You might not know this but I’m an avid reader. I’ve been that way all my life. The little girl who grew up in a small town in eastern Nigeria, with barely any bookstores. The little girl who discovered yellowed (sometimes inappropriate) books in the garage and devoured them all. A teenager who moved to the UK and would have lived in Waterstones or Borders given half a chance. An adult who immerses herself in a good book to be inspired, to destress, and to feel centered. Yes, I love reading.

That’s why I was surprised when I realized I had never shared more of that on this blog. Well, this being Black History Month, I think it’s the perfect time to rectify this by sharing black authors whose work has had an impact on my life. Dive and in and I hope it does the same for you too.

N.K. Jemisin – Broken Earth Series

“Some worlds are built on a fault line of pain, held up by nightmares. Don’t lament when those worlds fall. Rage that they were built doomed in the first place.”

My favorite genre is fantasy and one of my favorite authors is N. K. Jemisin. Hands down.

I think non-fantasy readers imagine fantasy solely as orcs, hobbit, wizards, and the ilk. I enjoy all that but the most immersive powerful fantasy for me almost mirrors our world, pulls you in, and stays with you years after you’ve read it. That’s what N.K. Jemison’s work does for me. Especially her ‘Broken Earth’ trilogy.

“They’re afraid because we exist, she says. There’s nothing we did to provoke their fear, other than exist. There’s nothing we can do to earn their approval, except stop existing – so we can either die like they want, or laugh at their cowardice and go on with our lives.”

From the first page, you’re sucked in and intrigued. I read the first book thoroughly confused at first but with a feeling that something amazing awaited me and man, it didn’t disappoint. The entire series touches sensitive subjects that span race, subjugation, terrible cruelty, resilience, heart, the power of a mother’s love (like wow!) and so much more. Yet, it is beautiful. The protagonist or narrator is a middle-aged black woman who has gone through so much and done so much, yet you root for her every step of the way. Just typing this is making me want to read it again!

The author herself is such an intelligent and interesting person. I think I’ve devoured most of her interviews. She is the first author to win the Hugo Award for Best Novel in three consecutive years or for all three novels of this trilogy! And you can see why – this quote tells how insightful this woman is;

“If the first words out of your mouth are to cry ‘political correctness!’, … chances are very, very high that you are in fact part of the problem.”

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie – Americanah

“Dear Non-American Black, when you make the choice to come to America, you become black. Stop arguing. Stop saying I’m Jamaican or I’m Ghanaian. America doesn’t care.”

Moving on from fantasy to fiction, to this critically acclaimed author, Chimamanda Adichie. Safe the say she’s the most widely known author on my list. A deeply insightful writer and a wonderfully witty and perceptive woman. To be quite honest, I’ve only read 2 of her books. I enjoy her work but I do struggle with her characterizations. With all that said, why is she on this list? Because her book, Americanah brought forth a character I had never come across in literary work before. A character that looked just like me and experienced life just as I did.

“The only reason you say that race was not an issue is because you wish it was not. We all wish it was not. But it’s a lie. I came from a country where race was not an issue; I did not think of myself as black and I only became black when I came to America.”

This book follows the life and love of a Nigerian woman who emigrates to America to attend university. Her experience and wakening in regards to race, love, and growth spanning the UK, USA, and Nigerian. As someone who’s experienced all 3, this book resonated in a deep way. However, I will also say that though I started out enjoying the book, it dragged quite a bit in parts, and I wasn’t a big fan of the protagonist. She bordered on unlikeable for me.

Either way, this book has a place in my heart because of how much of what happened to the character mirrored my own life. This quote happened to me countless times!

“What a beautiful name,” Kimberly said. “Does it mean anything? I love multicultural names because they have such wonderful meanings, from wonderful rich cultures.” Kimberly was smiling the kindly smile of people who thought “culture” the unfamiliar colorful reserve of colorful people, a word that always had to be qualified with “rich.” She would not think Norway had a “rich culture.”

 Tiffany Dufu – Drop the Ball

“Many women experience a sense of pressure that men rarely do—the pressure to succeed at work and to keep things running smoothly at home, especially when children arrive on the scene.”

The final book on my list is this gem from Tiffany Dufu. I’ll be the first to say I don’t know a lot about this lovely lady but her book ‘Drop the Ball‘ helped me feel less alone and seen after having my little.

I read/listened to quite a few books while on my maternity leave, all wonderfully written and jam-packed with advice, but none of the authors has a worldview or reality that was close to mine, except for Tiffany. A black woman, married to an African, ambitious, driven, and struggling to figure out work-life balance.

There are so many stats out there that show how much pressure the modern mother is under these days, but there’s additional baggage that comes from being black and African. Tiffany lived through that and comes out with sound advice and insights that resonated with me. This is one book I recommend to moms all the time.

“The greatest privilege that men in the workplace have had isn’t a corporate or public policy. It’s a partner at home. A nonpaid working dad (a.k.a. Stay-at-home dad) might be some working moms’ idea of a superhero. But nonpaid working dads are not the ultimate solution. We do not need role reversal; rather, we need a new model of teamwork in which both parents are meaningfully engaged at work and at home, collaboratively making decisions that reflect what matters most to them.”

And there you have it, 3 black authors spanning 3 genres whose work has had an impact on my life. Their work might have a different effect on you, but one thing’s for sure, you will come away changed and most definitely woke!