A moving transcultural, transnational memoir in the vein of Enough: A Memoir of Mistakes, Mania, and Motherhood by Amelia Zachry, The White Mosque: A Memoir by Sofia Samatar, or Homebound: An Uprooted Daughter’s Reflections on Belonging by Vanessa A. Bee about a woman of mixed national heritage seeking her place in our increasingly transcultural, transethnic world.

In Daniel’s case, she moves from Nigeria on the coast of West Africa to England, and from there, to the United States. Across the span of three geographic zones, she also crosses into and between multiple cultures: Nigerian, Black-British, Black-American, coming to terms with herself as a bit of everything. Intersected between the racial and ethnic lines are the class lines and linguistic lines Daniel must also negotiate. This is a story of code-switching across multiple planes.

This is also a universal coming-of-age story about how we come to understand perceptions of ourselves from within and beyond ourselves. Who we are is not a singular explanation, but one refracted through a prism, the final view is ultimately dependent on the eye of the beholder and the position where they stand. What Daniel’s highlights in this memoir is both how dependent this view is on historical, cultural, class and geographic context.

For readers who enjoy memoirs and those which trace the processes of identity change, this is a winner.

Fascinating journey of self-discovery and identity.
I have come to the realization that absolutely love reading memoirs. I really appreciate the permission granted by the writer to come into their lives and their memories and join them on their journey. This book is just another that I really loved and, both, couldn’t wait to keep reading and didn’t want to finish. The journey and storytelling are wonderful throughout.

A remarkable, heart-filled sharing of a very personal journey.
While reading this book, I felt like I was catching up with an old friend on all the things that had happened since the last time we met. Over coffee or dinner or whatever: “Start from the beginning and don’t stop.” There are times when we laugh, there are times when the words are whispered, and there are times for hugs. But throughout the story we are just there. Together.

Like sitting down with an old friend and catching up on life. I really enjoyed this one.

Stars 4
Would I Recommend? Yes

This is a deeply personal memoir of the author’s ancestry, her migration across continents, and her landing place she calls home. From Nigeria where she was born and her family history that includes the Longuda, Fulani, and Housa tribes and intersection of tribal and Christian beliefs, to her experience living in the UK. and then U.S., this book packed a fascinating trajectory. But this is not so much about the usual immigrant experience. It’s way beyond that. It’s about the essence of the author - her identity, how she became who she is, how she is an amalgam of the places she’s been a part of, the influences on her life, connection to places or not, and to her home today in Los Angeles. I loved the details about her family dating back to ancient times and the historical information coupled with rich insight into how current day Nigeria has evolved. There’s deep swaths of research shared throughout the book (for example - the origins of the name “Mary”) that makes for a nice coming together of anecdotes, cultural beliefs, facts, and personal identity. And by the way, I chuckled at her reference to the Oxford comma - yay! This is an absorbing and insightful memoir that I learned much from. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I'm drawn to story, especially the life stories of others. I also read to better understand the experiences of others. This book satisfied both of my preferences in a lovely way.

In "A Coastline is an Immeasureable Thing," Mary-Alice Daniel interweaves history, geography, myth, and personal story in such a way as to make the reader ponder, reread, and reflect. Through honest, poetic writing, the author explores her origins and the complexities contained therein. She gives a window into her life in a way that is both beautiful to read and also demands thoughtful contemplation on the part of the reader. I come away from reading this book with a greater understanding of not only third culture kids, but also how origin stories are both complicated and hold immense worth.

While I enjoyed reading this book and do not regret investing the time to do so, it was also a read that moved a bit slowly. I often felt it was not as much about the author as about her country of origin and its complexities, but this also made sense given the nature of the book. If you are looking for a traditional memoir full of personal story, this book is likely not for you. If, however, you are interested in exploring culture, identity, and origin through the lens of personal story, you won't be disappointed.

*I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher.*

This book is truly immersive, smart, compelling, and original. I'm blown away by Daniel's poetic, smooth, stunning prose and her ability to balance both evocative and beautiful language with a steady narrative and factual history and context. This memoir is a true feat and I'm so happy it exists. Daniel is a real talent and reading her work really educated me and provided so much nuance and complexity to my minimal understanding of so many things. The way she immerses her personal experience with her family, too, is both gentle and honest, and I really couldn't look away. Definitely one of the best works of nonfiction I've read in years.