This Motherless Land

I’m a sucker for a Jane Austen adaptation, but even so the Wahala author’s decolonial retelling of Mansfield Park surpassed all my expectations. May’s update spans two decades from the late 1970s to the late 1990s and moves between Lagos and the U.K. (with an important scene set at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics). There’s much to appreciate: a coming of age story, a scathing social critique, a time capsule, and a story about the bond between first cousins. This emotional tale is by turns humorous and gutting: I read it with my heart in my throat. You need not have read Austen to enjoy this retelling, but a skim through the plot summary wouldn’t hurt—and don’t be surprised if you want to read Mansfield next!