An Unusual Grief

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LONGLISTED FOR THE REPUBLIC OF CONSCIOUSNESS PRIZE 2023 AND THE DUBLIN LITERARY AWARD 2023

How do you get to know your daughter when she is dead?

This is the question that haunts Mojisola as she grapples with the sudden loss of her daughter, Yinka, and the unresolved fractures in their relationship. Mojisola is forced to confront the dysfunctions of her life that have led her to this point, evading her errant husband and mourning their estranged daughter alone.

Mojisola’s grief takes her from Cape Town to Johannesburg where she holes up in Yinka’s apartment, unearthing the life that she had built for herself there. Walking a mile in Yinka’s shoes, Mojisola slips into a clandestine underworld, where she learns to break free from the bondage of the labels, wife and mother.

In this new world of feline companionship, reignited talents and unlikely friendships, including with Yinka’s acerbic landlady Zelda, Mojisola’s understanding of life, and her place within it, is built anew.

A bold and unflinching tale of one woman’s unconventional approach to life and loss.