I’ve been seeing Ghostroots by Pemi Aguda on Instagram for months, so when it finally became available at my public library, I was excited to finally get a chance to read it. I don’t read enough short story collections, and I’m hoping to change that.
My thoughts
Set in Lagos, Ghostroots is a collection of twelve short stories that mostly follow women, especially mothers and daughters. Each story has a supernatural element woven into it, creating a world that feels both familiar and haunting. The first two stories set the tone brilliantly for me and were a solid 4.5/5 stars.
What I loved most about Ghostroots was how Pemi Aguda brought everyday people to life in her writing: the neighbors on a street, the market women, mothers and daughters, children. And, of course, the setting—Lagos, felt vividly alive in every story.
In this collection, you’ll encounter a mother who despises her daughter, a mother who feels undeserving of loving her daughter because of an accident that led to the death of another woman’s child, a daughter who is cherished by parents willing to make sacrifices for her, mothers grieving the loss of their sons, and fathers grappling with the ghosts of their pasts.
The stories are haunting and unsettling, with Pemi’s writing pulling you in and refusing to let go. Themes of mother-daughter relationships, motherhood, and grief stood out the most to me which is probably why my favourites from the collection were Manifest, Breastmilk, 24, Alhaji Williams Street, Things Boys Do, Imagine me carrying you & Birdwoman. These stories lingered with me long after I’d finished reading them.
That said, a few stories like The Hollow, Girlie, and Masquerade didn’t resonate with me as much.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this and getting immersed in the stories. I think this is a collection worth reading for sure!
My rating
3.75 stars.
If you enjoy stories that ground themselves in the ordinary while exploring the strange and otherworldly, this collection is definitely worth checking out.
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