In Every Mirror She's Black
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- Create Date：2021-08-21 08:51:36
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Lola Akinmade Åkerström
- ISBN：1728240387
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Summary
A timely and arresting debut for anyone looking for insight into what it means to be a Black woman in the world。
Three Black women are linked in unexpected ways to the same influential white man in Stockholm as they build their new lives in the most open society run by the most private people。
Successful marketing executive Kemi Adeyemi is lured from the U。S。 to Sweden by Jonny von Lundin， CEO of the nation's largest marketing firm， to help fix a PR fiasco involving a racially tone-deaf campaign。 A killer at work but a failure in love， Kemi's move is a last-ditch effort to reclaim her social life。
A chance meeting with Jonny in business class en route to the U。S。 propels former model-turned-flight-attendant Brittany-Rae Johnson into a life of wealth， luxury， and privilege—a life she's not sure she wants—as the object of his unhealthy obsession。
And refugee Muna Saheed， who lost her entire family， finds a job cleaning the toilets at Jonny's office as she works to establish her residency in Sweden and， more importantly， seeks connection and a place she can call home。
Told through the perspectives of each of the three women， In Every Mirror She's Black is a fast-paced， richly nuanced yet accessible contemporary novel that touches on important social issues of racism， classism， fetishization， and tokenism， and what it means to be a Black woman navigating a white-dominated society。
Lola Akinmade Åkerström is an African-American （Nigerian-American） award-winning author， speaker， and photographer based in Sweden。 This is her first novel。
Three Black women are linked in unexpected ways to the same influential white man in Stockholm as they build their new lives in the most open society run by the most private people。
Successful marketing executive Kemi Adeyemi is lured from the U。S。 to Sweden by Jonny von Lundin， CEO of the nation's largest marketing firm， to help fix a PR fiasco involving a racially tone-deaf campaign。 A killer at work but a failure in love， Kemi's move is a last-ditch effort to reclaim her social life。
A chance meeting with Jonny in business class en route to the U。S。 propels former model-turned-flight-attendant Brittany-Rae Johnson into a life of wealth， luxury， and privilege—a life she's not sure she wants—as the object of his unhealthy obsession。
And refugee Muna Saheed， who lost her entire family， finds a job cleaning the toilets at Jonny's office as she works to establish her residency in Sweden and， more importantly， seeks connection and a place she can call home。
Told through the perspectives of each of the three women， In Every Mirror She's Black is a fast-paced， richly nuanced yet accessible contemporary novel that touches on important social issues of racism， classism， fetishization， and tokenism， and what it means to be a Black woman navigating a white-dominated society。
Lola Akinmade Åkerström is an African-American （Nigerian-American） award-winning author， speaker， and photographer based in Sweden。 This is her first novel。
Reviews
Emani Glee
，
I really enjoyed this book！ It's basically three stories in one as readers learn about the lives of three black women connected in different ways to the same white man。 The book touches on various struggles Black women face such as in the workplace， in interracial relationships， as refugees in America， and being a fetish。I understand the switching pov's for story like this， but the quick jumps to a new character is something I'm not a huge fan of as a reader。 It makes it difficult to settle into I really enjoyed this book！ It's basically three stories in one as readers learn about the lives of three black women connected in different ways to the same white man。 The book touches on various struggles Black women face such as in the workplace， in interracial relationships， as refugees in America， and being a fetish。I understand the switching pov's for story like this， but the quick jumps to a new character is something I'm not a huge fan of as a reader。 It makes it difficult to settle into the story， but I still loved this book。 The characters are well developed and each of the three women and their lives are very different。 I loved the progression of the story because at first the women's stories are very separate， but as the story goes along， their lives intermingle which adds a new dynamic to the plot。 I suspected the twist， but the actual reveal was still a surprise that made everything make sense。I'm definitely looking forward to reading more from Lolá！Thank you to NetGalley for the advance eARC！ 。。。more
Alex
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Many thanks to NetGalley， the author and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review 🙏3。5/5 stars ⭐️Given the difficult themes this book discusses， I was expecting it to be very slow。 On the contrary， I found it fast-paced and engaging — not to mention， extremely approachable。 I think the author did a fantastic job in describing her main characters and the unsettling circumstances each of them is facing。 As an expat myself， believe me if I tell you that th Many thanks to NetGalley， the author and the publisher for sending me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review 🙏3。5/5 stars ⭐️Given the difficult themes this book discusses， I was expecting it to be very slow。 On the contrary， I found it fast-paced and engaging — not to mention， extremely approachable。 I think the author did a fantastic job in describing her main characters and the unsettling circumstances each of them is facing。 As an expat myself， believe me if I tell you that the description of what it feels like to move to another country and having to learn a new language， make friends， or even just finding the right grocery store， is incredibly relatable。 I also loved how the three storylines kept intertwining throughout the novel。One aspect of this book that I did not like， though， is the depiction of Brittany and Jonny’s relationship。 I would have enjoyed more clarity， better reasons for them to be together， and a stronger build-up to the final plot twist。Overall， this is a fantastic debut and I book that I would very much recommend — especially for book clubs willing to engage in a stimulating discussion。 。。。more
Melanie
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Intense and thought provoking novel。 The three main characters have very different backgrounds but similar experiences related to their blackness。 I was intrigued and a bit disturbed by the characters’ choices and outcomes。 I recommend this book for group discussions。
E W
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I read an advanced copy of "In Every Mirror She's Black" and loved the universe the author created for the characters: the stifling， smothering blandness that some outsiders often experience when living in a culture such as Sweden's。 I felt Akinmade Åkerström tapped deep into the inner lives of these three Black women brought into connection and conflict in a foreign land。 Kemi's and Muna's stories resonated the most powerfully， as they depicted women determined to build lives for themselves in I read an advanced copy of "In Every Mirror She's Black" and loved the universe the author created for the characters: the stifling， smothering blandness that some outsiders often experience when living in a culture such as Sweden's。 I felt Akinmade Åkerström tapped deep into the inner lives of these three Black women brought into connection and conflict in a foreign land。 Kemi's and Muna's stories resonated the most powerfully， as they depicted women determined to build lives for themselves in the world despite external pressures。 I didn't find Brittany's story to be as compelling simply because she seemed to be the least grounded in her own life。 That said， the cast of characters and fast-moving plot kept me engaged through the entire book， so makes it a great read， in my opinion。 。。。more
Liz
，
Wow this was so powerful。 It took me a bit to get into this one but it definitely hooked me once I got to know these very nuanced characters。 The story is of three black women tied together in Sweden by a man named Jonny。 Jonny is Swedish and owns a successful company that hires Kemi from America to help dig them out of a PR disaster。 Jonny also courts Brittany， a former model and flight attendant who joins him in Sweden。 Refugee Muna has lost her family and comes to Sweden for a new life and wo Wow this was so powerful。 It took me a bit to get into this one but it definitely hooked me once I got to know these very nuanced characters。 The story is of three black women tied together in Sweden by a man named Jonny。 Jonny is Swedish and owns a successful company that hires Kemi from America to help dig them out of a PR disaster。 Jonny also courts Brittany， a former model and flight attendant who joins him in Sweden。 Refugee Muna has lost her family and comes to Sweden for a new life and works at Jonnys company as a janitor。 All three women are complex and I loved getting to know them， their struggles as Black women and the issues they face with dating， work and life in general。 This book was touching， frustrating， heartbreaking and well told。 This is going to be one people talk about and I’m so glad I was able to read it in advance of the praise that is surely coming。 4。25 stars。 Thanks to #netGalley for the opportunity to review this book。 。。。more
Pearly Williams
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A remarkably well-written novel， entertaining and insightful， it grabbed my attention and kept me wanting more。 Set in Sweden， this novel is fast-paced and thought-provoking。 We are introduced to three black women who in their quest for a better life find themselves in questionable situations。 The main characters， Kemi， a high-achieving marketing executive， Brittany， the drop-dead gorgeous flight attendant， and finally Muna a heartbroken refuge。 The characters are well narrated and relatable， th A remarkably well-written novel， entertaining and insightful， it grabbed my attention and kept me wanting more。 Set in Sweden， this novel is fast-paced and thought-provoking。 We are introduced to three black women who in their quest for a better life find themselves in questionable situations。 The main characters， Kemi， a high-achieving marketing executive， Brittany， the drop-dead gorgeous flight attendant， and finally Muna a heartbroken refuge。 The characters are well narrated and relatable， their painful struggles felt so real。 Highly recommended。I would like to thank NetGalley for this opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review。 。。。more
Jordan Lostinagoodbookgirl
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Thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for my free e copy。This is a story that follows 3 main characters。 We are introduced to the characters in the first chapters with a brief background and at the beginning they all seem like three different women so had me intrigued from the beginning as to how they would all connect together。The book touches on subjects such as careers， dating， motherhood， racism and immigration。I really loved Muna as a character and connected to her in a way I haven't had Thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for my free e copy。This is a story that follows 3 main characters。 We are introduced to the characters in the first chapters with a brief background and at the beginning they all seem like three different women so had me intrigued from the beginning as to how they would all connect together。The book touches on subjects such as careers， dating， motherhood， racism and immigration。I really loved Muna as a character and connected to her in a way I haven't had with other characters before。 I was really rooting for her to find her happiness。 I really enjoyed this book and thought the author managed to incorporate some pretty harrowing situations into this story vey well。。 I would recommend this book and also look for others from Lola 。。。more
Janilyn Kocher
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It’s compelling read。 I found Kemi’s story the most interesting。 Muna’s story was sad。 The location of Sweden is sure to lure readers as is the subject matter。 The author touches on a lot of themes。 Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and Edelweiss for the advance copy。
Siobhan
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In Every Mirror She's Black is a novel about three Black women in Sweden in very different circumstances， exploring how race， class， and situation affect their lives。 Marketing executive Kemi moves from the US to Sweden after being headhunted by a top marketing firm and convinced by the CEO Jonny to help them deal with the aftermath of a controversial campaign。 Flight attendant Brittany meets Jonny on a flight and seems obsessed with her， but is the expensive life he lives what she wants？ And Mu In Every Mirror She's Black is a novel about three Black women in Sweden in very different circumstances， exploring how race， class， and situation affect their lives。 Marketing executive Kemi moves from the US to Sweden after being headhunted by a top marketing firm and convinced by the CEO Jonny to help them deal with the aftermath of a controversial campaign。 Flight attendant Brittany meets Jonny on a flight and seems obsessed with her， but is the expensive life he lives what she wants？ And Muna is a Somalian refugee along in Sweden who ends up working cleaning the offices of Jonny's company， where she dreams of finding community。The book is told from the perspectives of all three women， each chapter moving between them to weave their stories together。 The stories don't actually interlink as much as you might expect for this kind of book， and at the end the author does explain the reasons behind this， but Jonny is the real link， and occasionally they talk to each other。 This does help to reflect some of the discussion in the book about the treatment of Black people in Sweden， especially seen through Kemi's eyes as she adjusts to a new workplace and meeting new friends outside work。 I found this exploration of race in Sweden particularly interesting， and Kemi's ending made a lot of sense in light of this。Muna's story about coming to Sweden as a refugee， losing her loved ones， and looking for connections with people is very moving， and didn't go in the directions I might've guessed。 The little detail that she was much more advanced at learning Swedish than either of the other women was a key one， considering privilege and how refugees have to appear a lot more ideal and worthy than other people， and the book is good at making points like this using small details。It is perhaps harder to engage with Brittany's narrative as it is much more focused around a rich man who has never been told 'no'， and it is fairly easy to see throughout that Brittany wasn't making choices that would be good in the future。 Jonny's possible autism was slightly strangely handled， quite obvious throughout but with a kind of revelation near the end， and though the author states at the end that it wasn't meant to be a comment on autism and fetishisation， I think it can still come across like that。Overall， this is a book that explores race， being a refugee， tokenism， and moving between cultures in interesting ways， though some parts perhaps work better than others。 。。。more
Kathy Stone
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I received this book from Bookbrowse to participate in a discussion at BookBrowse。 This book was shockingly good。 When I read the synopsis I was not sure that I wanted to read this book。 it touches on racism， sexism， fetishism and tokenism。 This is not a great blurb for any book。 It sounds marginalizing for any woman and all three main characters are women of color in different socio-economic brackets。 These women all end up in Sweden connected through the same man。 This book shows what it can b I received this book from Bookbrowse to participate in a discussion at BookBrowse。 This book was shockingly good。 When I read the synopsis I was not sure that I wanted to read this book。 it touches on racism， sexism， fetishism and tokenism。 This is not a great blurb for any book。 It sounds marginalizing for any woman and all three main characters are women of color in different socio-economic brackets。 These women all end up in Sweden connected through the same man。 This book shows what it can be like to move from a multi-hetero-society like the United States to a much more homogenous society like Sweden。 。。。more
Judi
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I was fortunate enough to get an pre-publication copy of this book and was stunned when I finally put it down。 It's a carefully drawn portrait of three women who on the surface are very different， yet who all are forced to navigate a world that sees the color of their skin above - and before - anything else about them。 Each of the three women address this in different ways， and in doing so reveal they are complex， flawed， and struggling individuals facing unique challenges。 But that the overall I was fortunate enough to get an pre-publication copy of this book and was stunned when I finally put it down。 It's a carefully drawn portrait of three women who on the surface are very different， yet who all are forced to navigate a world that sees the color of their skin above - and before - anything else about them。 Each of the three women address this in different ways， and in doing so reveal they are complex， flawed， and struggling individuals facing unique challenges。 But that the overall challenge they face is that they are seen as black women first - everything else comes second。 It's a portrait of not being SEEN， only being put into a category。 It is dehumanizing， yet these three women are wonderfully human。 All of that said， the book is a fast-paced read that sometimes makes you laugh， sometimes makes you cry - but always makes you think。 Highly recommend this one。 。。。more
Reema
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I was approved for an eARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。WHAT？？？？！！！？？？ IT CAN'T END LIKE THAT！！！！！What a rollercoaster。 The first 3 chapters introduce the 3 main characters and at this point， i couldn't tell you who i loved more。 Immediately each one was intriguing me， their stories all so different， yet all linked with one particular aspect。Kemi seems like she has a good job and her story will revolve around that， Brittany is a flight attendant for business class and her first I was approved for an eARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。WHAT？？？？！！！？？？ IT CAN'T END LIKE THAT！！！！！What a rollercoaster。 The first 3 chapters introduce the 3 main characters and at this point， i couldn't tell you who i loved more。 Immediately each one was intriguing me， their stories all so different， yet all linked with one particular aspect。Kemi seems like she has a good job and her story will revolve around that， Brittany is a flight attendant for business class and her first chapter was so interesting！ Finally Muna， a refugee and a Muslim aswell so instantly i connected with her。As the chapters went on， my views changed consistently。 I was apalled at Brittany， i felt so bad for Kemi and i was just rooting for Muna the whole way through。The struggles， the underlying racism， the work ethics and how women - especially black women are treated at work， and an unexpected undiagnosed condition， which pulled the whole story together。I could not put this down。 I was hoping all 3 women would meet but their stories aligned in a way i didn't expect。The writing is beautiful。 It pulls you in and it doesn't let you stop reading， i really struggled to find a good place to stop。 I guarantee whilst reading this， you will start with one favourite character and end with another！！！AND SPEAKING OF ENDINGS。。。。 i cannot believe it ended like that。。。。 😱😱😱😱😱 。。。more
Lara Farrell
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I found this novel slightly uneven - of the three almost-intersecting stories， one is considerably weaker than the other two and unfortunately comes to somewhat dominate the narrative。 The relationship between Jonny and Brittany is highly unconvincing and there is no attempt to understand Brittany’s thought process as she undertakes a fairly ludicrous series of decisions。 The author also seems to think the allusions to Jonny being somewhere on the autism spectrum are much more subtle than they a I found this novel slightly uneven - of the three almost-intersecting stories， one is considerably weaker than the other two and unfortunately comes to somewhat dominate the narrative。 The relationship between Jonny and Brittany is highly unconvincing and there is no attempt to understand Brittany’s thought process as she undertakes a fairly ludicrous series of decisions。 The author also seems to think the allusions to Jonny being somewhere on the autism spectrum are much more subtle than they are in reality。I also wasn’t entirely convinced about Kemi’s professional situation， working in a very similar space myself。 However， I thought her experience as a Black professional woman was very well conveyed and the points about the immigrant experience were really well made。 I also loved Muna’s story， easily the most sympathetic character here， and the resolution to her story made me audibly gasp。 I’d say there’s a better book buried within this one but it gave me a lot to think about and it was very readable， despite its relative length。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC。 。。。more
Kirstra
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DNF'ing this one at about 70 pages。 Interesting premise， and reading about the experience of Black women with Swedish culture is not something I'm familiar with。 Ultimately， I found the prose a bit stilted， and one of the relationships completely preposterous。 DNF'ing this one at about 70 pages。 Interesting premise， and reading about the experience of Black women with Swedish culture is not something I'm familiar with。 Ultimately， I found the prose a bit stilted， and one of the relationships completely preposterous。 。。。more
Kim McGee
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Three black women from different backgrounds find common ground living in a different country far from home。 Kemi is a successful marketing pro from the states who is hired to head up a diversity team at a top firm in Sweden。 Brittany is a flight attendant in the states who is swept off her feet by a wealthy Swedish marketing executive who is determined to marry her and have her move to Sweden。Muna is a refugee from Somalia who lands in Sweden and is determined to love her new country but is suf Three black women from different backgrounds find common ground living in a different country far from home。 Kemi is a successful marketing pro from the states who is hired to head up a diversity team at a top firm in Sweden。 Brittany is a flight attendant in the states who is swept off her feet by a wealthy Swedish marketing executive who is determined to marry her and have her move to Sweden。Muna is a refugee from Somalia who lands in Sweden and is determined to love her new country but is suffering from a traumatic event that happened at the refugee shelter。 All three must learn a new language， new customs and deal with some of the same racial injustice or ignorance as their parent country。 This interesting novel looks at race but also economic classes ， immigration in other countries and mental illness。 An interesting viewpoint from a debut author I hope we hear more from。 This book would partner nicely to THE OTHER BLACK GIRL and the WWII novel SISTERS IN ARMS。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
LiteraryMarie
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DNF ~ I like the multiple POVs but it makes the story seem out of order。
Bridgette
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In Every Mirror She's Black is a riveting novel with characters and situations so plausible， and well developed， that it felt as if I was reading a triple biography rather than fiction。 The novel tells the story of three characters each with their own storyline weaved throughout the book with one common character。 The stetting is in Sweden and the main characters are strong， black women so the reader is also exposed to the complexity of being a black woman in Sweden （similar to may other countri In Every Mirror She's Black is a riveting novel with characters and situations so plausible， and well developed， that it felt as if I was reading a triple biography rather than fiction。 The novel tells the story of three characters each with their own storyline weaved throughout the book with one common character。 The stetting is in Sweden and the main characters are strong， black women so the reader is also exposed to the complexity of being a black woman in Sweden （similar to may other countries as well）。 Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Leslie Zemeckis
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It took me a bit to get into this - but once o did I loved it and the three women it is about - and their trials and triumphs （admittedly few） in Sweden - it’s about “dreaming bigger than dishes” for a immigrant who is so lonely - it’s about fetish for an African American who “falls in love” with a man on the spectrum - and diversity （or not） for a woman lured to Sweden by a top corporation - the stories interweave and I loved it
Kelly Well Read
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These women are so strong。 I was rooting for them。 But they all suffered and struggled in a world where white men in power hold the reigns。 Which was the point。 Darker than expected， but will recommend。
Yaba Badoe
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In Every Mirror She’s Black is a remarkable， well-crafted debut set in Sweden。 Take three Black women in search of a better life。 Add love and desire to a mix of family expectations and what it’s like to have no family whatsoever。 Akekinmade Akerstrom’s voice is fresh and insightful as she tells a compelling story of what it means to be a Black woman in a globalised world。 From a rich， cushioned elite to a determined refugee， she takes us from the US and London to Sweden。 This ambitious novel is In Every Mirror She’s Black is a remarkable， well-crafted debut set in Sweden。 Take three Black women in search of a better life。 Add love and desire to a mix of family expectations and what it’s like to have no family whatsoever。 Akekinmade Akerstrom’s voice is fresh and insightful as she tells a compelling story of what it means to be a Black woman in a globalised world。 From a rich， cushioned elite to a determined refugee， she takes us from the US and London to Sweden。 This ambitious novel is beautifully realised。 Akekinmade Akerstrom is definitely a writer to watch。 I thoroughly recommend this novel。 。。。more
Sam Glasbrenner （Sassyowlreads）
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I won this in a Goodreads giveaway and cannot wait to read it！
Janine
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I received this advance reader’s copy from Book Browse in order to participate in an upcoming book club discussion。 This was an excellent read。 The story of three women of color coming to Sweden， an all white country， sets up an intriguing and tantalizing story of identity， assimilation and life meaning。 Kemi， originally from Nigeria but now a naturalized American citizen， seeks to leave her American marketing firm to pursue a career opportunity in Sweden but really is leaving the racism and sex I received this advance reader’s copy from Book Browse in order to participate in an upcoming book club discussion。 This was an excellent read。 The story of three women of color coming to Sweden， an all white country， sets up an intriguing and tantalizing story of identity， assimilation and life meaning。 Kemi， originally from Nigeria but now a naturalized American citizen， seeks to leave her American marketing firm to pursue a career opportunity in Sweden but really is leaving the racism and sexual tension of her current position。 Kemi wants a relationship but keeps finding the men she meets are not worthy of her。 Brittany is a beautiful American of Jamaican heritage who wanted to be a fashion designer but met a white Svengali early on who corrupted her path and left her running away to become a flight attendant to never realize her goal。 She then meets a strange， very rich Swedish man who is Svengali-like too and who traps her into a marriage。 Muna is a refugee from Somalia who lost her family but through luck emigrates to Sweden and is eventually granted entry to become a Swedish citizen。 Muna meets a Kurdish man at the center she lives initially who dies tragically。 Muna then continues to pursue trying to connect with others of her “color” to find family and connectedness。 The stories of these three women intersect when the come together in the marketing firm owned by Jonny von Lundiin， a character central to each woman’s perception of herself and her “blackness。” Kemi works for the marketing firm owned by Brittany’s husband， Jonny， and where Muna works for a cleaning firm hired to clean the marketing firm’s building。 Jonny’s character also adds another dimension to the book with the theme of how families deal with their children。 Each woman faces the challenge of integrating into a society that is racist and where none of them knows the language， history or cultural mores of the new country where each has determined to set down roots。 While racism is integral to the story， it is less important than how each woman confronts it。 The decisions these women make are fascinating and ultimately determine who will succeed in her personal life。 No spoilers here。 You must get the book - you won’t be disappointed if you do。 I could not put this book down。 It was a fascinating， compelling， worthwhile read。 Highly recommend it。 。。。more
Shampa Bari
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Muna， Kemi， Jonny， & Brittany will stay with me for a while - what a gripping account。 Thank you for opening up this world for me。
Wendy Beckman
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In Every Mirror She's Black by Lola Akinmade Åkerström is phenomenal。 I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy for review。 It won't be published until September， but it is worth the wait。 Three Black women， who seem very separate at first， find their paths interwoven because of one quirky man: Jonny， a Swedish millionaire。 One of the women is a teenage girl from Africa who is struggling to find a home and a family of any sort。 The other two are African Americans who have had successful car In Every Mirror She's Black by Lola Akinmade Åkerström is phenomenal。 I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy for review。 It won't be published until September， but it is worth the wait。 Three Black women， who seem very separate at first， find their paths interwoven because of one quirky man: Jonny， a Swedish millionaire。 One of the women is a teenage girl from Africa who is struggling to find a home and a family of any sort。 The other two are African Americans who have had successful careers but find that they have derailed because of choices they have made。 Told through these three points of view， we are with them every glorious and painful step of the way。 （At times， I had trouble remembering secondary characters as the POVs rotated， but I could figure it out after a page or so。） Despite their differences， these three women all experience loneliness and sacrifice， as well as a sense of being violated and imprisoned （not literally）。 Some of the women's experiences hit universal themes: trying to make something of yourself; trying to prove your parents wrong; things moving too fast; believing lies because you think they fit your dreams; finding that we are all alone in this world in many ways; settling for what you think you want， rather than what you really deserve; learning that hot sex and instant attraction don't necessarily add up to loving someone or being loved in return。 I was distressed at how quickly some of the characters acquiesced to jumping into someone else's arms/bed/wherever， even when they knew it was hurting their loved ones。 Beyond that， we see through these characters that regardless of what people tell you with their words， people who say "I'm not racist" probably are， are judging you on your surface， and want you to fit their view of what you are based solely on your skin color。 I'm not Black， so I cannot speak for Black women。 （I cannot speak for all white women， either， although I am one。） The book causes us to ask where are Black people at home？ Is there a universal "Black experience"？ （No！）Finally， In Every Mirror She's Black shows that we all deserve love， but many will never find it。 This is an engaging read， thus I finished it in a couple of days， but it is not a light-hearted summer beach book。 Take it to heart。 。。。more
Jill Leckie
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I had no doubt that Lola’s break through novel would be nothing short of magnificent。 Despite having a shortening attention span due to age and sleepiness， I couldn’t put this book down。 In particular Muna’s narrative captivated my attention。 If you don’t live in Sweden it is very hard to understand the complex and layered social structures in and around migration， cultural identity， tokenism， classism and Black women in Sweden。 Lola has captured these complexities with grace and not shied away I had no doubt that Lola’s break through novel would be nothing short of magnificent。 Despite having a shortening attention span due to age and sleepiness， I couldn’t put this book down。 In particular Muna’s narrative captivated my attention。 If you don’t live in Sweden it is very hard to understand the complex and layered social structures in and around migration， cultural identity， tokenism， classism and Black women in Sweden。 Lola has captured these complexities with grace and not shied away from confronting the attitudes Black women face daily in Sweden （and other European countries）。 Whether they are subtle acts of exclusion or tokenism， or fearful acts of out right violent racism。 Lola’s writing engages your entire emotional range and you can feel the air of the spaces she is creating as you read。 You can smell the gardens， restaurants and office spaces she is describing。 It’s truly evocative。 I don’t want to give away any spoilers but the book ends beautifully （poignantly）。 It is so refreshing to read a book that doesn’t feel like it must end with everything in its place。 This is a touchstone novel that will lay the ground for a new version of Sweden in literature。 I hope it starts a shift in attitudes amongst publishers that contributes towards giving a voice to those who have been prevented from speaking their stories until now。 。。。more
Kristine
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This book blew me away。 It is fast paced， unique， thought provoking， and extremely relevant。 We meet Kemi， our high-climbing marketing executive， Brittany， our gorgeous flight attendant， and Muna， our brave refugee。 The book is their three stories， told across the span of three years， and each story shares a raw and unedited view of their lives and the decisions that shape them and their connections with each other and with Jonny。 No hesitation to recommend。
Kezia Carpenter
，
I once heard Lola Akinmade Åkerström talk about why she has a passion for travel—how it gives her the opportunity to explore other cultures and to try and understand them。 In Every Mirror She’s Black， Lola’s passion rings true as the reader gets well-acquainted with the novel's three Black female protagonists: Kemi， Brittany-Rae， and Muna。 The lives of these women connect through a singular Swedish male character， but their experiences living as new immigrants in Sweden are distinct due to the i I once heard Lola Akinmade Åkerström talk about why she has a passion for travel—how it gives her the opportunity to explore other cultures and to try and understand them。 In Every Mirror She’s Black， Lola’s passion rings true as the reader gets well-acquainted with the novel's three Black female protagonists: Kemi， Brittany-Rae， and Muna。 The lives of these women connect through a singular Swedish male character， but their experiences living as new immigrants in Sweden are distinct due to the intersectionality of gender， race， ethnicity， and class。 I found this novel hard to put down as I felt for the real and at times painful struggles each character faced。 I applaud Lola for this timely and thought-provoking tour de force！ 。。。more
Daniel Hooker
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This book does a good job of crafting the oppressive atmosphere of racism， the micro aggressions and stifling of drive and creativity and purpose。 It doesn’t pull off as well the interwoven stories， they all revolve around a central （white） man and never actually connect; the end result is 3 parallel lives instead of a satisfying web。
Alicia Allen
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Thank you to Net Galley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinions。Kemi， Brittany-Rae， and Muna all come to Stockholm for different reasons however， at some point their lives all converge and intersect due to one commonality， Johan （Jonny） von Lundin。 This book has left me with a lot to think about。 Being a Black woman in Kentucky， I’ve never really contemplated life for Black people in places like Sweden until now。 While the novel is about t Thank you to Net Galley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinions。Kemi， Brittany-Rae， and Muna all come to Stockholm for different reasons however， at some point their lives all converge and intersect due to one commonality， Johan （Jonny） von Lundin。 This book has left me with a lot to think about。 Being a Black woman in Kentucky， I’ve never really contemplated life for Black people in places like Sweden until now。 While the novel is about the experiences of 3 Black women in Stockholm， it’s also about isolation and it’s affects on our lives。 It’s also about how we as Black people across the diaspora share common feelings of otherness and loneliness when we are isolated from our loved ones in predominantly white spaces。 We have the same fears， the same hurt， the same anger， and the same intuition when it comes to racism It also shows how we cleave to or run from each other in these spaces out of fear， out of ignorance， or just out of （dis）comfort。 This story also touches on topics such as the fetishization of Black women， autism， sex trafficking， and sexual harassment。Kemi has it all- beauty， brains， the expensive home， and the successful career， however， for her those things aren’t enough。 If I had to compare her to a relatable character I would say she is Toni from Girlfriends or Molly from Insecure。 Kemi wants more out of her life。 She wants to advance in her career and she wants to have a loving relationship in her personal life。 But how can she without having to sacrifice something or everything？ Constantly questioning whether she is good enough， pretty enough， smart enough， Kemi is presented with what she sees as the opportunity of a lifetime by Johnny。 Unsure of where her new position within Jonny’s company will take her， she takes the leap and relocates by herself to Sweden。 Away from her family， friends， a culture she knows well， and people who look like her， her feelings of insecurity and inadequacy are only amplified。 Things that she used to take for granted like going to get her hair done or meeting （Black） men （or people for that matter） on dating apps and at bars become a challenge。 She is surrounded by people who speak another language， have personalities that seem as cold as the winter， and on top of that is the only Black person at her new job。 Kemi wants more from her career and more from life but she is struggling to see the importance of family and stability over money and power。 After a tragedy that killed her already ill father， Muna， along with her mother and brother， escape their home in Mogadishu， Somalia。 Unfortunately， while on the boat fleeing to safety， tragedy befalls her family yet again this time taking the lives of her brother and mother。 Now she is all alone without any known family left in the world， passing time at a facility for Refugee’s awaiting their chance for citizenship。 Muna spends her days thinking about the people she’s lost and worrying that she will never have another chance at family or love as the isolation seems unending and unbearable。 Along the way she meets friends and gets new opportunities but she just can’t stop losing people and it hurts her deeply。Brittany-Rae had high hopes and dreams of becoming a fashion designer。 Her goal was to be successful and rich so that she could afford all of the luxury and financial stability that her family never had。 However， her trajectory changed from designer to model after meeting a big time fashion designer that quickly becomes her mentor。 Years working for and under this man left Brittany traumatized so much so that she completely quit the fashion scene。 Now at 38 she’s a flight attendant， has a very successful boyfriend who loves and adores her， but her head is still in the clouds wondering what her life would have been like if she were rich and her idea of successful。 Then she met Jonny on one of her flights and her life changes forever。 。。。more
Diana
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