Back to Kukurantumi by Akosua Nyantakyi

Yes Yes! Welcome and/or welcome back the 'Book club de La Coco" where we read, discuss books & its always a good time..

( lmk how ya'll are feeling about the new club name in the comments, all opinions are welcome)

Okay so without any further a due ... Todays read is this amazing book of letters & poetry by Akosua titled Back to Kukurantumi.. All in perfect timing since April is what I just found to be National Poetry Month. See how things tend to align!?

& align it did, cause this book spoke to so many parts of my Harlem spirit! ( Lenox Ave stand up!)

but I digress, as I'll get to that later. As I mentioned before, this is a full work of letters and poems. But they are more than just that, the words come off the page as each piece tells a story of an experience through the lens of a young Ghanaian-American woman growing up in Harlem. My mind likens the book to a quilt, each piece tells a story that comes together in warmth. Some parts show empowerment and others true vulnerability, with everything in between. All in all providing a space to authentically speak in ones truth.

For those of you who don't know, Kukurantumi is the capital of a district in the Eastern region of Ghana. This also happens to be the birth place of our author. through out the book she shares through her lens, experiences, hardships, even the love she has for her family from relatives, to the one she's starting of her own. It was a joy to read and gave me big breakthrough vibes. for some, I know that writing (i.e journaling for me ) holds therapeutic powers and I could be projecting, but to me this book felt like these words in some ways helped Akosua find her voice, her place and even herself. I was able to sit with the author and discuss this, and some of her other books in an interview here. This book is a definite recommend. To scale, the read is a 9 and the messages are a 10, but the take-aways are to be determined by the reader.

Being a female from Harlem and navigating this world, the stories opened my eyes, giving me a deeper understanding of who Akosua is. Knowing the author certainly plays into the appeal for me. However, women all over the world should pick this book up & give it a go!

Check That out & read Back to Kukurantumi yourself, buy this book on Amazon, or on her site by visiting ImAkosua.om/home. Let me know what you think!