This was a fantastic, emotional debut! So well done. A story about marriage, new motherhood, postpartum, mental health, family and sacrifices. If you are sensitive to self harm, infidelity, and mental health go in with caution, but I believe this is one so many are going to love.

Sam returns home and finds his wife Efe has left him and their daughter. She's taken money out of their bank account and went back to Ghana, where they're from. Efe has sacrificed who she is to please others. She had a hard time during her pregnancy, and as a mother. She suffers with postpartum depression and needs to take care of herself before she can work things through with her husband. This book follows this family's story through the trials and tribulations of life, and I was into it. This author handled tough topics perfectly (in my opinion), and it was captivating. I really connected with this one.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

Spanning the course of nearly twenty years, Rootless starts off in the year 2016 with Sam searching for his wife, Efe. It then transitions to the year 1997 of Efe as a child, being sent to leave Ghana to live and go to school in the UK with her sister, Serwaa and Aunty Dora. Each chapter after focuses on a certain year, drawing out and laying the groundwork for the story, truly taking you on a journey of Efe’s life, her upbringing with her family, and her relationship with Sam.

Although this story is about Efe and Sam’s relationship, Efe truly is the heart of it all. Her struggles with postpartum depression, belonging, parental expectations and her own sense of self— the effect it has on her mental well-being shows. Rootless doesn’t romanticize marriage or motherhood but shows the real struggles with such rawness and honesty. Some questions I asked myself while reading: How do we fit in our own wants and desires and still honor our partnerships and relationships around us? Do we lose ourselves in the process? How do we come back from that? And can we survive it?

Rootless will leave you guessing till the very end. A debut novel from Krystle Zara Appiah that tackles heavy themes and topics with no fear. Expect yourself to go through a whirlwind of emotions. I know it resonated on a deeper level for me, being a mom myself. It’s one I’ll be thinking about for a long time to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Man, I struggled through this book. I wanted to DNF but powered through. I don't know if it was worth it. The writing is fine- skilled, even, if a little purple. This book begins current day and then boomerangs back 20 years to the beginning of Efe and Sam's lives. You don't get to the meat of the story until 50% and by that point I was bored and skimming. This book is written in present tense, which I don't mind but it's offputting to some readers.

Rootless is a slow, sad, depressing, infuriating novel about a woman who feels trapped in the life she finds herself to be in. Married, working, then pregnant... the longer I read, the more I wanted Efe to just LEAVE. She did not want to be in the life she built, but chose to step away entirely too late. I'm sure I could wax philosophical about Efe and her sister, Serwaa and her aunt Doris and her mother and father- this dynamic, for sure, played into the woman that Efe became.

Sam ... loves Efe to life, so desperately but more desperately wants a caricature of a happy family- so much so that he doesn't listen to Efe or consider what she wants. He's so happy about having a family, but brushes off Efe's concerns and doesn't remember her past pain. He's so focused on not repeating his own childhood that he's not at all mindful of his wife and her dreams and goals.

The ending was............ upsetting. That's the only word I can find to use. I don't see why it was necessary to end it that way. I'm glad I read a spoiler, so I knew what happened. I don't need a happy ending but I do want endings to make sense.
This one didn't, to me.

When we say we don't want Black books to be all struggle and trauma.... this is the struggle and trauma.

Content warnings for this title would spoil some of the events, but if you need them.... see below:


child loss, cutting, depression, parental abandonment

Thank you to Netgalley and Ballantine Books for the arc.

3.5/5 stars rounding down.

This book follows the life and hardships of a girl named Efe. We get to watch her grow up and experience all of the milestones in her life. I found Efe to be a very relatable character. We see her struggles with school, depression, financial hardship, and relationships.

I think this book tackles something that isn't spoken about enough, and that is whether women want to have children or not, and the impact those choices have. I applaud this book for talking about postpartum depression. I feel like it is something many women face, but isn't widely discussed.

I enjoyed the author's voice and writing. I probably would have give the book four stars overall, but I very strongly disliked the ending of the book. I can't say much without spoiling it, but it felt like the ending came out of nowhere just for the hell of it. I would read another novel by this author.

I absolutely loved the writing style and setup of this book!

It starts off with Sam rushing home after receiving a troubling voicemail to find his wife Efe gone. It then goes back 19 years and tells the story of Efe and Sam and how they got to where they are now.

I would've read this book so much quicker if life didn't get in the way, but it was a treat every time I picked it up!

My favorite nuance in the writing was how we would get a 'flash forward' within the flashback (just in a sentence or two) that confirmed how that particular situation played out.

Efe and Sam are extremely multidimensional characters. Due to this I don’t think these are characters you obsess over, but I have a DEEP appreciation of their journey!

I LOVED the Ghanaian culture throughout this book! Maame and Paa gave us a lot to unpack about cultural norms and traditions.

This book would be a great buddy read or book club pick because it tackles many issues, such as education, culture, racism, depression, infidelity, marriage, postpartum, regrets and expectations, and more.

This is definitely a book I will read over and over again because I loved the journey!

Thank you, NetGalley and Ballantine Books, for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is going to be one of those books that is described completely differently based on the person reading the book. (Well, except for the knock out punch of an ending!) I saw a woman who found her mate and was content with it just being the two of them and was then thrown off course. Not comfortable around children, Efe knew she wasn't mother material; however, family and an unexpected pregnancy cornered her in a world she did not want and could not be happy in. I so felt for Efe as I have for most of the female characters I have met who society has pressured into situations they don't want: marriage, motherhood, etc. The writing did an amazing job of laying Efe's plight before the reader. How can anyone end this book not recognizing that motherhood is not the goal of every woman? Well, after they come back from how the book ends. Read it and you'll see.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded interesting to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

Thanks so much, Penguin Random House, for letting me read this as an ARC. I really appreciated the opportunity and was excited for this book. The cover is beautiful and the author has put a lot of effort in writing the details of the protagonists life. I did not expect the ending. However, to me none of the characters were likeable (because of their life choices and how they spoke to another, what they did to one another) and I had a hard time rooting for Efe.

I will be posting about the book on my Instagram account on Monday 6th of March.

This quote From the Book sums it up for me:

" I wonder why we do that," she says "Do what?" "Measure a woman's strength by the amount she is able to endure?"

Rootless begins with Sam rushing home to discover that his wife Efe has left him and their child in London and flown back to her family in Ghana. The story then takes us back 19 years earlier and each chapter going forward shows us a year in the life of Efe and Sam up until the year Efe leaves Sam and their daughter.

I don't want to give away a lot here, but this book is so good at tackling some of the themes surrounding motherhood that we would rather not talk about: identity loss, postpartum depression, bodily autonomy, mental health and the way mothers feel pressure to and are even EXPECTED TO put everyone else before themselves.

The author even gives you a glimpse of Efe finally getting to be who she needed to be, but having to give up something that would have broken her. That really in the end...did.

Despite all of that I was rooting for Efe AND Sam.

That's why I think the ending of this book left me STUNNED.

I have sat on this review for a few days because I wasn't sure how to rate it. In the end, I decided to give it 4 stars.

Be sure to read the content warnings on story graph before you read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
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Wow! Awesome read especially for a debut novel. The book started off slow in the beginning. It took a few chapters for me to get into it. Krystle covered some deep issues in every characters life. I’m still shocked at the ending. I would definitely recommend this book and I look forward to reading another book from Krystle Zara Appiah.

ROOTLESS by Krystle Zara Appiah is the story of a woman searching for her dreams in a life and marriage gone off the rails. From the moment Sam returns home to discover his wife Efe is gone, their child alone, and money missing from their bank account, the story flows between past homeland, present life, heartfelt dreams, and the question of what happens when your happily ever after is not the life you have landed in. At one point, Efe observes “Love and regret aren’t mutually exclusive" and that pithy summary infuses the entire story with heartfelt moments, deep questions, and the unclear future yet to be created. The people, settings, and events were absorbing and kept me reading way too late at night. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Rootless is a raw, emotional story about love. Literally left in tears, this novel explores family, home, motherhood, honesty and the importance of roots. Krystle Zara Appiah has delivered an amazing debut novel.

Sam and Efe were realistic, and you could feel every emotion of their love story. Rootless is beautifully paced, drawing the reader into their world. You'll root for their love through each and every hardship.

This is truly a book you'll be thinking about once you've read its final words. The ending had me reaching for the tissues - gutted yet hopeful with its conclusion.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for the advance reader copy.

This review will be posted on March 7, 2023 to: https://instagram.com/amandas.bookshelf

This novels opens with a decision followed by an action. Then, it goes back almost two decades, setting the stage for how the novel's protagonists, Efe and Sam, moved from friends to lovers and to the decision. This novel was a heartbreakingly beautiful meditation on life, family expectations, past traumas and healing, communication and partnership, and parenting. Never before has the reality of parenting been so clear cut and magnified. How isolating, difficult, wonderful, and special it is. I won't lie though. The ending left me stunned. I don't know if I like the ending or not. But, I know I'm still thinking about it and how it impacted Efe and Sam. (No spoilers!) #Rootless Rating: 😊 / really liked it
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This book is scheduled for publication on Match 7, 2023. Thank you #BallantineBooks for providing me this digital ARC via @NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The love between Efe and Sam was endearing. But I had to take my time with this; there were moments when the book had me exhausted. The book handles the themes of marriage, motherhood, and mental health in the most human and empathetic manner. Despite the rough patches and missteps both characters make along the way; you are rooting for them to find their way back to happiness and one another. I went through the motions with Efe and Sam, but that speaks to the character-driven plot as well as how well-developed they are. I was not a fan of the ending at all. Both characters had such significant revelations as individuals and had made notable strides in their relationship that I wish were able to breathe.

Rootless is a story that starts at a major turning point in one couple's life and then we go back in time to see what brought us to the current predicament. It's definitely a journey that wasn't always pretty, but it seemed real and raw and full of life's ups and downs and the sacrifices we make for others.

Sam has returned home only to find his wife, Efe has left their family home and finds her in Ghana where her family lives. From that point we go back many years in Efe's life and see everything that transpired throughout those years. Each of those chapters was about a certain year and rather brief, but filled with what made Efe, Efe. We get to see her as a teen, as a college student, a struggling young woman and in a relationship with a much older man. But the one thing that was the red thread through it all was Sam. A boy from Ghana who also ended up in the UK like herself.
I have to say that I am thankful those chapters were short, but they were just enough for us to get to know Efe and who she was as a character and woman. But after the big opening, I wasn't sure what the point was of all those past details. I almost felt like I was reading little parts of someone's diary that was narrowed down to just short glimpses. But once the years led us to the turning point/the opening of the book, all the pieces fell into place. We got to see a woman that maybe knew herself well enough, but loved so much that she gave in to people when she shouldn't have, to the detriment of herself and her health. Once she returned to Ghana and left her husband and child, I felt that Efe finally got to be who she needed to be, but she also had to give up something that could've broken her and her relationships she had with her husband and family.

Krystle Zara Appiah tackled a huge story of life, love, mental health, marriage, family and relationships and gave us something raw and passionate. I felt like I didn't need a lot of the past build up, but in the end it led me to connect with Efe more than I would have if we would've just taken it from the beginning and proceeded forward. She was a woman that many people will connect with, especially in an age where we are continuously getting our rights taken away concerning our bodies. This will not be an easy read and should come with warnings, but it is a story that will resonate with many women.

This is a poignant story of a couple’s love for each other. It tells the story of Sam and Efe and how their marriage evolves. It is well written with an air of the tragic. It is a reflection of the past as well as looking to the future.

Rootless stomps on your heart. I wasn’t prepared for the ending.
I don’t think Efe was ever really happy in her life, she did what was expected of her.
Her relationship with Sam was never on solid footing and their marriage endured some pretty hard knocks.
I felt the sorriest for Olivia.

First and foremost, let me say that this novel sent on a roller coaster of emotions.

You follow the story of a couple: Efe and Sam. But not just any sorry. Their journey of finding themselves and each other over and over again.

This romance is real and raw and true. Miss Krystle did not hold back with this story. Efe’s journey through motherhood and marriage is real. Sam’s undying love and response to it all is real. This is probably the realest yet most emotional story I have ever read.

I recommend this everyone! Thank you to NetGalley, Random House and Ballantine Books for allowing me to read this story early.

Rootless is out next Tuesday.

I was looking forward to reading this contemporary fiction novel, but unfortunately I couldn't get into the plot. The writing felt more like notes of a story rather than the story itself.

Rootless opens with Efe having left Sam and fleeing from London to her family in Ghana. The book then jumps back to 19 years earlier, when Efe is just a teenager. Each chapter is then a year in Efe and Sam's lives until it catches up to 2016, the year Efe leaves Sam. Efe and Sam both have dysfunctional childhoods. This has made Sam want a family of his own more than anything, while Efe has told Sam she does not want children. Efe ends up pregnant and everything about being pregnant and a mother is difficult for Efe. She develops an extreme case of postpartum depression while Sam revels in being a parent. Once again Efe makes it clear she wants no more children, but ends up pregnant again. The second half of the book is about how Sam and Efe feel about being pregnant again and dealing with it.

This is a story about love, marriage, relationships and parenting. I liked one year being covered in each chapter, as there wasn't a lot of extra information provided that wasn't necessary to the story.

I received an ARC of Rootless in exchange for an honest review.