I’m sure there’s an audience that will adore this book but I’m not one of them. This is one of those stories that gets lost in the poetic yet pretentious prose. The choppy and over descriptive writing sounded beautiful and lulling on the audiobook but made it difficult to dig into the plot. There were moments of clarity in which the MC, Ito, shares memories of violence, torture and abuse of power in his native African.country. These experiences then shape his future as an alcoholic and failed playwright living in Canada years later.

The story itself is sad, tragic and heartbreaking with some graphic scenes that will most likely offer an emotional punch to even seasoned readers. Overall, it is a story that will resonate with readers who enjoy descriptive lyrical prose who are looking for a haunting and atmospheric historical fiction.

I received an advanced audio copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.