3.5 ⭐️ This novel explores the lives of 3 black women from different backgrounds and nationalities as they try to make a life for themselves in Sweden. Themes of racism, immigration, misogyny, tokenism and the fetishisation of black women are explored in the novel.

I found this book quite frustrating because I loved the first third of it, where I found that each of the 3 characters had a clear voice and storyline. Unfortunately, for me, the story then dipped hugely.

Brittany seemed very 2-dimensional and I found it hard to sympathise with her character. Constant repetition of Jonny ‘learning what she liked’ led to a lot of eye rolling from me. Since he was very heavy handedly depicted as being on the spectrum - something she seemed cognisant of from the way she treated him - it’s hard to sympathise with her too much. It felt that she pretty much knew what she was walking into before the wedding and then ‘poor me’d’ a lot. She had agency, she just needed to tell Jonny what she wanted.

Kemi seemed to transform from a kick-ass executive who was yet to find love in the US, to something entirely different in Sweden, very quickly. I didn’t understand why someone of her calibre and confidence wouldn’t have been looking to set something of her own up in the US. I understand how difficult it is trying to transfer to a job in a country and continent with a different language and mindset, having been through it myself but the Mills and Boon turn her story arc took and lots of nothing happening at work, again made me lose interest. I’m also never very keen on women harshly judging other women (which readers of this might find ironic 😜) and she was so rude to Brittany for no real reason. I am also unconvinced that a man who built up and runs the world’s largest marketing agency is never in the office/working.

Muna was by far the most compelling and sympathetic of the 3 characters and her story was heartbreaking and sadly, not uncommon, though quite extreme.

I was so excited to read this and it seems such a shame that we never seemed to really get deeply into the psychology of 2 of the 3 main characters. There is a really good book in here but I just didn’t feel that this was the final edit.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Head of Zeus for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Åkerström’s writing is fluid, easy to follow and vivid in its description; each of the characters leapt off the page. Each character was well developed and had their own complexities; the writing of Johan in particular - someone who you never totally trusted - had a particularly satisfying conclusion. I absolutely adored this book.

In the wonderful “In Every Mirror She's Black”, we follow the interconnected stories of three Black women, Kemi, Brittany-Rae, and Muna, upon their arrival in Stockholm. They are all very different women, with different nationalities and backgrounds, but their experiences (all indirectly linked via their connection the enigmatic Swede Jonny) in their new country reveal common themes, all of which are handled with incredible care and skill by the author.

I really liked these women, and the characters around them are also very well drawn. There is an almost brutal honesty to the way in which their shared feelings of isolation and separateness are portrayed, and the result is a very insightful and memorable story.

The pacing is just right, and the author writes with an ease that allows the complexities of the story to come through without feeling heavy-handed. I would certainly read more by this author.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley, and the publisher for the arc to review.

Ok wow, I adored this book. I loved the three characters we got to read about, Kemi, Brittany-Rae and Muna and how their lives all changed and adapted over the course of the book. All three from very different backgrounds and circumstances but they related to each other in different ways.

I really enjoyed reading this book, I enjoyed the story, I enjoyed learning about the issues these women faced a lot throughout the book and their experiences of cultural diversity in Sweden, which I found very interesting.

This is definitely one of my favourite books I’ve read this year.

Thank you @headofzeus and @ineverymirror for the opportunity to be on this book tour for such a brilliant book!

A really powerful read.
Three black woken who are all trying to make a new life for themselves in Sweden. Trying to thrive, dépité the relentless racism, sexism and classism they continue to face, in a society that is welcoming on the surface…. But on its terms.
The three separate stories are all linked through one man… Jonny con Lundin… the CEO Of one of Sweden’s leading companies. For Muna he is a key benefactor to the asylum centre where she first lives when arriving in Sweden as a refuge. For Kemi he is her boss… who has headhunted her from the US to head up diversity and inclusion in his firm. For Brittany he is the man who has swept her off her feet and fallen in love with her.
All women arrive with the dream of a better life…. But is it? And are they still encountering the same problems black womenswear continue to face across the globe.
This novel deliberately highlights the way in which there is a tendency to group all “black issues” as one, and brings such great nuance to the discussion. Powerfully delivered, and a good read.

"Three Black women are linked in unexpected ways to the same influential white man in Stockholm as they build their new lives in the most open society run by the most private people."

In Every Mirror She's Black tells the story of three Black women and their lives in Sweden, revolving around the same mysterious businessman known as Jonny von Lundin. Brittany-Rae is entranced by this man and hesitantly falls for him, Kemi is drawn by all that his company in Sweden has to offer, and innocent Muna- a Muslim Somalian refugee- seeks a new life only knowing Jonny as her sole benefactor.

This book was written so well. The author discusses racism, tokenism, sexism and fetishization and how they play a role in each of the three women's lives. It jumped from one POV to the next and I wasn't bored for a second. There were times where I had to pause and digest certain scenes- I felt disgusted and sad reading about how hard it was being a Black woman and adjusting to a misogynistic and racist society. There was a constant feeling of dread brewing in me the more and more I read, and that ending was really upsetting.

As well as privilege, love and race, this book also highlights different types of grief; losing your family, partner and sense of freedom, that made this such a fantastic read. Each woman was distinct- they had their own battles and I found it intriguing how they were written as individuals and as a result they never developed a solid connection with each other. I was intrigued to find out how their stories ended despite not being able to support each other.

There are so many layers in this book and so many great discussion points. The blatant fetishization of Black women is a topic I haven't read about before, and it really makes you think about the society you live in and how toxic it can be. In Every Mirror She's Black is a book that will play on your mind constantly. I urge everyone to read it if you're looking for a multiple POV book that is compelling and will leave your heart heavy.

Thank you so much to the publishers and netgalley for an arc to review!

My thanks to Head of Zeus Apollo for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘In Every Mirror She’s Black’ by Lola Akinmade Akerstrom in exchange for an honest review.

This debut novel follows the lives of three black women, who for various reasons find themselves living in Sweden. Each chapter cycles through their individual points of view.

Kemi is a marketing executive and desires change in her life. She is offered a new job in Sweden with plenty of incentives and so relocates there from the USA. Yet will her life experience be different there?

Brittany-Rae was a model in her 20s, though now in her late 30s is working as a flight attendant. As she interacts with the super-rich she envies their privilege. She then has the opportunity to enter that world through her relationship with a wealthy Swedish man. It seems to be the answer to her dreams but at what price?

Somalian refugee Muna has been granted asylum in Sweden following a treacherous journey during which members of her family died. She is struggling to adjust. Will she ever feel that she belongs?

Businessman Jonny Von Lundin features in each of these women’s lives. He hires Kemi for his Stockholm based Marketing company to bring more diversity and inclusion to its campaigns; he courts Brittany-Rae, and Muna is initially housed in a hostel funded by Jonny and later works as a cleaner at Von Lundin Marketing.

So each of these three women are in search of a new start and find themselves in Stockholm, a city that prides itself on its egalitarianism and openness. However, they find instead silent racism, fetishisation and tokenism – and another society that seeks to put them in a box.

While there is the link of Jonny and his company the author keeps her three protagonists apart except for brief interactions. She writes that this was “my goal of presenting each of them as individuals and not the bearers of a nonexistent homogenous Black culture.”

The novel includes a conversation with the author about the novel and a reading group guide. I do feel that this is a novel likely to appeal to book groups given its accessibility and the scope for discussion. As such, I have recommended that it be added to our County Libraries’ Reading Group Collection.

Overall, I felt that ‘In Every Mirror She’s Black’ was a fantastic debut. It held my attention throughout and was well written and thought-provoking. Might it be a 2022 Women’s Prize for Fiction possibility?

Books like this make me wish I had more time to read… I was constantly thinking about Kemi, Muna, and Brittany-Mae.
Lola gives us a unique insight into the lives of these women who all ended up in Sweden for a different reason.
This story is intense, honest and beautifully written. The last 10% really had me in tears. Highly recommended!

I really enjoyed this book about three Black women living three very different lives in Sweden, but all of them (regardless of their socio-economic status and background) facing more or less overt racism.

The three women are introduced in the first chapter and we keep hearing from her three perspectives throughout the book. Kemi comes from Nigeria and lives in the US, where she's a big shot in publishing and is headhunted by Jonny von Lundin, CEO of Sweden's largest marketing firm; Muna is a refugee who finds a job as a cleaner at the firm; and Brittany is a flight attendant who meets Jonny (yes, the same Jonny as above) and becomes romantically involved with him (much to his privileged family's despair).

I think this is an important book that talks about tokenism, racism, classism and fetishization. After just reading a book in which I don't think this was properly done, I believe the author here did an excellent job at portraying what it's like to be a Black woman in a white-dominated society, or at least what it might feel like (Disclaimer: I am not Black so I can't/shouldn't comment on authenticity, but it did feel like she was writing from experience, and while I was reading I wondered what her connection to Sweden was -- turns out she also moved from America to Sweden, so I guess I wasn't too far off).

A very strong first novel from Lola Akinmade Åkerström, and I will be picking up her next when it comes out.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

I was intrigued by the blurb for this book as it sounded quite different from the things I usually read. I liked the fact it was set in Sweden, a country I have never visited and know little about.

The 3 main characters, Kemi, Brittany and Muna are well constructed and develop as the narrative moves on. They live incredibly different lives and end up living in Sweden for diverse and personal reasons. I thought the plot was cleverly crafted so that they do touch upon each other's lives, and we get to see each of these characters through the eyes of the other token black characters, yet, the meetings don't really change the trajectory of each character's story.

I came to like Kemi less and less as I got to know her. She is judgemental and biased in her own way: her attitude towards Tobias was difficult to read, but she learns a lot from her changed circumstances and I was glad to see that Ragnar did not win his prize. She has a tough ride as the only black face in her workplace and she seems to have been hired on impulse to try to balance their lack of 'diversity.' The way her Swedish colleagues respond to her is cold and unpleasant, which I didn't think was necessarily racist, but said more about their culture and the way they respond to each other as individuals. I did not find the Swedish interpersonal skills appealing and am not sure this books shows Swedish culture in a good light.

Jonny and Brittany's relationships is troubling from the start. Jonny's characterisation is fantastic and I applaud the author for the way she creates him. The author's after-note addresses his fetishism and odd behaviour. His family's behaviour towards her is quite despicable and judgemental at times.

Muna's tale is heart-breaking. I found her attachment to Ahmed quite unfathomable. She has a tough life and every time something seemed to be going right, it is stripped away from her.

The book as a shocking and abrupt ending that will leave you reeling. This is a book which deals with tough issues and rarely shies away from them.

Wow. An (adult) debut by the wonderful Lola Akinmade Akerstrom.
A look into the lives of 3 black women who all find themselves in Sweden, and are all slightly connected by the same man.
Kemi, Brittney and Muna are all remarkable characters for all different reasons.
An eye opening and up to date look into racism, classism, sexism and fetishisation of black people in a world where not enough education is done on these subjects.
I cannot wait for what else is in store from Lola.

An insight into what it is like to be black in a white dominated world. Told through the eyes of three black women who are all connected to the same powerful white man. A no holds barred look at racism.

•°¯`•• “It is hard to accept being different, hard to have people avoid looking at you, and still believe in yourself.” (Patricia Briggs) ••´¯°•
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The story is told from three characters' perspectives about how their lives are affected by the colour of their skin while living in Sweden. Apart than racism, this book also brings up issues of sexism and fetishization of black bodies.
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Kemi, a succesful black American African woman who won National Marketing Executive for two years in a row and got head-hunted by largest marketing firm based in Sweden. She is offered a position of Global Diversity and Inclusion Director in their top managament level, reporting directly to their CEO Jonny Von Lundin.
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Brittany, worked as a flight attendant and met Jonny Von Lundin in one of her flight. She is entering a life full of luxury and privilege when she decided to join Von Lundin clan.
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Muna, a refugee from Somalia who starts her new life in Swedish, living with another two ex-refugees, and working as a janitor in Von Lundin company.
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Three black women characters - starting a new life in Sweden, struggling to maintain her sense of self, while trying to be accepted in Sweden white society. There is loneliness experienced by each of them as it's difficult to find a new solid network in a new country while they still have to learn the language, in addition of their skin color.
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‼️I couldn't put this book down, the ending is not as what I expected BUT it left me contemplating more about living as a minority in a white society.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

I will never forget Kemi, Brittany and Muna. Three Black women who find themselves in Sweden, barely meeting, but linked by one random man. I don't think I could have predicted any of these three storylines, with the least sad ending being bittersweet at best. One thing that really stood out to me is that all three women were searching for community, friendship and kinship but struggled to find that with each other, I loved the fact that there wasn't an expectation for all Black people to automatically be best friends, but I can't help but think that the women's lives would have turned out differently if they'd found a connection.

The book was also a very interesting exploration of how the most "tolerant" countries (Sweden as an example), always have the slightest hint of xenophobia, racism and the desire to "protect" culture bubbling under the surface...

I really enjoyed this story and it was nice to visit somewhere different, in this case Sweden.

Whilst there were three different narrators it was fairly easy to keep on top of which character we were following at any given time.

I will say that this wasn’t always an easy story to read, especially Muna’s parts. It was also enlightening to see the immigration and asylum system at work in Sweden, a country that is known for its quality of life and rating high on the Happiness index.

The character I struggled with most was Brittany - I just could not empathise with her or her situation in the same way I could for Muna or Kemi, even if there decisions sometimes frustrated me.

There were many things I took from this book some of which were - no matter who you are (career, fame, nationality, standing in society) people will see you as being Black first and foremost. That the immigration experience is different, but also the same, for everyone - your why for being there may be different but there will be a struggle to be accepted, to assimilate and ‘fit in’. The way we treat immigrants, especially asylum seekers and those that are fleeing war torn countries, can be appalling and lacking in any sort of decency, respect or empathy.

This should go without saying but, whilst the three main characters may all be Black women but that does not mean that they are all the same. I feel that we’ve heard this sentence a lot over the last 18 months but it bears repeating; Black people are not a monolith.

It should be noted that there are trigger and content warnings with this book; racism, suicide, death, Black fetishisation, mental illness, abortion, pregnancy related death, infidelity, discussions around sexual abuse and prostitution.

I would definitely read more from Akinmade Akerstrom in the future!

I was hooked from the beginning; Lola Akinmade Åkerström’s style is immediately engaging, coming across as up-to-the-minute but accessible to this non-millennial (I’m 47). Intrigued, I looked her up. She is hugely accomplished – photographer, travel writer and now novelist. Is there anything this woman can’t do? Her TEDx talk on ‘Why Not?’ is well worth a watch.
I really warmed to all three of the main characters, different as they are. I thought they and all the peripheral ones were believable – I became completely engrossed in Stockholm life. But God it’s bleak beneath the outward collaboration and cosmopolitan veneer.
My initial feeling of how the story ends for each of the women was sadness. But I think that’s the point – to have it too neatly or happily sewn up would not be true to the difficult reality each faces as a Black woman whose radar can never take a break.

IN EVERY MIRROR SHE’S BLACK by LOLA AKINMADE AKERSTROM

Kemi, Brittany and Muna are all women of colour, who for different reasons find themselves in Stockholm, Sweden.
The link between them is Jonny Van Lundin, a wealthy white business man. Each woman has a different connection to him.
The book is told from their three perspectives and as you would imagine it tells of how their lives are effected by the colour of their skin.
The book covers a wealth of topics, racism, loneliness, privilege, classism, tokenism, finding a place to belong and so much more.
This story is raw, brutally honest and definitely not full of hearts and flowers.
This is an incredible debut novel. Written from the heart, with real feeling and grit.
It took a bit of getting into, but once I clicked with the story and the characters, I was totally absorbed to the very end.
A solid four stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
With thanks to #Netgalley and #HeadOfZeus for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I really loved this book! It’s an incredibly well-written, eye-opening, thought-provoking story and I loved seeing the multiple perspectives/ POV of the three main characters. The Swedish phrases were a bit hard to follow at times, but I enjoyed the immersive experience nonetheless. Definitely hope to read more from this author!

Wow... I really loved this book so much! It definitely took a while at the beginning to connect to the story and be invested. But then something snapped and I just flew through!

As someone who has lived in Sweden I really understand some of the cultural references of how society works there (from an outsider) which I loved reading about from another perspective. Though, having said that, most of this book was about three women of colour and their interactions with being in Sweden which I can't begin to understand or imagine myself. Race and society played a very big role in this read as every interaction and event revolves around it and was articulated so well which is what made this such a good book as well as a learning experience for me too.

I also loved that so many Swedish phrases or sentences were thrown in with the story. I think this could potentially be a downside or distraction for any non Swedish speaker though as there were only translations in some parts (at least in my ARC). But it shouldn't affect the overall reading flow anyway!

Themes of cultural identity, race and tokenism, classism are ever present throughout this captivating read which makes it both powerful and enjoyable. I feel super priviliged to have been given the opportunity to read and review this in advance as it was just brilliant!

This is a really good book. It is incredibly well written and well thought out. The story follows the lives of three very different women all of whom find themselves in Sweden and with connections to a very successful Marketing Company. Although their lives never quite converge their stories are interconnected as the story flows and is brilliantly woven together. For me this is the best kind of fiction as this story really opens your eyes and makes you think but without telling you what to think. I’m really looking forward to reading more from this author.