This is a dual POV story about Nancy, who’s from The Gambia and moved to Sweden, and her daughter Tina, a young singer who has represented Sweden in Eurovision and has a promising music career ahead of her. I loved how their chapters linked and was easy to follow. Tina’s story is set in the present, while Nancy’s covers generations.

I especially enjoyed Nancy’s chapters. Seeing her journey from arriving in Sweden, navigating love, loss, and motherhood was powerful. What stood out is how Nancy struggled to truly love Tina the same way she did her son because Tina reminded her too much of her own past, a past she hadn’t fully made peace with. That made their relationship complicated and real.

The tension between Nancy and Tina felt so genuine. Nancy sees a lot of her pain in Tina, and it keeps them distant which was heartbreaking.

And then there’s Lars. Honestly one of the worst fictional men I’ve read. No spoilers, but just know he’s a nightmare & I couldn’t stand him! I just knew he was off from the first introduction.

The writing is amazing. Emotional, layered, and kept me wanting to know more after each chapter. I also loved how the story explores what it’s like to be a Black woman in Sweden, with all the cultural and identity struggles that come with it.

Nancy and Tina are very different, but both end up falling for men who put them through hell. Talk about generational trauma!

If you’re into multi-generational stories with mother-daughter dynamics, give this book a read.

Once again Lola Akinmade Akerstrom delivers an emotionally powerful book. Both Nancy and Tina are depicted as strong and resilient, yet they are vulnerable at the same time. I was much more invested in Nancy's story than I was in Tina's, as I found Tina to be quite dislikeable at times.

The author doesn't shy away from themes such as cultural identity and racism. She also doesn't shy away from writing about emotional manipulation and toxic relationships making Bitter Honey a compelling read.

This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long, long while.

"It is always the ones awash with wickedness who look their best, leaving their victims haggard and trying to pick up the pieces of their lives." WHEW.

The dual POV we got between Nancy and Tina was everything to me and really highlighted the fact that we as the children of our parents can often forget they had lives before us.

First loves. First kisses. Crushes. Heartbreak. Loss. Dreams. All of it.

The same things we've experienced, they did too. It was beautiful to see that and walk in both mother and daughters footsteps. How are they alike? How are they different? What did Nancy pass onto Tina? How are Tina's experiences as a half white Swedish and half black Gambian woman different to her fully black Gambian mothers?

At first when reading this I thought Nancy's indifference to everything going on around her odd. She seemed really standoffish and cold - I honestly didn't feel like I was reading an interaction with a mother and her children. As the story progressed, my feelings towards Nancy changed and I wanted nothing more than to reach into the pages of the book and embrace her, comfort her, spend time with her, listen to her dreams and troubles and most importantly warn her about a certain character! I felt fiercely protective of her and felt like I was reading a horror - it just kept getting worse and worse.

With regards to Tina, while at times I found her annoying, her story and witnessing her finding herself was nothing short of beautiful. I could feel the change from her being insecure and unsure of herself into a confident woman standing up for what she believes in and what she deserves. Everything she went through in this book needed to happen for the woman she became at the end to have existed. One thing this book really highlighted for me is that no two biracial experiences are the same! Even between Tina and her brother Tobias. While I could relate to so many things, comments and behaviour/reactions from both Tina and Tobias, there were also lots of things I couldn't relate to.

Now Lars, Lars, LARS. I don't think I've ever encountered a character I hated as much as him. He is the embodiment of a narcissist. He deceived Nancy and abused his relationship as her professor, preying on her vulnerability to get closer. I also think other people had a role to play in what happened to Nancy and failed to protect her against something that should have never happened. He forced himself into Nancy's life and did everything in his power to 'own' her. He didn't love Nancy and he wore her culture like a costume, shrugging it off when it suited him.

"Wearing her culture, she realises now, was never going to make him of her culture."

In my honest opinion, Nancy didn't love Lars. She convinced herself she did or else everything that happened, her true love that she lost, the two children that came as a product of this affair and the life that she didn't get to live, would have been for nothing.

This book was incredible and touched on so many important topics - substance abuse, sexuality, addiction, adjusting to completely foreign culture and languages, loneliness and different dynamics within an interracial relationship. So much was going on that I was still reading this book until the early hours of the morning as I could NOT put it down. Lola Akinmade has clearly put so much effort into her writing, into each character, into their stories. I was even deeply invested with the secondary characters; Leif, Seb, Jonas, even Mr Torbjorn!

Bitter Honey is perfect for a book club pick, there is so much to unpack and things to discuss about each character. It was extremely thought provoking! Thank you so much @headofzeus for sending me a physical copy and thank you to @netgalley for the e-copy!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bitter Honey This is the first book I have read by Lola Akinmade but will not be the last. Characters are really well developed and the story line keeps you intrigued as to what happens next Quite unique being set in Sweden with undercurrents of racism being experienced throughout the period. The stories of both Nancy and Tina were quite unique and insightful. The ending tied things together very well.
Highly recommended read

INCREDIBLE

Honestly I fall in love with Lola's writing every time I read the next book. Is this my new favourite? Possibly!

Loved the dual POV, in third person. Sometimes you prefer one POV over the other but not here! I loved them both. We follow a mum and her daughter between the past and present. There are lots of different elements but its about self love, identity, challenging social norms and real love.

I LOVED every single character (Okay I hated one but we were meant to hate that character i think)

The writing is beautiful, super easy to read, great pacing and many moments where I felt like I was there.

An auto buy author for sure

“Power corrupts. When you have tasted power, everything else tastes bland.”

In 1978, Nancy became consumed by her professor, Lars. A man who appears to know her, her culture, her mothers tongue. But is all really what it seems with Lars? Nancy's life will become destabilised by all that she does not know of Lars. Decades later, these very secrets will have a detrimental effect on her daughter Tina, who struggles to find herself & her place in this unforgiving world.

Lola really did the big one with Bitter Honey. The dual narratives were complimentary to each other. As an author, it must be so hard to find the balance between telling the story of 2 characters who are struggling to reckon with their pasts, as well as finding their way to new solid ground. Nevertheless, Lola found a way to bring these characters back to each other & themselves.

This story also reminded me of why we can & must enforce our boundaries with others, but also that our parents are infallible. They live many lives before we ever come to know them. While their choices & how to love us may hurt us, the seed of hurt is placed in soil long before we grow. Bitter Honey tells readers a balanced & thoughtful journey of a young woman who is preyed upon, fetishised & compromised by an ideal of love - Lars may you never know peace, in this life or the after-life. This hurt spreads years later to her daughter Tina. Trauma has an ugly way of infiltrating our bloodline.

I remember thinking that Nancy was rather quaint, but now it all makes sense. Nancy suffered one of the biggest bookish betrayals that I have read in a long time.

Identity is a central theme to this story. I still find it so interesting that as a Black woman, Lola is able to paint the picture of the identity crisis through her storytelling.

I could say so much more, but for now...

More books like this, please! This was such a capitaving read, which took me on many journeys, all of which landed me back on the singular path: Forgiveness.

It's only taken me about 5 months to find my 2nd 5 star read of the year, but here it is 😮‍💨💪🏾

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I highly recommend you add Bitter Honey to your TBR

Bitter Honey is the story of two women, mother and daughter, finding their own voices against a Swedish backdrop. The relationship between the two felt authentic and honest. I was immediately sucked in and couldn’t stop reading. I found myself entirely engaged with Tina and Nancy’s stories. Nancy’s timeline was my favorite - I enjoyed seeing her perspective as a gambian woman navigating university, family, and love in Sweden. I felt so many emotions while reading about the difficulties she was facing. The other timeline focuses on Tina, Nancy’s daughter. Tina is an artist trying to find her artistic voice when she suddenly discovers the truth about her family. Initially I didn’t feel a strong connection to Nancy’s road to fame, but I started warming up to her story as chapters went on, slowly growing more attached to her. The writing is addicting and the story gets better towards the end (I really loved the way each story ended, I saw a real growth and change in most characters). I enjoyed the characterizations and the descriptions, although some of the dialogues felt a bit unnatural to me (especially in the beginning). I really enjoyed reading this - it gave me the chance to learn more about some of the historical events mentioned. Also, I appreciated the inclusion of Mandinka and Swedish sentences/words throughout the whole novel. My only complaint is that I would have loved to learn more about these two women outside of their love relationships (for example, I felt Tina’s growth was always in some ways connected to the men in her life, at times it made the reading experience a bit frustrating). Highly recommend reading Bitter Honey if you enjoy stories about mother-daughter relationships and women finding their own voice, despite the difficulties they face daily.

P.S.: throughout the novel, the Eurovision song contest is mentioned multiple times (the novel starts with Tina performing her song in order to participate in the Eurovision song contest). Tina’s timeline is set in the early 2000s but since the contest is currently airing right now (the final is airing today) I feel it’s important to mention that for the last two years there has been a collective boycott for the Eurovision song contest because of its refusal to ban Israel from the competition for its crimes against Palestinians and their land. I encourage everyone to read more about the importance of cultural boycotts of Israel today and what you can do to help. More info here: https://www.bdsmovement.net/cultural-boycott

Lola Akinmade is a brilliant storyteller. This is her first foray into historical fiction and she did a fantastic job.

Set across two timelines: Nancy, student who recently moved from Gambia to Stockholm in pursuit of a career in politics, and her daughter Tina, decades later, a superstar performer. Lola’s weaving between the two is so seamless; we learn about their loves, fears, and dreams. Nancy’s story allows for an exploration of Gambian politics and European geopolitics; from the coup in the 80’s to the nation’s coupling with Senegal thereafter. Tina’s story explores present day pressures on a woman in her early 20’s who’s thrust into the limelight. There’s drug abuse, racism in sport and entertainment, as well as her journeying to healthy love.

Bitter Honey explores the reality of life as Black and Mixed women living in Sweden, from the late 70’s to present day. Fascinating read covering everything from love and politics to racism and nationalism. A truly gripping read.

Tropes : love triangle, forbidden love, strangers to lovers , age gap, historical fiction

General thoughts:
Very easy to read, it gave me the opportunity to be enlightened by the Swedish and Gambian cultures. The chapter weren’t too long and kept my attention . Nancy was my favourite character which I resonated with the most . An true emotional triggering novel

Book overview
We follow a mother (Nancy) immigrant from Gambia and Daughter (Tina) half Swedish /gambian pop star. Who have a strained relationship because of the common denominator , Nancy ex lover and Tina’s Father.
This story spans over 40 years , Tina’s story is written in present tense whereby Nancy story is the history aspect of the novel.
Theme/topics explored was culture ,sexuality, substance abuse, family dynamics, racism, identity issues ,music industry demands and more .

This story has depth and I like the fact that the life lessons from this story was, “If the life you plan does not follow the trajectory you aimed for, how would you deal with that and still allow yourself to life a fulfilled life .
Nancy’s dreams were crushed because of a draining love affair that left her an immigrant with a bright future in a foreign country to fed for two mixed race children.
I highly recommend this read!!!

I have a vested interest in learning more about the Black experience outside of the UK. Akinmade has provided great insights into the Swedish version of this through 2 of her previous books and now Bitter Honey.

Dipping into three continents, Bitter Honey follows the stories of both Tina (a Swedish pop star) and Nancy (her Gambian mother) as they chart their courses through life and the men good and bad who try to influence that. The character building is great and the subtle insights into small sections of Swedish society are, as always, eye-opening.

I can’t wait to meet the next set of Black characters in Sweden!

I enjoyed Lolá Ákínmádé’s previous novels so was keen to meet her new characters. In the late 1970s, Nancy is awarded a scholarship to study in Stockholm and leaves Gambia to live with her aunt and her Swedish husband. The Gambian ambassador’s son is a fellow student who becomes her lover until an attempted coup back home separates them. Affected in turn by Olaf Palme’s assassination and the AIDS crisis, Nancy’s story highlights how life can turn an ambitious young woman into a jaded middle-aged one.
Through the book’s dual timeline, the details of what happened to Nancy are revealed. In 2006, Nancy’s daughter Tina is on the brink of adding a cherry on top of her iced-cake pop career by representing Sweden at Eurovision and her childhood sweetheart Seb is playing in the football World Cup in Germany. Having always been told her father was dead, it was a huge shock for Tina to learn that he’s alive and well and living nearby.
I recommend Bitter Honey if you’d like to read a pacy novel that explores race and the expat life in Sweden across the decades, through characters whose lives overlap in unexpected ways.

This book is a multigenerational, Emotional Tale of Identity, Family, and Self-Discovery that spans four decades and three continents, chronicling the lives of two women—Nancy and her daughter Tina—as they navigate identity, love, ambition, and the complex bond between mother and daughter.

We are introduced first to Tina, a rising pop star on the verge of representing Sweden in Eurovision. Her present-day journey is one of self-discovery, as she wrestles with questions of authenticity, belonging, and what it truly means to chase a dream. Interwoven with Tina’s narrative is the story of Nancy, her mother, who left Gambia for a scholarship opportunity in Sweden. Nancy’s arc spans generations and is steeped in the sacrifices, losses, and resilience that define her life as a young, bright woman whose dreams are slowly eroded by a toxic relationship.

From the first chapter, I was utterly hooked. While I found myself frustrated with some of the decisions characters made—especially Tina, who came across (to me) as bratty at times—this only speaks to how emotionally invested I became in their stories. Nancy’s journey, in particular, resonated deeply with me and reminded me just how much I love well-written historical fiction. Her early hopefulness, her capacity for love, and the tragedy of what is stripped from her by someone who confuses fetishization with love, are a few things that will stay with me for a long time.

I loved the author’s portrayal of flawed characters—many of whom I did not like, yet still found compelling. One character, in particular, disturbed me so much that they’ll likely stay with me longer than I’d like. That discomfort is a testament to Lola’s storytelling: raw, honest, and unafraid to dig into emotional truths that are often left unspoken.

I also love the multilingual storytelling—Swedish, Wolof, and Mandinka appear naturally in dialogue, and even without fluency in these languages, the transitions are fluid and meaningful. The historical and cultural details, clearly the result of extensive research, add rich layers to the narrative and offer a vivid backdrop to Nancy and Tina’s parallel journeys.

Other themes explored within this book are mixed heritage, migration, cultural assimilation, racism, addiction, toxic relationships, sexuality, and generational trauma. And yet, none of these issues feel forced or superficial. Each is treated with care, adding depth without overshadowing the heart of the story.

This truly was a beautiful, emotionally resonant novel with unforgettable characters and a story that lingers. Even when the characters were frustrating and making my blood boil, I couldn’t stop reading. I cried, I raged, I empathised—and I loved it. It reminded me that our mothers were also daughters who had/have their own dreams and identities beyond motherhood. A captivating and deeply affecting read. I highly recommend.

Thank you to Head of Zeus and Lola Akinmade for a chance to read this book early!!

I found Bitter Honey to be a well-written multi-layered family drama. Set over four decades and three continents (Africa, Europe, and North America), and told via dual timelines, it centres on mother-daughter duo Nancy and Tina. Nancy moved from Gambia to Sweden on a scholarship. Her family thought she could become Gambia's first female president. But an ill-advised relationship and two pregnancies put paid to that. Her daughter Tina is a singer. When Tina is selected to represent Sweden at Eurovision, her father, whom she had been told was dead, contacts her and the plot, full of realistic, flawed charcters and complicated family dynamics, unfolds from there. The use of some Swedish, Mandinka, and Wolof alongside English added authenticity and an immersive feel, as did the incorporation of real-life events like Eurovision and the Football World Cup. The key themes of family secrets, mother-daughter relationships, the weight of expectations and the cost of fame, intergenerational trauma, figuring out your path in life, and staying true to yourself were well explored. It was interesting seeing the parallels between the lives of Nancy and Tina, including the way both were used by men and had their careers derailed as a result. The author excelled in creating believable female characters whom it was easy to root for, even while being frustrated at some of their decision-making. And with Lars, she created the sort of narcissistic male that I despise. The storytelling was excellent, and it was only once I finished that I realised this is a relatively chunky book at nearly 450 pages. They sped by. This novel does tie in to at least one of the author's previous books but stands on its own two feet. This is my first book by her, and I never felt I was missing anything. While I've read more than a few books by Swedish authors, this is the first I can recall by a Black author and with Black protagonists and I was glad to gain some additional insights into that country as a result.

A stunning book that will stay with me for a while. Beautifully developed characters and incredibly well written.

Absolutely sensational read. Would highly recommend. The book has 2 POVS where we see the story of a mother and daughter, one based in the present day (2006) in Sweden following Tina. The other following mother Nancy, starting off in 1978 Gambia and then spanning generations!

The book touched on many important themes such as complex mother/daughter relationships, abuse of power in a professor/student relationship, substance issues, identity being of mixed heritage, the trials and tribulations of an immigrant! And lots more!

Beautifully written and fast paced! Could not put this down!

This is a highly addictive, compelling and heartbreaking novel where by we follow mother and daughter, Nancy and Tina in two different time lines as they navigate their way through life in Sweden.

We follow Nancy in 1987, who has just moved from Gambia to Sweden to further her studies in international relations. During this time Nancy adapts to her new life in Sweden, and enters a precarious relationship with an academic at her university. We also follow Tina in 2006 who is a rising pop star, set to sing in the Eurovision song contest representing Sweden. As the story develops we witness Tina struggle with her identity and life in the public eye, as she figures out who she is and what she wants from life. During both POV’s Nancy and Tina enter romantic relationships with men who cause them a great deal of pain and hold them back from their promising futures.

This book does an excellent job at exploring so many different themes and topics such as the intricacies of having mixed heritage, adapting to life in a foreign country, struggles with identity, culture and a sense of belonging, racism, sexuality, substance abuse and addiction, toxic romantic relationships, interracial relationships and a strained mother-daughter relationship.

Lola Akinmade did an incredible job writing this book! The writing was so engaging and captivating I was hooked from chapter one. Although some of these complex characters were irritating at times and made some questionable decisions I was still so emotionally invested in the characters, and shed many tears whilst reading about their stories. This was such a captivating, addictive and highly enjoyable read, I would definitely recommend. 4.5 stars rounded up!!!

A move from Gambia to Sweden, a doomed love story, family intrigue, racism and fate. Well written and an eye opener on contemporary Swedish society.

Bitter Honey is the first book by Lola Akinmade that I have read but it immediately made me add her back catalogue to my ever growing TBR, If you enjoy character driven storytelling this is absolutely a book that should be on your radar. Telling the stories of two women, mother and daughter, over four decades the author brings the characters to life so vividly that it impossible not to feel for them as they face numerous challenges.
Nancy is a student who moves from Gambia to Sweden to study at university in 1978. It is a huge challenge to settle in such a different country, learn an entirely new language and try to fit into a vastly different culture. When one of her professors shows a personal interest in her culture and country they stike up a friendship that eventually becomes something more and results in two children, one of whom is Tina.
Tina is a pop princess and the nation's darling when she represents Sweden at the Eurovision in 2006 but the performance goes poorly and soon she finds herself in the midst of a controversy when the father she was always told was dead turns out to not only be alive but a famous scholar and artist and married into a family with Far Right sensibilities to whom a Biracial illegitimate daughter is an anathema. Fleeing Sweden for the promise of fame in LA she soon finds herself on a very slippery slope indeed.
The themes of identity and belonging are very strongly woven through this story, as is the complexity of the relationship between mother and daughter, and the author does a masterful job of bringing these women to life and really making the reader care about their struggles. Because we get to see Nancy as a young woman before motherhood and then later through Tina's eyes we see how her experiences have shaped and changed her it is hard not to have sympathy even though it can be frustrating to see her making poor choices. I also experienced a great deal of frustration with some of Tina's choices which I think is a testament to the great skill of the author in crafting believable characters with flaws and complexities, The dual timelines work well to show how little the world has changed in some ways, especially in regard to racism. It is a complex and layered story and reading this book was a rich and rewarding experience, and one that I would highly recommend.
I read an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

A deeply moving experience. The novel spans four decades and three continents, following the intertwined lives of Nancy and her daughter Tina.

Nancy's journey begins in 1978 when she moves from Gambia to Sweden on a scholarship, only to find herself entangled in a relationship that alters the course of her life. Decades later, Tina, now an aspiring pop star in Sweden, grapples with her own identity and the shadows of her mother's past.

Akinmade's storytelling is both compelling and evocative, delving into themes of identity, belonging, and the complexities of mother-daughter relationships. The narrative seamlessly weaves between generations, offering readers a poignant exploration of love, betrayal, and the quest for self-discovery. The characters are richly developed, and their journeys resonate long after the final page.

Bitter Honey is a testament to the enduring bonds of family and the resilience of the human spirit. It's a novel that stays with you, challenging perceptions and evoking deep reflection.

Many thanks to netgalley and the publishers for the approved copy.

Reading “Bitter Honey” by Lola Akinmade felt like embarking on a profound journey that spanned not just years but entire worlds. From the very first page, I was absolutely captivated by the interwoven stories of Nancy and her daughter Tina—two women navigating vastly different landscapes yet bound by the intricacies of motherhood and identity.
Set against the backdrop of 1978, we meet Nancy, who leaves the familiar warmth of Gambia for the bleakness of Sweden in pursuit of a scholarship and a brighter future. To say that Nancy's story unfolds at a breakneck speed would be an understatement. By the third chapter, I was entirely enmeshed in her journey, feeling the weight of her dreams and the gravity of her choices. Nancy’s life evolves in ways I could never have anticipated, and Akinmade masterfully peels back the layers of her character, revealing a woman who is as multifaceted as she is flawed.
What struck me most profoundly was Akinmade’s ability to present Nancy both as a mother and as an individual before motherhood claimed her narrative. It’s rare to glimpse a maternal figure’s life before they become entwined in the complexities of parenthood. This dual perspective felt like a time machine, letting me see Nancy through her own eyes and through Tina's, forcing me to confront the complicated realities that shape mother-daughter relationships. The title "Bitter Honey" comes to life as we explore how children can experience entirely different mothers, shaped by their unique circumstances and subjective perceptions.
The book is not merely a dramatic tale of family dynamics; it delves deep into the challenges of race, identity, and the male gaze, particularly for women. Through Nancy's experiences, there’s a raw and unflinching look at how society may reduce a woman to a stereotype, manipulating love into a space that can often feel more like a fetish than true affection. Even as I grappled with these difficult themes, Akinmade infused the narrative with a sense of hope, showcasing the resilience of women who reclaim their identities amidst external forces that seek to define them.
The characters in "Bitter Honey" are richly complex. Some I fell in love with, and others I despised with every fibre of my being. Akinmade’s knack for crafting nuanced characters allowed me to feel every emotion vividly, particularly when confronted with one antagonistic figure whose presence left a deep discomfort in my stomach. It’s a testament to the author’s skill that she does not shy away from complexity—she invites us deep into the emotional chaos, leaving certain twists hidden until we’ve travelled the entire narrative path.
This novel is undeniably heartbreaking. It navigates sensitive themes of sexuality, racism, addiction, and grief, painting a poignant picture of how an undeserving man can irrevocably alter a woman's journey and, by extension, her children’s. However, in the midst of the heartbreak, there are also moments of warmth and tenderness. Akinmade beautifully illustrates how the love of those we hold dear can breathe life back into us, reminding us of who we are, even when we forget.
"Bitter Honey" is a must-read.