Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

This was moving and unexpected and poignant. Evocative too - I felt like of gone back in time - which made it more heartbreaking. Will be following Rosanna's career

This is a historical fiction story which starts in 1803
The writing is lyrical which took me a while to get into.
This is a thought provoking novel about racial injustice

I enjoyed this one. A spirit recounts her story, which is entwined with a larger history of the experiences of Black people and the inter-generational trauma carried through the generations. The first half was stronger than the second, but I did enjoy the writing overall so would be interested to see what the author writes in future.

Wow- this has stayed with me. Absolutely haunting, this tale wraps itself around you. I loved the multi generational tale of descendants of the narrators search. For happiness and a good life. A fantastic read.

This was an insightful and enjoyable read. One of my favorite things about reading is how it expands our sense of what's possible in the world. Beyond our own lives, thoughts, ideas, and experiences, reading opens our minds to the world of others and we are enriched for it. The Book of Echoes is one of such books that takes us outside ourselves, opening us up to more of what is possible in the world.

This was a tear jerker. It links so much ... slavery, brutality, modern Nigerian day to day living contrasted with living in London in the 80s and 90s for black people. The characters are accurately portrayed as are the locations that the author writes about.

There are some quite philosophical points about ‘love’’, about the lost contributions black people have made in war and how brutal the whites have been.. It also contrasts traditional behaviour with the modern way, a balance of survival against what is expected of an individual. There is much to think about and it is a timely publication. Black lives do matter, as do all lives and all should make the most of their opportunities.

An interesting read.

My thanks to Rosanna Amaka, Random House and Net Galley for the ARC of THE BOOK OF ECHOES. Beautiful but heartbreaking. Gosh this book really tugs at the heartstrings. Highly recommended.

From the 1800s to 1980s this book is emotional from the start.
The ghostly spirit of a kidnapped slave is woven with the Brixton riots and the struggles for life with issues of poverty and race.
Difficult to read as overwhelming in sadness at times. Effectively a small insight into modern life for people with diverse heritage.

One thing I enjoy in timeslip fiction is spotting the links between the different characters and settings. This book excelled at throwing me hints all the way through and then finally tying everything together towards the end. Narrated by the spirit of an enslaved woman who died in London’s docklands as she tried to make her way to freedom, the bulk of this story takes place in the latter part of the twentieth century, across three continents, following the lives of two main characters, as they slowly work their way from poverty to success and towards each other.

Michael is a teenager when his family is ripped apart by an unexpected act of violence. Trying to hold things together and to ensure that his younger sister is able to fulfill her dreams of becoming a doctor, even as he drops out of education, Michael finds himself caught up in the Brixton riots and witnesses police racism and brutality for the first time. Following both Michael and Marcia, alongside our narrator we see a wide range of different lives of black Londoners, as they struggle to better themselves, and for the most part succeed,

Meanwhile, in Nigeria, our narrator is watching over another impoverished youngster, Ngazi. She moved to the city to work for a rich family, but also encounters unforeseen violence before making her way to England, where she takes on whatever work presents itself to her. Like Michael and his family, Ngazi also finds a way to make a success of her life, and her path and his eventually cross. Watching over them, our narrator mourns her lover, Wind, a freed African who tried to help her reach safety in England, and her two children: one left behind in Africa when she was first captured by slavers and the other snatched from her in England when she was recaptured for the final time.

Although I guessed early on how the various plot threads were likely to join up, the beauty of this book lay in the way the stories were told and in the deep insights we were given into the various characters’ lives and surroundings. It was also enlightening to be able to compare and contrast the experiences of the various characters and the ways in which their societies worked against them because of factors outside their control. Another author I shall be looking out for again in the future.

I was sent a copy of The Book of Echoes by Rosanna Amaka to read and review by NetGalley.
This is a really well written and quite compelling novel. It concerns the lives of Ngosi from Nigeria, Michael from Brixton and the narrator, the spirit of a negro slave. I was drawn into the story from the very first page where it started at the West India Docks in London in 1803. The novel is not always an easy read, the subject matter often being not only difficult but downright abhorrent. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all horror and injustice but it has definitely reaffirmed how lucky I have been through my own birth and upbringing, helped by where I was born and the colour of my skin.

An interwoven tale of a woman taken as a slave and a modern day boy, struggling with life after his brother kills his mother. The narratives are taut, engaging, and quite correctly, do echo each other, but, in the echo is also the key to break the cycle in many ways.
Redemptive, dark, beautiful and solid, this book is a must read for me.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for a review by the publisher, via Netgalley

Loved this. A compassionate and unflinching look at the important things in life. A story of redemption that I got wrapped up in.

A glorious and epic saga of a world I knew little about. I didn’t get in to it straight away but am so glad that I persevered as it is a wonderful story. It would make a great film.

I can see how this book would appeal to and be loved by lots of readers but unfortunately it wasn't for me. I DNFd this as I couldn't get into the story, though it seems like such an important one, just not my thing.

The Book of Echoes is a story told from the view of a spirit haunting the West India Docks in London. I found the start of the story captivating. The beginning starts in 1803, an African woman is kidnapped, transported and sent into a life of misery. Leaving her life and loved one’s behind her.

You are then transported to the 1980’s to join Michael in London and Ngozi in Nigeria. Their stories are told separately while the spirit observes the struggles they endure in a vastly different world than the one she lived in. Ngnozi and Michael are both African and growing up in the same time, but their lives are immensely different.

“Michael, it doesn’t look like things are changing because we’re living it. But over time, just as when we look back to our great grandparents’ time, we’ve moved a whole galaxy forward. We’re just entering a different phase in the fight: it’s mental, it’s more hidden than before.”

There are strong messages of race, injustice, inequity and hardships in this story.

“You see, that’s what life is about. God gives you gifts along the way and you have to invest in each one and let it grow. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but you don’t gain anything by doing nothing.”

This is a difficult book for me to review. At times I was captivated, eager to find out what happens next. But just as soon as my interest peaked, I’d become slightly frustrated. Most likely due to the main character switching from Ngnozi to Michael every 5 chapters or so. While they are both interesting characters, they do not meet each other until the end of the story. So, for most of the book it was like reading two different books mashed together. In saying that I found Ngozi and the spirit’s stories captivating. It was a very interesting story and unlike anything I’ve read before. I found it to be well written and easy to read.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Book of Echoes is a captivating read. It starts intriguingly two hundred years ago in London in the dockland area told from the point of view of a captured African slave. She and her lover Wind roams the area searching for their lost child. Two hundred years later we meet even more interesting characters, Michael whose step mother has been killed and Ngozi who suffers due to the impoverished life and social status into which she was born. Through these carefully constructed characters we see how racial discrimination and societal oppression can destroy life if allowed. With an air of survival and a willingness to triumph these characters persevere and do not allow themselves to be beaten. This is a wonderful story with many lessons to teach and for us to learn. A definite 5 stars form me!!!

Once I understood the meaning of the title, echo's refers to the past ancestors of the current characters. Took me a while to get used to the style of writing and also the levels of violence. Story goes back and forth from slave trade in Africa to the Brixton riots, Centres on the family of Ngozi, her treatment in the hands of various men and her fight to make something of herself despite numerous difficulties. The other main characters are Michael, Marcia their family and acquaintances. Michael battles against racial prejudice and injustice while Marcia can not get over the horror she has witnessed. This is a story of love, perseverance and people trying to make a life for themslves.

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest. This is not my usual genre, I’m more of a crime/thriller reader therefore am extremely pleased and grateful for opening up my mind to something totally different. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This doesn't feel like a debut novel ! The story is very powerful and beautifully written and i just wanted more. Some aspects of the story were predictable but it's still thought provoking and impactful.