experiences， and understanding of the universe around them。 I deeply connected to their experiences as a writer and creative， especially a Black creative coming up in predominantly white spaces where they were expected to curb or downplay their greatness。 This is definitely a love letter to Emezi’s dearest friends， while also being a deeply reflective journey that will help a lot of people。I will say， it did get a bit repetitive in some parts， and I think that the memoir could’e perhaps been 50 pages。 Otherwise， that was my only critique， and I’m excited for this beautiful book to be out in the world。 Trigger Warnings include: depression， anxiety， suicidal ideation， mentions of self-harm， mention of sexual assault/rape， and probably more that I didn’t catch。 。。。more

Ayooluwa ，

I've followed Akwaeke Emezi's social media for almost 5 years now， and I've read all of their published work so far。 This memoir is a stunning body of work， especially for those who are familiar with Emezi's work or those who are interested in ogbanjes and other nonhuman identities。 Actually， scratch that， this memoir should be essential reading for anyone really。 Dear Senthuran is written in the form of letters， addressed to different people in Emezi's life。 There were a lot of moments in the b I've followed Akwaeke Emezi's social media for almost 5 years now， and I've read all of their published work so far。 This memoir is a stunning body of work， especially for those who are familiar with Emezi's work or those who are interested in ogbanjes and other nonhuman identities。 Actually， scratch that， this memoir should be essential reading for anyone really。 Dear Senthuran is written in the form of letters， addressed to different people in Emezi's life。 There were a lot of moments in the book that I can't believe they actually published， just because of how raw/open they are。 From the description of suicide attempts， to the exact monetary figures that Emezi received in their book deals。 It almost felt like I was snooping （and I didn't mind because I'm nosy lol）。 There were some parts of the memoir that I didn't understand （certain chapters/letters where Emezi revelled in their nonhuman identity） but that's one of the things that I actually like about the memoir—that Emezi doesn't try to make their identity more palatable to the masses。 They tell you who they are—a literal god—and leave it at that。 Some parts of the memoir also scared me。 The chapter that discussed cannibalism and one about violent fantasies。 So this memoir is definitely not for the fainthearted。 However， I did learn a few things about how to be a better human （which is ironic considering that Emezi is nonhuman）。 I'm really glad that I got to read this memoir， I think it will stay with me for quite some time。 Watch out for my blog post about Dear Senthuran closer to the publication date （June 8， 2021）。 Thank you Riverhead Books for prioritising Black bookstagramers in the ARC rollout， and for sending me an advance copy of this book。 。。。more

Kai ，

"I think a lot of what love is， is just telling the truth。" "I think a lot of what love is， is just telling the truth。" 。。。more

Jessica Woodbury ，

If there is anything this book will do， it will cement Emezi as an utterly distinctive writer and figure in writing。 Even more than their previous works， this book is absolutely unapologetic， it claims space， it claims identity。 It is not a book that wants you to like it， this book looks at you the way a god looks at mortals because， ultimately， that is Emezi's identity。For readers of FRESHWATER this won't be a surprise， though many read it as magical realism rather than actual realism。 Here Eme If there is anything this book will do， it will cement Emezi as an utterly distinctive writer and figure in writing。 Even more than their previous works， this book is absolutely unapologetic， it claims space， it claims identity。 It is not a book that wants you to like it， this book looks at you the way a god looks at mortals because， ultimately， that is Emezi's identity。For readers of FRESHWATER this won't be a surprise， though many read it as magical realism rather than actual realism。 Here Emezi allows no room for misinterpretation。 This is memoir， not fiction， and they tell you exactly how they see themselves， how they are still learning to see themselves， and come to grips with human life as a non-human。 （I would definitely recommend reading FRESHWATER first， Emezi alludes to it often， and makes it clear that it is almost entirely autobiographical。 It is ground they will not re-tread so it will also give you a clearer idea of Emezi's earlier life that isn't documented here。） It is a book about growth and flourishing， about the ways we become who we are， but it also feels rather silly to make such general statements because it is so uniquely about Emezi and so intwined with their distinctive identity and view of the world that even if I can see ways readers may be able to imprint their own experiences onto Emezi's， I don't think we are really meant to。As a reader， you will either embrace Emezi's identity or you will view them with suspicion and disbelief。 Ultimately it does not really matter if you truly believe Emezi is a small god， because you are reading this book to see how Emezi sees themself and how they experience the world。 They believe as deeply in their identity as non-human as you do in your identity as human。 If you can't extend your own empathy to give yourself over to it， then this book is not for you。It is unsurprising that this is a book full of gorgeous writing。 It is unsurprising that it does not follow a traditional structure。 It is written in letters， sort of， but not letters that will look at all familiar to you。 I spread it out over a few weeks， reading a few letters at a time， letting the lush prose wash over me in small， perfect doses。 It is mostly about the time from when Emezi wrote FRESHWATER to the present。 There is a lot about writing and publishing that may be valuable for aspiring writers， though Emezi's story is singular。 There are not many people who can approach their writing with the boldness they do because there are not many people who can so effectively back up their confidence with incredible writing。 That boldness does not always serve Emezi well， and there is much about how they were alienated in their MFA and other writing groups before finally selling their first book。 There are rules about how you are supposed to act and what you are supposed to do as a writer。 Emezi has little patience for these， but still struggles because they are a god and they feel a kind of need to be understood for what they are。 And even a need for a kind of worship。 Sometimes memoir can help us see how similar we are to others。 But sometimes it opens up a set of experiences so different from your own that it helps you see the world in a new way。 This is the latter and I expected nothing less。Content warnings for gender dysmorphia， gender affirming surgery， transphobia particularly with access to medical care， sexual assault （off page）， attempted suicide （on page）。 。。。more

Maya Bon ，

Emezi encapsulates a world of despair， luxury， loss， love， death， courage， and， almost conclusively， resilience。 With ennobling honesty， they wind the reader into their innermost thoughts。 This book is a journey through a tangle of life connections， spindly webs that threaten to collapse in on themselves as Emezi flirts with mortality。

Nichole ，

Y

Oyinda ，

Book 117 of 2021Will Emezi ever fail to do the damn thing？ They won't， and that's on period。This is a riveting， spell-binding， and poignant body of work。 Reading this book is like taking a deep dive into Amezi's soul。 It is raw and open and unfiltered about everything and I love that so much。 I learnt so much about them from this book and I am so glad for that honor！This book is a memoir and an epistolary， written in the form of letters to different people in Akwaeke's life。 There is no straight Book 117 of 2021Will Emezi ever fail to do the damn thing？ They won't， and that's on period。This is a riveting， spell-binding， and poignant body of work。 Reading this book is like taking a deep dive into Amezi's soul。 It is raw and open and unfiltered about everything and I love that so much。 I learnt so much about them from this book and I am so glad for that honor！This book is a memoir and an epistolary， written in the form of letters to different people in Akwaeke's life。 There is no straight timeline the letters follow， instead they are pieces of a puzzle that come together as you read。 Akwaeke's is a master storyteller。 Their use of words is hypnotic and the words just come together in a way that leaves the reader （aka me） breathless。 The writing was powerful and I found myself in tears a lot。 I already knew that Freshwater was heavily autobiographical， but I was shocked to discover that the author basically slapped every detail of their life onto Ada's character。 I'm glad I reread Freshwater immediately before picking this up。There are people who still misgender Emezi。 It breaks my heart， especially after reading some passages in this book。 They're not a woman。 They're not even human。Imagine knowing you're not human。 Knowing so many boundaries of this world as humans know it hardly apply to you but still having to conform and bend and fold to the politics and labels of a world that seeks to harm you。 They have been through a lot and so many letters were hard to read because of graphic descriptions （TW for） rape， suicide attempts， panic attacks， stalking， and child sexual abuse。 I highlighted so many passages in this book。 So so many。 Like I said， their mastery of language is out of this world。I enjoyed Dear Senthuran a lot， and I can't wait for everyone to get their hands on a copy of this book when it's out！ 。。。more

Paris （parisperusing） ，

“Standing in my truth means it all has to die。 So I am dying。”Akwaeke Emezi is a big， fearless god。 I sensed it after The Death of Vivek Oji， but the evolution is utterly apparent in their latest creation， Dear Senthuran， a Black spirit memoir that wreaks beauty， mercy， and terror in its wake。 A big god。 Above the surface， Dear Senthuran masks as a dispatch of letters: to the tendrils of trauma; to the body's "unimportant" pieces; to human mothers， dead and alive; to money and its shiny freedoms “Standing in my truth means it all has to die。 So I am dying。”Akwaeke Emezi is a big， fearless god。 I sensed it after The Death of Vivek Oji， but the evolution is utterly apparent in their latest creation， Dear Senthuran， a Black spirit memoir that wreaks beauty， mercy， and terror in its wake。 A big god。 Above the surface， Dear Senthuran masks as a dispatch of letters: to the tendrils of trauma; to the body's "unimportant" pieces; to human mothers， dead and alive; to money and its shiny freedoms; and most hauntingly， to the specters of suicide。 Or perhaps， to strange friendships after whom one may name a book。At its center， Emezi breaks empty their beating， crimson heart; and my god， what a timid and lonely organ it is。 But fear， Emezi so harrowingly informs us， can also be a lifeline to happiness; it compels us to hold firm and claim space until the gravity of our being has its pull on the world。 An intimate， disarming diary of transcendence， of wielding magic hidden deep within the marrow of our bones， and the spells we cast when we obey the work of honoring the unpretty truths of one's beginnings， Dear Senthuran is a swan song of survival written for survivors who refuse to die。Thank you， Riverhead Books， for bringing this magical， galvanizing book to life。 And thank you， Akwaeke， for baring your heart and heartache with our little lonely world。 。。。more

Heather Freeman ，

This is a staggering book， one I haven't been able to stop thinking about since finishing it a week ago。 As author Emezi has written elsewhere， it is in some ways a nonfiction companion to their debut novel 'Freshwater，' as well as an expansive memoir， meditation on Igbo and wider ontologies， and， at times， a juicy but devastating publishing tell-all。 Content warnings for many things， including extended and detailed suicidal ideation and attempts， self-harm， and discussion of sexual assault。 It' This is a staggering book， one I haven't been able to stop thinking about since finishing it a week ago。 As author Emezi has written elsewhere， it is in some ways a nonfiction companion to their debut novel 'Freshwater，' as well as an expansive memoir， meditation on Igbo and wider ontologies， and， at times， a juicy but devastating publishing tell-all。 Content warnings for many things， including extended and detailed suicidal ideation and attempts， self-harm， and discussion of sexual assault。 It's a gut-punch of a book that's not explicitly 'for' the reader--its chapters are a series of letters to real individuals， as the title suggests--and it rarely， if ever， makes gestures to accommodate an outside audience。 I am so glad that this kind of uncompromising memoir is getting a major release and hype， though I believe Emezi had to fight very hard for its existence in this format。 Despite all of the book's heaviness and trauma， though， Emezi brings a kind of joy to the end that's truly breathtaking to see。 。。。more

Nadia ，

Review Pending at freshfruitmag。com/book-reviews/ Review Pending at freshfruitmag。com/book-reviews/ 。。。more

C。M。B。 ，

Always a huge fan of their work。 Although these letters are personal and specific， the messages relayed will resonate with a wide audience。 The prose， as always， is visceral and raw and unflinching。 The words center around heartbreak and personhood， destruction and growth。 I especially loved the insight they share about their publishing experience。 If you read Freshwater， you should absolutely read this book！ Forever a stan of Emezi。

— Massiel ，

EDIT: 02/22/21Y'ALL Y'ALL AKWAEKE LIKED MY REVIEW AND I'M SO DAMN HAPPY OJHKJHKAKHK--Y'ALL OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING OMGGGG！！ 😍😍I said I'll sell my kidney and all my organs if Akwaeke write a memoir book and LOOK！！！！ （proof）I already know this book will break my heart and I CAN'T WAITTTT！！！！💗💗💗✨✨💖💖💖🥰🥰😍P。S。 About the part of selling my organs。。。 well。。。 um。。。 let's wait until I read this 🥺🥺 EDIT: 02/22/21Y'ALL Y'ALL AKWAEKE LIKED MY REVIEW AND I'M SO DAMN HAPPY OJHKJHKAKHK--Y'ALL OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING OMGGGG！！ 😍😍I said I'll sell my kidney and all my organs if Akwaeke write a memoir book and LOOK！！！！ （proof）I already know this book will break my heart and I CAN'T WAITTTT！！！！💗💗💗✨✨💖💖💖🥰🥰😍P。S。 About the part of selling my organs。。。 well。。。 um。。。 let's wait until I read this 🥺🥺 。。。more

janaynachel ，

Amazing。 Akwaeke’s confidence in who they are is so encouraging。 And they sure can put a sentence together。 Nearly highlighted the whole book！

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Dear Senthuran: A Black spirit memoir

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Dear Senthuran: A Black spirit memoir&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Dear Senthuran: A Black spirit memoir&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0