FICTION

That Reminds Me

by Derek Owusu
And Other Stories. Jun. 2023. 120p. ISBN 9781913505554. pap. $16.95. F
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DEBUT Coming from Ghana to London as a small boy, K, the narrator of this short novel, does not have the best start in life, as he’s sent from his parents’ home into foster care and then out again. Returning home, he is welcomed with familiar foods and Ghanaian music into a community of aunts and uncles. But K’s happy homecoming is short-lived. His life isn’t much improved at home with a father who is alternately absent or abusive and a mother who turns a blind eye. A baby brother brightens things up for a short while. But the punishing cycle of poverty and racism take their toll on K and his brother. In the end, one experiences mental illness while the other falls into petty crime.
VERDICT Published earlier in the UK, Owusu’s slight novel was awarded the 2020 Desmond Elliott Prize for debut fiction. Short chapters, some merely a paragraph in length, propel the narrative. Don’t be fooled by its slight size, however; this poetic story packs a big emotional punch and will engage a range of readers.
Reviewed by Barbara Love , Apr 01, 2023
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