I didn't like it at first, then I really liked it, and then I didn't like it again at the end. The book's exploration of both motherhood and not wanting to be a mother is well-done and infuriating to read. Rounding down because of the ending; I can't find any meaning in it. 3.5 stars.

When Sam comes home one day to find his wife Efe is gone, he begins to panic. What unfolds is a story told from the beginning in which we see Efe and Sam’s relationship develop over time. As they both love and grow separately and together, they face obstacles that are both predictable and unpredictable. But will they make it out on the other side? A heart breaking story of love and loss and what happens when you need to find yourself again.

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

Intriguing and compelling story of one woman's life, from young adulthood up to the point her marriage hits a major setback. There are glimpses of her childhood that help paint a fuller picture, as well as some sections from her husband's POV (in fact, the book starts from his perspective).

Told in a timeline that hinges on two major incidents, the reader is shown key moments that lead up to these events. The book deals with issues that many women will be familiar with - the pressure to live up to expectations, please our parents, follow our dreams, find love, build a family.

Well-executed debut novel. Recommended for fans of Jane Igharo and Peace Adzo Medie.

Rootless is a moving debut novel by Krystle Zara Appiah about marriage and familial expectations. At the beginning of the book we meet Sam who comes home to find that his wife Efe has left him and their daughter and provides no way for him to contact her. The book then travels back in time nineteen years when Efe moves from Ghana to the UK with her sister for a British education. It then progresses a year or so in each subsequent chapter up to the book's opening scene before moving ahead in time. It is an effective strategy to build up to Efe's decision to leave the UK again for Ghana. We get glimpses into familial expectations for Efe in terms of schooling (she should excel and chose a successful career path) and relationships/parenthood (she should marry a Ghanian man with strong career aspirations and have many children). Efe struggles with those expectations and Appiah does a great job highlighting how these take on toll on Efe's mental well-being. Efe is a multi-dimensional character- the reader sympathizes with what she is going through and also can be frustrated with the actions she does and does not take. We see Efe and Sam's friendship slowly turn into something else. On the surface, everyone is excited for the match. They are both Ghanian and Sam has a promising career ahead. But cracks begin to show and while the two of them have bonded over traumatic experiences in the past, their visions for their future diverge and it comes to a breaking point for Efe.

The ending section of the book seemed to come out of left field for me, but that did not take away from the broader story Appiah lays out. This is a strong debut from Appiah and I am looking forward to her next work.

Thank you to Ballantine Books (Random House) via NetGalley for the advance reader copy in exchange for honest review.

This book was phenomenal. At first I wasnt too sure when it started with the flashbacks but once everything started coming together, I was locked in.

Motherhood was COMPLEX. And the “negatives” are not often talked about. Its frowned upon for a woman not to enjoy motherhood. And although, I love and enjoy every thing about being a mother I can completely get and understand the opposite side.

This was a great debut novel.

I'm blown away by this debut novel. it brought out so many emotions. my heart still hurts and i'm having a hard time finding the words i need. if anything about this book sounds interesting to you, read it!!

× marriage in crisis
× unplanned pregnancy
× black love

Rootless is a compelling story of marriage, motherhood, and cultural differences. Author Krystle Zara Appiah’s debut touches on many issues that confront married couples struggling with careers, parenting, family expectations, abandonment, and postpartum depression.

The story starts with Effe gone, leaving Sam and their child Olivia without answers. The novel moves back and forward in time and reveals the details of their marriage. Sam and Effe, childhood friends, discover their love for each other and get married in London. Effe moves from Ghana to London, having endured a tough childhood and dealing with her parent’s high expectations. Sam, a native, comes from a troubled background, raised by a single parent after his mother abandoned him.

Their marriage is a roller coaster of ups and downs with blossoming careers, having a baby, dealing with a father-in-law’s stroke, childcare issues, depression, and resentment. Effe returns to Ghana to find herself after discovering she’s pregnant again. “'I couldn’t get myself stuck again,'” she tells her husband.

We empathize with Sam and Effe, with the author portraying both sides of the story. As they deal with their families, careers, and child separately, the couple realizes they want to get back together. The reader has great hopes for their reunion, which results in a tragic ending. Rootless is a perfect title for this novel about a couple up against many odds. I loved this heartbreaking story, and I thank NetGalley for allowing me to read and review it. #NetGalley #Rootless #womensfiction

If you are currently (or in the past) going through a rough journey regarding having children and mental health or self-harm, then I highly suggest that you proceed with caution.

Even though I'm not a reader who has a great fondness over stories with extended conversations of pregnancy, I surprisingly found they were the strongest moments overall in terms of the plot. I tend to read novels with mental health plot focuses (it’s a major one here) in recent months, so that was familiar territory. The unwarranted opinions of those who only want you to be the versions they already have set in their minds. Disregard one’s valid concerns as if not important. Shrug off how overwhelmed a person gets. Depression and anxiety being treated as invisible or non-exist even if it’s blatantly obvious.

When it comes Efe and Sam's relationship, the further I got into the book, the more I didn't want them together. Actually, I didn't really like either of them. Efe as a character was inconsistent at times as if she was a different one every few chapters. I couldn't stand Sam after the first 25-30% of the story. I would consider him one of those “nice guys” who turns sour when he feels inconvenience. He got her down the aisle and then became insufferable. In my opinion, once Efe became his wife and the mother of his daughter, she wasn't seen by him as an individual outside of a baby oven. 😑

The structure/format in the book is told in a past to present timeline. Besides the first chapter we’re initially introduced to in the present (May 2016), we go straight to the first year of meeting and move on in the following years in chronological order as we make our way back to the present. Each chapter (“year”) is named with a month and year like ‘July 2008,’ September 2009,’ etc.

There were a lot instances in the writing itself that tended to distract me along the way. Many times where details were given as random afterthoughts. Something would be mentioned briefly and forgotten for many chapters and then suddenly, it would basically go "oh yea, remember that thing that happened way back? or how they had a big reaction let me give you the behind the scenes details." It highlights how some chapters (“years”) felt rushed. You don’t really sit in some of the moments long enough for them to hit a connection with the reader.

The ending? It happened out of nowhere and it was unnecessary to me. Like, I wasn’t surprised by it and I know what it was trying to do but it missed the mark. The pacing of the end felt like being hit with whiplash from the start to end. I think there should’ve been switches in location, people and methods while letting them simmer instead of a rapid boil.



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

I was completely blown away by this book. An honest look at the difficulties of motherhood and PPD. It was a heartbreakingly beautiful look at parenthood, marriage, family and west African tradition that can be both beautiful and burdensome.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was drawn into this book by the cover alone. After reading it I’m absolutely blown away.
I couldn’t imagine leaving my child but Eve and Sam wanted different things. Sam was ready Efe was not. Postpartum depression is a real thing and each person who has suffered from it has acted or handled it differently. This author approaches the subject with care. The dual POV helps you to understand both sides of who the MCs are.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group -Ballentine and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. This debut novel works its way backward to the present. The first chapter is Nineteen Years Before. We have the opportunity to know Efe’s life in London and the UK. We meet her very traditional family. She and Sam knew each other as children. They marry though Efe is reluctant. She makes it very clear that she does not want children. Efe is truly lost from a young age. Racism has left her physically and emotionally battered. She has no support from family or friends as she enters young adulthood. Her parents preach traditional values and emotional health is not something they understand. Her husband Sam loves Efe, but on his terms. He believes his success is their success.

I found myself immersed in the Ghanaian culture which was new to me. However, the book starts so slowly I was ready to give up. The structure seems like something Efe would approve of. I found it off-putting.

Rootless is an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. The story begins when Sam returns home to find his wife, Efe, has left him and their young daughter. Then we go on a journey through the past, as we face Sam and Efe trials and tribulations throughout the years. We uncover what could lead someone to make this drastic decision, and the roles that family and friends played in Efe's decision.

Rootless tackles important topics like marriage, mental health, motherhood, and loss. I thought several of those topics were handled masterfully. I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next. Several of the characters also challenged my line of thinking.

I do think this has a slower pace at times, and you have to stay invested for the story to pay off.

Sam and Efe meet in London far from their native Ghana. After troubled childhoods, they find happiness in one another until Efe becomes pregnant. Olivia is welcomed by her father and feared by her mother. The family survives for four years but, when a second child appears on the horizon, Efe reacts unconscionably according to Sam and her mother. Krystal Zara Appiah tells the story of two good people with different perspectives on motherhood and the role of women. They seem selfish and stubborn but as we read their stories we realize their motives. Can they find common ground? This novel’s characters have suffered from poor decision-making. Efe is advised by a friend that people can be a weight around your neck. “You just have to choose which weights you want to carry.” We witness in the closing chapters the results of these choices

I recently came across this title but I'm so glad I did because it was everything I needed at the time that I read it. I enjoyed this one and I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it! It was a deep & important read. I think most people will enjoy it as well once they dig into this book. I enjoyed the characters and enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm looking forward to to seeing what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

This was an incredibly powerful book. Efe is a character that has to deal with some incredibly trying times and circumstances. Throughout the book, there are some twists and turns that keep you wanting to know what comes next. Thank you for the opportunity to read this one.

This was a difficult book for me to read. As a mother, I simply could not relate to, nor really comprehend, a mother leaving her child. But the book was important in that it explored the complexities and messiness of relationships. It was a stretch for me to find empathy for Ebe but I wanted to understand her reasons for making the decisions she made. Life is difficult, relationships are difficult, and this book explores deep and important aspects of each.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Rootless is a great debut novel. It was everything I wanted.

The lives of two characters were shown through everything. The good, the bad, and the ugly. From family drama to trying to find oneself, I felt a lot of emotions reading this. I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Sam has been married to Efe for many years. When he comes home he is shocked to find out that she left. This book wasxan emotional read and I liked this book.

I think this is going to be a big hit. Lots to talk about in a novel when a woman leaves her child behind and you get to explore a couple's life and marriage. Lots of threads about men, women, cultural expectations, finances, marriage, partnership, and education. The book really packed it in but was well written and well paced.