Where Women Are Kings

February 2, 2015
Elijah was born to loving Nigerian immigrants living in London. But, for heartbreaking reasons that become evident over the course of this poignant novel, he endured an unthinkable amount of pain and abuse before winding up on the merry-go-round of child services. At age seven, he’s adopted by Nikki, who is white, and Obi, whose own family is also Nigerian—by all accounts a dependable, compassionate couple determined to protect, love, and heal Elijah. As the family members come to know one another, they each experience intense tenderness and understandable trepidation. However, as Elijah’s past is revealed in more detail, everyone begins to doubt the tenacity of their bond. Interspersed throughout the narrative are letters from Deborah, Elijah’s birth mother, deepening the complexity of both the adoration and suffering he’s known. Watson (Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away), in addition to being a writer, also works as a nurse, and she approaches the topic with expert knowledge of what a child like Elijah would have gone through, as well as tremendous empathy for her cast of characters. Although much of the dialogue feels stilted, used to explain information or shifts in chronology rather than to reflect the characters’ points of view, the book is undeniably powerful.

February 15, 2015
London-born Elijah is just 5 years old when he's taken from his Nigerian birth mother, Deborah, because of signs of abuse, but he still dreams of her when adopted by the British foster parents-one white, one of Nigerian origin-who are determined to heal his wounds and give him a new life.Elijah's much-anticipated birth was a moment of joy for Deborah and her husband, Akpan. But with Apkan's death a few months afterward, Deborah finds herself alone in a foreign country, separated from her homeland and family. She falls into a deep depression, convinced something is wrong with baby Elijah. Seeking help, Deborah turns to her faith, but Bishop Fortune Oladipo, owner and manager of Deliverance Christian Church, is less interested in helping her than in manipulating this sick, desperate woman out of her entire life savings. Bishop Fortune convinces Deborah that Elijah is "possessed by evil" and needs a series of increasingly expensive and dangerous treatments to "exorcise a demon from Elijah's body," one treatment being a bath in a "medicine" that turns out to be skin-burning acid. Even after child protective services removes Elijah from Deborah and places him in foster care, Elijah still believes he has an evil spirit, or "wizard," living inside him and forcing him to do bad things. And what Elijah feels the "wizard" wants him to do will have life-and-death consequences for Elijah and his new adoptive family. Although there is more than a whiff of exotic otherness in the crafting of the African characters, Watson (Tiny Sunbirds, Far Way, 2011) wins when the love Deborah feels for Elijah comes to the fore. Rather than demonizing Deborah, her story becomes a call for social action in the Dickensian tradition, highlighting the need for better postpartum services, better child welfare services and better mental health services.A multilayered, sophisticated book that gets to the heart of what family is and what we will do to love them.

March 1, 2015

Author of Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away, winner of the Costa First Novel Award, Watson again recalls Africa in this affecting story of seven-year-old Elijah, covered in scars, who's been passed from foster parent to foster parent until he is adopted by Nikki and Obi. Elijah declares that "Nigeria is brighter and louder than England" and misses his mother back home, whom he's convinced loves him more than anything. He also thinks he's a wizard. When Nikki's unexpected pregnancy threatens Elijah's small hold on peace, tragedy ensues. VERDICT This simply told story is ultimately heartrending and will appeal to any reader.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2015
In her second novel, British author Watson (Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away, 2011) gracefully creates the delicate workings of a small household with an adopted Nigerian son at the center. Elijah, the seven-year-old son for whom Nikki and Obi have longed, has a horrifying past. The narration rotates among the perspectives of Elijah, Nikki, and Elijah's Nigerian-born mother, Deborah, whose letters to her son sadly display both her intense maternal love and her mental illness. Elijah's pastfull of abuse but also of a belief system at odds with that of his new familyunfolds and, at every turn, creates fresh and seemingly insurmountable conflicts. Deborah's teachings, particularly that a wizard lives within him, permeate Elijah's thoughts, despite the acceptance and love he finds in his new life. Watson's writing, with its gorgeous detail, is well suited to portraying the complexities involved in creating familial bonds, particularly the painstaking adoption process, and the daily life of a newly formed household. She has constructed a wonderful set of characters and a remarkable story of family love amid cultural and emotional tension.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)