"This Motherless Land" is a work of contemporary fiction, centering on the perspectives of two cousins brought together and pulled apart in unpredictable situations, and serves as a (loose) retelling of the classic "Mansfield Park" by Jane Austen.

Young Funke has grown up in Nigeria with her brother Femi and two loving parents; to her, it was never strange that her mother, a Caucasian woman, and her father, a Nigerian man, looked nothing alike. However, when her family is tragically shattered at the age of 9, Funke is forced to move to the UK with her mother's side of the family, where she's introduced to her cousin Liv (Olivia) who eagerly awaits her arrival. Liv is, however, the only family member accepting her with open arms and Funke soon comes to see that the color of her skin sets her far apart from the rest of her family and the new society she's been forced to live in.

The novel skips ahead to when Funke (called "Elizabeth" by her new family) and Liv have grown older; Funke has become the model student with aspirations for medical school and gotten closer to her grandfather, to her aunt's chagrin, while Liv has taken on the opposite role, as a wayward young adult who frequently turns to alcohol and drugs. When Funke is unjustly accused of a crime, she's forced back to her homeland of Nigeria while Liv is told she left unwillingly. The two cousins continue on with their separate lives until a final reunion gives them a chance to correct the wrongs made against Funke and her family.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and appreciated some of the more difficult topics and themes it covered, such as complex family dynamics, racial identity, classism, and ongoing issues of racial discrimination and sexism. I enjoyed Funke as a protagonist, as many of her difficulties and emotions were easy to connect to and empathize with, as well as her character development over the pages. However, perhaps because this novel was my first introduction to Nikki May's writing, it took me some time to get used to the writing. The prose in first portion of this book when Funke and Liv are children is simplistic and, at times, boring - which is perhaps understandable given that it is written from the perspective of two young girls, but it didn't change much once the novel had skipped to their time as adults. I also struggled with Liv as a protagonist, as she came off as a spoiled and pampered individual whose actions were at the detriment of her own cousin. Also, while described as a retelling of "Mansfield Park", I'd say "inspired by" might be a better description as there are not that many parallels between novels.

Worth a read for those who are curious or are fans of May's writing, but not one of the novels I'd actively recommend for readers when "This Motherless Land" is published in October 2024.

A dramatic somewhat Cinderella-like tale, with a lot of misfortune and miscommunication. I had previously read Nikki May’s Wahala, and This Motherless Land shows a marked maturity of plot and character development, retaining the rich relationships while adding depth to characters’ motivations and choices for a much more satisfying read.

True to the spirit of Austen but with a decolonial twist. The female characters and the relationships between them shine in this novel. The true story is the deep love between Funke and her cousin Liv, complicated by misunderstandings and betrayals. The first part of the novel is pretty heavy, but the characters change and grow in rewarding ways. Having completely forgotten the plot of Mansfield Park, I went into this expecting romance, but it's more of a family drama.

This was so good!! I was hooked from the very first page. All of the characters were so real to me and I felt so much for Funke and what she was going through. She and her cousin were so loveable, even while the issues in their family were causing lots of difficulty. As the story progressed, I was so upset at the unfairness of things and I was rooting for the girls to figure it out. There were a few plot points that were a tiny bit too coincidental but I didn't mind at all. It added to the tension of the story and made me keep reading late into the night.
I definitely recommend this one!
Thank you to Netgalley and to Mariner Books.

This was a little difficult to get into because I just couldn't['t connect with the characters and it ultimately altered the flow of the storyline for me.

What makes a good vs bad mother? A mother who would do literally anything – the good, the bad, and the ugly or a mother who believes in independent carefree nurturing? This Motherless Land by Nikki May explores this and so much more as well as race, identity and love across two cultures and decades. I was delighted to see this was a retelling of Mansfield Pak by Jane Austen. Although loosely based on this novel, May puts a spin on a classic narrative by combining Nigerian culture with race, identity and motherhood in England. . I was hooked reading this book and finished it in 3 days!

With a plot that was easy to follow and plenty of ‘Wahala’ (pun intended!), May deep dives into light and dark themes of motherhood and what it means to be a family. At times, I found the story to be heartbreaking especially around grief and the struggle to belong. But May lightens the mood with light and funny scenes that kept me captivated by Funke and Liv’s story. If you’re looking for an exploration in motherhood, family and friendship between two cultures, I recommend This Motherless Land by Nikki May.

This Motherless Land by Nikki May is described as a "decolonial retelling of Mansfield Park". I am not familiar with that book, but I enjoyed the family saga, which spans over 2 decades between Nigeria and the UK. The story has a lot of depth and the character development was beautiful. Thank you, Netgalley and Mariner Books for giving me the ARC in exchange for my honest review. I recommend a review of the Yoruba words to make them more colloquial. There's also a part about twirling pasta (penne) around a fork that needs to be corrected.

Absolutely superb Jane Austen retelling from Wahala author Nikki May. 5 unqualified stars, make me a movie adaptation immediately, please!

This is based in Jane Austen's Mansfield Park which I'm not as familiar with. I enjoyed this book tho and the story that took place in two countries. It just reinforced the differences between the two main characters. Thank you to #Netgalley and #HarperCollins for an advance copy. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes stories about imperfect families and female friendships.

I love a family saga and this one was great--the contrast between a wealthy Nigerian family and a wealthy English family that chooses to bath in filthy water and not heat their home was a lot of fun. The only quibble I had was that the ending seemed abrupt after spending so much time with Funke and her cousin. I also found it said that Funke accepted so much abuse from the white side of her family even as an adult. I guess that's true to life but I would have hoped as an adult she would have realized how difficult they made her life even the "nicer" members like her grandparents. Her aunt Maggot was the worst! I don't understand how her own daughter stayed in contact with her although many people do seem to keep in touch with their abusers.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****