This story was gut-wrenchingly beautiful and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves dual-narration historical fiction. Jumping back and forth between Dikembe and Lowra, the narration by Lucian Msamati and Nneka Okoye for the audiobook had me listening to the story for hours without pause.

I was immediately intrigued by Dikembe's story and found it interesting the author chose to leave many questions unanswered, much like the character of Dikembe would have faced. As a reader it was slightly frustrating when some parts were left unanswered as I knew very little about the companion history in Great Britain but I do realize the purpose behind the choice. Comparatively, when I first started hearing Lowra's story, I was hesitant to continue as it was so slow to get into her story but as the character warmed up and the reader started getting more information, I found myself liking her more and more.

Lola Jaye has outdone herself with this story. Pick it up, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

In the early 1900s, a boy named Dekembe was living in the Congo with his mother and brothers. Life was good, but then his father was killed. His mother sent him to live in England with a white explorer, While he was homesick and desperate to return to his homeland and family, he had a love of knowledge that helped him endure his new life. When the explorer died, his relatives forced Dekembe to sleep in the attic and used the space as a punishment.

In the 1970s, a young girl named Lowra also lost her father. Her stepmother forced her to live in the attic - the same attic Dekembe was also confined to. Throughout this historical fiction dual narrative, we see how the 2 children's stories are intertwined. The story started out a little slow for me, but once it got going, I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to HarperAudio and NetGalley for an advanced listening copy of The Attic Child.

The Attic Child begins with the story of Dikembe, a child from the Congo who is sold by his mother to a British gentleman explorer. We hear the story from his child eyes and how he goes from thinking he was a temporary servant to realizing he was permanently in this man's care as a companion. The gentleman keeps him as a "companion" thinking he is doing the best thing for this young "savage" child, believing he is both bringing Celestine into a world he could never reach on his own as well as educating fellow Britons that Africans are not inferior. How this proceeds is heartbreaking. Celestine pining for home and being treated awfully in his new country is achingly painful. When the gentleman dies, things only get much worse. We learn more about Dikembe's story by Lowra, a woman living in modern times reexamining her own childhood as her family home is being sold. I don't want to say more because experiencing the story on your own is beautiful.

I was really only invested in Celestine's timeline for the first half of the book, spending some time wondering why we needed Lowra's miserable views but when her connection was revealed, all made sense. I think I would have still preferred a straight storytelling of Celestine's life but I get that the author was trying to make some social commentary by keeping the modern storyline. I was so invested in Celestine, his views on the world, his passion, his anger, his resilience were intoxicating. I love when you read a novel and wish the characters were real people, I was so inspired by his spirit and his heart. I learned so much from this story about the fate of Africans in the hands of the British. Lowra's story shows us more traditional child abuse and the impact on mental health. The meeting of the two is a lovely picture of healing.

I did this one on audio and the narrators were fabulous. One of my favorite performances of the year.  ️ ️ ️ ️

Thanks to Harper Audio via Netgalley for access to this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

I've read many books with duel narrators, but this one was different. We have two very different characters who share a common experience in house by the sea nearly a century apart. Dikembe, his mother's favorite child, leaves his home in the Congo in 1903 with a British explorer Sir Richard Babbington. Lowera's story begins in 1993 after her stepmother dies. Now she is an adult, but still suffering emotionally from her abusive step-mother, who once imprisoned in the same attic where Dikembe spent so many lonely years. Of course these two unique characters must have more in common than being imprisoned in the same attic, and the author does an amazing job of telling an engaging, story you won't want to stop reading or listening until the end, . Each voice telling their own story, with one starting in 1903 and the other 1993. A heartbreaking story of child abuse, 20th century slavery, strength and survival. Dikembe (Celeste) and Lowra, are well developed characters and I felt a great deal of empathy toward them.. So well written, I will be recommending this book to others and reading Jaye's next book!

I listened to the audio version of the book generously provided by NetGalley in return for an honest review. The readers did an amazing job of appropriate accents, tone and modulation, coupled with the the writer's skill gave this listener a seamless escape into this story that takes place in Britain in the early 1900's and 1990's.

3.5 ⭐️’s! The Attic Child is an emotional and heartbreaking read. I did the audio for this book and really enjoyed the dual narration. Parts of this book were really slow for me and I really just wanted to get to the end of the book. But, I can appreciate the journey this novel takes the reader on. The ending was really heartwarming and I’m so grateful it ended the way it did.

I really enjoyed the pace of this historical fiction novel telling the story of Dikembe and Lowra born 90 years apart who both find themselves in the same attic. The narration changes between both character's stories and is told from both of their very different perspectives.

Both characters experience separation from their families and are tasked with the job of survival. I was equally invested in both characters throughout the story and particularly taken with the innocence of Dikembe and his desire to trust the Englishmen he believed had his best interest in mind. At the tender of age of 11, he understood very little and was taken advantage of in many ways. There is a nice plot twist at the end that ties the events of the story together nicely. I will definitely be reading more of this writer's work.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the advanced copy!

This is one of the best books I have read this year. Truly fantastic.

The Attic Child tells the story of Dikembe and Lowra. Dikembe grows up in the Congo in the early 1900s, before a British explorer takes him away from his family to become his companion. Dikembe's life in the Babbington house becomes increasingly worse when the explorer dies, and he is locked in the attic, exploited, and abused by the new owners. Fifty years later, Lowra is also abused and locked in the attic by her step mother after her father's death. Lowra finds Dikembe's treasures hidden in the attic. When she inherits the house as an adult she is determined to find out who hid the objects she found as a child. The search will completely transform her life.

As Lowra learns more about Dikembe, we also learn more about both of their lives in Britain. Both stories were fascinating. The more we learn the more I wanted to read. The mystery was addictive. At the same time, there were a lot of difficult topics addressed. The Attic Child explores themes of racism, loneliness, child abuse, resilience, family and connection. It is written with a lot of care and attention to mental health. Lola Jaye treats her characters with a lot of respect, and highlights their whole experience and humanity rather than their hardships.

The plot, writing, and ethos of the book were fantastic. I highly recommend this novel!