this was everything that I was hoping for from the description and enjoyed the use of the African Gothic elements. The characters worked well in this universe and was hooked from the first page and enjoyed getting into their world. Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu wrote this well and I hope to read more from them.

An African gothic novel that explores colonialism's legacy through the eyes of four generations of women.
Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu's outstanding fourth novel is narrated by a self-described nameless woman, originally from the City of Kings (Bulawayo, Zimbabwe). As the story opens, she's traveled to the "New Country" (which isn't named but is likely England) on a scholarship funded by the Good Foundation — a charity established by the Good family to "give back" to the continent they've plundered for generations. She enters into a long-term relationship with the Goods' only son, John B. Good IX, a photojournalist who documents wars in Africa. When the Good Museum — where the family displays their spoils — hosts an exhibition of his photos, he is confronted by a protester who questions his ethics, leading him to kill himself later that day.

Our narrator has experienced visions all her life, but John B. Good IX's untimely death increases their frequency, and she is visited nightly by spectral women from past generations. The Good family — who by this time has insisted she be artificially inseminated and bear their deceased son three children — deems her mad and imprisons her in their attic. Inspired by a pair of ornate silver wings in the museum and using an upcoming Good Foundation anniversary celebration as an excuse, she devises a ruse that allows her to take up residency in a distant castle back on her home continent. Although the structure is nearly vacant, populated by just a few servants, she feels safe, and begins to pen the stories of three of the women who haunt her, ultimately uncovering their ties to her own life. In the process of discovering who these remarkable women were, she herself becomes whole — no longer "half-broken."

The narrative is a complex blending of literary styles. The book's jacket calls it "African gothic" and the story's overall framework plays with tropes common to the gothic genre (e.g., the madwoman in the attic, apparitions, bloody specters). The narrator's overlaying tale has a hallucinogenic quality to it. As the protagonist delves into past generations, though, the tenor shifts from a spooky ghost story to more traditional historical fiction. Ndlovu focuses on the intergenerational trauma resulting from British colonialism of the 19th and 20th centuries, using the colonizers' actions in Bulawayo to illustrate her points. The story is largely told from the viewpoint of those whose voices are often lost in history ("misremembered, misbegotten and forgotten women"), unfolding through three of the narrator's specters, each of whom represents a different period in Bulawayo's history. Although these storylines overlap (and much of how they overlap isn't apparent until the very end of the book), each is presented as a stand-alone narrative, with current-day interludes from the narrator separating them.

The first-person sections are relayed with a repetition that recalls oral storytelling traditions. One woman, for example, is always referred to as "the venerable woman with the sagacious eyes," while another is always "the woman in white with mud on her hem and blood on her hands." This lends the narrator's chronicle a simplistic, fairytale feel that persists until each history is revealed and the women are given names. At that point, the narration becomes more standard. The author paints the women so realistically that it's hard to remember they're fictional.

Referring positively to how people have defied oppressive rules and systems in the past, Ndlovu states in an interview, "the history we've created, it is messy, it is chaotic." She brilliantly illustrates this in the way she reveals her characters' stories. The lives of her three heroines are presented in reverse chronological order, so the one who lived most recently is introduced first. Within each section are digressions, family revelations, visions of the future, etc.; in short, none is a linear tale. There are minor female apparitions that pop up non-chronologically during the narrator's reflections as well. It's not necessarily a chaotic telling, but it can be hard to follow.

References to literary and historic personages are frequent but rarely explained. Allusions to King Solomon's Mines, a novel by H. Rider Haggard (see Beyond the Book), are cleverly scattered across the early chapters of the book, for example. In another instance, a woman named Isabella Van Wagenen manifests to the protagonist; curious, I looked her up and discovered that was one of the names used by abolitionist Sojourner Truth. I felt that reading the book was like a scavenger hunt at times, trying to recognize these obscure references when they appeared and subsequently googling them for more information. Although the novel can be read at face value, and certainly the digressions can be distracting, stumbling across these Easter eggs also adds flavor to the reading experience; it's worth the time to follow the rabbit trails, in my opinion.

I suspect that The Creation of Half-Broken People is going to be a polarizing book; readers will either love it or hate it. While I reveled in its originality and complexity, I imagine those looking for a more straightforward reading experience will find it frustrating. That said, I highly recommend it to those seeking well-written historical fiction that's a bit different from the norm, as well as readers who would like to learn more about the ongoing effects of colonialism in Africa.

The writing style didn't wow me as it seemed too repetitive at points and too flowery at others. I did however enjoy the overall story. One that links 4 generations of women with a magic that has deep cultural meaning. There is mention of mental illness, suicide ideation and attempts and sexual assault.

Being able to see our main character reclaim a space for herself by opening up to history and how it unfolded was good. I liked how Ndlovu took us through the changing faces of colonial history and how each woman was impacted by it and reacted to it. The mysticism woven throughout was what kept me reading and I'm happy I did.

DNF @14%

This isn't a bad story by any means. I just don't currently want to read about an abused woman. I would still recommend it.

This is written so beautifully! I really loved how the stories were woven together so intricately. However, I found myself way more drawn into the main story, with some of the other ones not really piquing my interest, causing my attention to waver here and there.

I tried to read this on my ereader but had formatting issues. If I end up being able to read it as it is currently formatted I will update this feedback but I think it’s important for other readers to know the ARC copy is not quite formatted enough for an ereader experience.

I am going to buy this once it gets released.

Thank you for providing me with a free eARC of this book. This is my honest feedback I am leaving voluntarily.

The Creation of Half-Broken People by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu is a mesmerizing African Gothic novel that tells the story of a nameless woman plagued by visions. She works for the Good Foundation, a museum filled with artifacts from the family’s exploits in Africa. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she encounters a group of protestors outside the museum, led by an ancient woman who she knows isn't real. This encounter forces her to confront the secrets of her past and leads her to live in an attic and then a haunted castle.
Ndlovu masterfully weaves a complex colonial history into the present, exploring themes of race, mental illness, and the stigmas that create half-broken people. The novel balances the humanity of its characters against the cruelty of empire, creating a hypnotic and haunting account of love and magic.

this was a good book! it was interesting and entertaining. It is not something i typically read, but it was very interesting and kept me engaged. I like the way it flowed, and I like the themes that this author brought up!

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!