A beautifully written coming of age story in which Soila, a young Kenyan woman, travels to the US for college, finds love, loses love, and ultimately discovers who she really wants to be.

This book makes a lot of interesting comparisons between life in the US vs. Kenya and (thankfully) lets the reader come to their own conclusions about Soila's decisions.

Lucky Girl was an incredibly written, multilayered novel about growing up under our parents expectations. I loved this book way more than I thought I would. It was very real and the characters were all well written. Some of the real life events in the book were heartbreaking. I really, really enjoyed this book and I will definitely look forward to this author’s next book!

An incredible coming-of-age story about a Kenyan woman, Soila who travels to the USA for school. While in school she is confronted by the vast differences when it comes to poverty, racism, culture, and how her own beliefs have the potential to be prejudiced.
I liked how being in America did open Soila’s eyes to these differences and helped her to connect with her half sister.
This was a very eyeopening read when it comes to such topics, while also taking on other important topics such as: predators, religion, abortion and Alzheimers.

This is a poignant and lovely story. It tells the story of Soila and spans several years. The story tells of family secrets and the love that binds them. It is also a love story between a man and a woman. This talented author does a magnificent job weaving this tale. It is at times sad and hits on major catastrophic events. This is countered with moments of joy leading to the beautiful end.

Lucky Girl is a book described as "A fresh look at racism, privilege, and the challenges of coming-of-age and falling in love between two cultures." Lucky Girl is about this and so much more. Soila was raised by her mother in Kenya. Her father died when she was five years old. Soila's mother is a very dominating mother, like many mothers in Kenya. Her mother has told Soila her entire life what she expects from her. However, what Soila wants and what her mother wants are two different things entirely. To make things even worse, the things that Soila wants are things her mother disapproves of.

Soila moves to the United States to attend college. Here she is exposed to the vast differences between her culture and Black American culture. Soila also realizes that many things that she now knows will make her happy, her mother would never approve of. As Soila tries to balance her new life with her old, she is forced to make some very difficult decisions.

I loved this book. It is about so many things. Although it maybe starts a little slow, it soon picks up and will keep you wanting to read to see what is going to happen next. I don't do this very often, but there was a quote in the book that I wrote down. Soila's mother had always told her "Every person, even the village idiot, knows something you don't--even the people you think are stupid know something you can learn from." How much better we all would be if we would remember this!

I received an ARC of Lucky Girl in exchange for an honest review.

So much packed into this debut novel. Told through the perspective of Soila, a Kenyan girl who grows up sheltered, privileged, & longing for freedom. After moving to NYC in the 90s, all her beliefs are challenged, and she’s forced to choose between her Kenyan identity or create her own path. Some parts were emotionally hard to read, but I’m so glad I read this book. **Trigger warning: one quick scene of assault

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy!

Thanks to Net Galley and Dial Press, and Random House Publishing for the ARC! Really enjoyed Soila’s story. Soils grows up in Kenya and leaves for college in NYC. In NY, she struggles to find her place, to understand race relations, to fit in, to find balance between what she wants from life and how to honor her Kenyan culture and family. I learned a lot and really enjoyed the book.

If you loved maame you should read this book. A look at a sheltered woman’s coming of age. Her mother is very strict and after a harrowing sexual assault the main character heads off to new york where she finds love and herself. Great writing and it touches on a lot of important topics.

A beautiful story! I enjoyed the writing style and the characters. At points I would forget I had this (I have an issue and read a few books at a time) but always came back to it! Highly recommend

Soila is a young Kenyan girl who escapes to New York City in hopes of a better life. She is headstrong and fiercely independent and has felt suffocated by her mother's strict rule. However, New York doesn't turn out to be quite what she thought it would be. She witnesses poverty, racism, economic inequality, and frankly just how unfair the world really is.

This story was remarkable. My experiences with the issues Soila comes face to face with is limited, so I'm not even going to pretend to understand. But I can relate to an overbearing parent and waking up to a harsh reality when starting college and leaving home. It can be mind boggling. And disheartening.

The author did an incredible job of detailing the struggles Soila faced. Soila inspires me. Give this book a try. You will not be disappointed.

Do you ever judge a book exclusively by how it makes you feel? I felt like Soila's story became thin and shallow once she came to the US. The characters didn't have the same loving detail from the author. You need to show respect to all of your creations. I think there could have been more. It was a standard "coming of age" story.

The story is a coming of age story, starting from Soila's childhood in Kenya to her adulthood in New York City with the period appropriate historical events included. The writing is lyrical and the descriptions are vivid, instantly transporting the reader to the lemon tree in her mother's garden or the busy streets of Manhattan. All emotions will be felt as Soila's story unfolds, filled with family secrets, tragedies and triumphs. Once immersed in the story, the reader will become Solia's greatest cheerleader as she finds her voice and ultimate happiness.

Lucky Girl is a tender and thought provoking coming-of-age story. Soila is a young Kenyan woman who is eager to break free from her controlling and emotionally distant mother. Soila comes to NYC to attend college but finds that life in the United States isn’t exactly what she expected either.

Soila’s story is brimming with themes of love, loyalty, and independence. I loved the depiction of Soila’ female-centric family – mothers, daughters, aunts, and grandmother woven tightly together. I was heartbroken along with Soila when she feels duty-bound to leave her new life and return to Kenya to attend to family obligations. This book gave me so much to think about and made me wonder: what do we as daughters owe our mothers? What do we, as women, owe ourselves? This would be a perfect book club pick, with its many issues and nuances to unpack sure to inspire a rich discussion.

The novel’s unflinching examination of race is especially insightful, particularly the differences between the Black African and Black American experiences. Soila learns to acknowledge her privilege, challenge her assumptions and adapt her perspective on racism in America.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Dial Press for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Lucky Girl follows Soila- born in Nigeria to a strong and demanding mother who loves her fiercely- but also at somewhat of a distance. Luckily she has her Aunts and her Keiko to shower her with affection. She loses her father at a young age and feels the expectations of her mother like a noose around her neck.

She convinces her mother to let her go to college in the US and this story follows her journey to find herself while trying to balance expectations, passion and cultural boundaries. This is a beautiful exploration of her experience as an African woman and the differences in racial experience vs. African American men and women.

She falls in love, but knows her mother will not approve. This story is a masterful look at self-discovery and listening to your heart. The ending is a tad too neat- but lovely all the same.

I feel like I learned so much about Nigerian family dynamics in this one and was part of this beautifully disfunctional family.

Highly, highly recommend! Thank you to netgalley and randomhouse thedialpress for the ARC to read and review. Pub day: 5/2/23

Soila has grown up in Kenya as the only child of a single, wealthy and powerful mother. Her mother is the oldest of five daughters and even though her own mother (Soila’s grandmother) is still alive, she is very much the family matriarch, very religious and rules with an iron fist. Soila’s dream is to attend university in the United States, something her mother is against. Her mother’s confidant and friend, Father Emmanuel intercedes on Soila’s behalf in a very sinister way and Soila is allowed to attend a university in New York City. The distance from her mother gives Soila a chance to experience a different life, make new friends and learn what it’s like to be black in America. However, even from a distance, Soila’s mother continues to direct her life and decisions around her career and relationships.
Wow! There’s a lot to unpack in this book! I don’t think I can begin to describe all the themes, issues and nuances and do it justice but I’ll get some thoughts down. I will say that the book moved slowly at times for me but the characters are well developed, giving it somewhat of a literary fiction vibe. The different cultures and ways to view racism is so thought provoking - the author does a great job of describing these issues and how complicated they are but I still feel like I need to roll them around in my brain. Soila’s struggles with understanding American racism vs. her African perspective is presented very well and is a concept that I hadn’t thought of. And the author’s example of white fragility involving Soila’s boyfriend, Aktenaken and her white friend, Molly is so spot on! I found myself becoming so frustrated with how Soila continued to allow her mother to influence all her decisions that I had to keep reminding myself that her Kenyan culture is something we Americans can’t fully understand. The characters of Atkenaten and Letitia are terrific - each with such different but rich perspectives on racism. Soila’s aunts can’t be overlooked - they each have terrific stories of their own. The inclusion of the 9-11 tragedy adds another complicated but compelling layer to the story. And I haven’t even touched on the themes of sexual abuse, abortion and family secrets, all addressed very skillfully but may be triggers for some readers. Soila’s devotion to her mother and Atkenaten’s devotion to Soila at the end of the book just made me love this book more! How did the author pack so much into a book that isn’t 1000 pages long?!What a great debut! Highly recommend!

My heart is swelling for this #ownvoices debut by Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu

LUCKY GIRL follows Soila as she leaves her home in Kenya to pursue university in NYC. Ambitious and a bit headstrong, Soila learns to navigate life in a new country, wrestles with familial obligations, and discovers what it means to forge her own path despite her mother’s wishes.

What I found most fascinating about this story was the cross-cultural exploration between African Americans and Africans living in America. The way Soila's worldview was shaped by growing up in a country where she was not a minority lies in stark contrast to the experience of her African American friends and colleagues.

As with Jessica George’s Maame, this is a coming of “young adult” age story that will have you rooting for Swelah.as she redefines womanhood, faith, and relationships on her own terms in the face of stifling cultural expectations.

RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)
PUB DATE: May 2, 2023

READ IF YOU:
-Appreciate hearing from a unique voice
-Enjoyed Maame by Jessica George
-Love a cross-cultural family story

"Lucky Girl" is a coming-of-age story about a young Kenyan woman who longs to live her own life despite her overbearing and controlling mother. The idea for the story was good and I enjoyed reading it, but better writing would have made this story go from good to great. I found much of the dialog to be awkward and the lack of details prevented the characters from coming alive for me. The author's writing style is definitely more "tell the reader what is happening' rather than 'show the reader what is happening." To me, because of the simplistic writing, this book felt more like YA than adult fiction. The only exceptions were the scenes depicting the September 11th attacks on the World trade Center; here, the author's words made me feel the fear and taste the grit in the air.

This book did a very good job depicting the different views and experiences regarding racism of African Americans and Africans. I liked the frank conversations between the various characters about racism in the United States and I was educated right alongside Soila. I also liked reading about Soila's family's culture. I found the characters in Kenya much more developed than the characters in the United States; perhaps this was a purposeful plot device by the author, but I didn't care for it.

I look forward to reading more from this author and am interested to see how she matures as a writer. Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of this debut novel in exchange for my honest review.

At this point I don’t really remember if Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu’s upcoming novel, Lucky Girl was one that I was invited to preview or if the description caught my attention and I requested it myself. It also doesn’t really matter because I’m glad I got the chance to read it either way. Exploring themes of family and race across cultures, Lucky Girl packs a number of well-paced emotional punches that reinforce the tension of being caught between two worlds. This novel beautifully captures the kinds of nuance that can only be truly understood through lived experience, allowing for a deeper examination of Muchemi-Ndiritu’s central themes.

Soila always knew growing up that her mother was protective of her. As she becomes a teenager, the line between protective and controlling begins to blur and Soila begins to chafe under the weight of her mother’s expectations. Gratitude and a sense of duty swirl together and battle with Soila’s desire to find her own way, to live a life that makes her happy without disappointing her mother. Escaping to New York for college is a start, but there are times when the shadow her mother casts from back home in Kenya proves large enough to reach into the corners of her life in the US. It’s more than just her mother that has her reflecting on her life in both places. Soila discovers just how little she understands of American racism when her experience of being Black brushes against those of her closest friends. Ultimately, Soila is forced to decide how and where she wants to live and what (or rather, who) will that decision cost her.

Lucky Girl deftly tackles both the intricacies of family relationships – particularly those between parents and children – and the nuances of the different legacies of oppression with the legacy of slavery in the US and colonialism in Africa. It’s the latter that proved to be an interesting surprise. I expected some kind of wakeup call as part of Soila’s experience coming to the US but the conversations and arguments that Soila had along the way weren’t anything like what I was expecting and the way they were handled shows demonstrates how there are ways to have difficult and uncomfortable conversations without completely destroying the friendships and relationships involved. In fact, those conversations create an interesting contrast to the conversations that Soila has with her mother and family as she tries to forge her own path against her mother’s wishes.

Soila’s relationship with her mother and the intricate family dynamics make it difficult for her to go against her mother in anything. While there are moments when all you want for Soila to do is call her mother out on her emotional manipulation and controlling nature, as Soila grows to better understand where it comes from there’s a layer of compassion and cultural attitudes that complicate her resistance and ability to stand up to her mother. It’s so clearly one of those situations where there is no true right way to handle things so all you can do is watch it unfold because you can’t look away. The novel also does a really good job of showing how the struggle is an ongoing thing that ebbs and flows with time and circumstance. What may feel like a breaking point turns out to be just another difficult moment that must be gotten through along the way.

Lucky Girl will be available May 2, 2023.

This is a beautifully written story full of hard choices, heartbreak, & happiness. It tells the story of Soila, who is raised in Kenya by an extremely conservative mother whose greatest fear seems to be losing Soila. Soila decides she must get away from her overbearing mother and wants to study in the US. She gets accepted to college in New York & heads out with her mother's begrudging blessing. She knows her mother's expectations are for her to get a business degree and return home to work with her. Soila pursues the business degree with a side passion of photography. She finds that even though she has left Africa, she can't quite escape from her mother's thoughts on what she is trying to do in her life. During this time she also learns about racism in America and how Black
Americans are treated differently based on skin color. She is trying to understand even though Africa is so different. She makes friends, dates, and even finds love more than once. Highly recommend reading this book for an eye opening experience.

*There are some things in this book that might be triggering, like sexual assault, depression, suicide, and 9/11 to name a few

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

This is truly quite the debut novel. It encompasses a wide variety of topics without being too much or too cliche. Soila grew up in Nairobi . We learn that her father died when she was 5 and her mother and her grandmother and aunts raised her. Her mother is a devout Catholic. When Soila is choosing a college she decides she wants to go to school in America. It is a battle to get her mother to agree. Soila makes friends and adapts to America well but has a hard time understanding the racism in American. I think this was a very interesting and valid argument of someone coming from Africa vs being African-American. I felt that the author did a good job of seeing both sides of this debate.

Soila finds love and heartbreak. She tries to find her passion in a job that her mother is forcing her to do. I believe this is a difference between being raised in Africa vs American. It seems the cultures do not align. I think this subject was presented so well in this novel. It was hard for Soila and her aunts to go against her mother who was the head of the family. After the tragedy of September 11, Soila is able to stand up to her mother and pursue her passion for photography.

I was truly afraid that after getting so far in her independence that SoiIa was going to forgo her happiness to do what was right by her culture. I was unsure of how the story would end. I have to say while sad the book did end in a way that made me happy for Soila.


Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, Dial Press Trade Paperback for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.