Customer Reviews

Growing Yams in London

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Makeeda is a fourteen-year-old Ghanian whose love of all things western causes her family to despair. She is always being compared to the dutiful and obedient Afua, her Aunt Grace's daughter. But it seems that whatever Makeeda does, it ends up in trouble. She just wants to hang out with the fit Nelson and her mates, and forget about the Ghanaian stuff. But when she has to do a school project, she begins to understand the depth of her cultural heritage and wonders if she can honour her culture and enjoy life as a London teenager.

In this debut novel, there is so much to be found within. I really enjoyed learning about Ghanaian history and culture throughout the novel with Makeeda's various family functions as well as through the paper she ends up writing for her history class. But it's not just about learning about Ghanaian culture, it's also about balancing both the British culture (where she lives) with her Ghanaian roots (who she is). Filled with romance, some interesting culture, and hilarity, this is one book you'll want to pick up sometime. I think my only problem with it was that the book seemed rushed at times, but other than that, I quite enjoyed it.

Note: Synopsis taken from back cover.