At twenty-two years old, Hafsatu Gaya is in her prime. Running a successful fashion line with her best friend in Abuja, she has a great relationship with her three siblings; a doting father who calls her Bebi, and her loving but authoritarian mother who protects her chastity by monitoring her movements and dating life. She's in a long-term relationship with a man she loves, and it’s only a matter of time before they settle down. One day, she makes a casual, fateful decision on a whim, and the result of that action tears down the veil between the life she had been living, and the truth that had its origins in a love story that began long before she was born.
In Hafsatu Bebi, Fatima Bala weaves a masterful tale with a tragic yet uplifting core. A story that is at once sweeping and epic, spanning decades and taking place across three cities. It is also detailed, complex and carefully rendered, a tribute and testimony to enduring love.
Amanda Owusu –
This book is lovely, the intertwined story of the past and present makes it lovely like you are literally reading two different stories at the same time. I like how she explores identity and trauma together. This is a masterpiece.