MY LIFE AS A CHAMELEON

Split between two cultural identities, a Nigerian and Irish girl navigates difficult family and school experiences.

It’s 1990, and 16-year-old Lily, who’s living in Manchester, England, prepares for a return to her birthplace of Nigeria for the fifth anniversary of her father’s death. Flashbacks to her childhood in 1980s Lagos introduce readers to a young, quiet Lily who’s contending with being the youngest sibling by far (Maggie, Luke, and Sophie are 7, 9, and 13 years older, respectively), having an emotionally distant Nigerian father who’s battling mental illness, and an Irish mother whom she yearns to be closer to. With her father’s mental health worsening and political turmoil, including military coups, creating danger, Lily’s sent to Manchester to live with Luke and the family of his girlfriend, who’s also Nigerian and Irish. “I hate the way everything keeps changing.…All I have is myself,” Lily later confesses—although she’s determined to grapple with the series of life-altering changes she faces. Anyakwo’s debut, which was originally released in 2023 to critical acclaim in the U.K. and Ireland, offers readers an emotional story of survival, grief, and tenacity. The parallel timelines unfold over the novel’s three parts, adding interesting cultural context and space for Lily’s evolution. Though somber at times, the story’s heaviness is warranted, with the author exploring themes of physical abuse, colorism, and racism in a well-developed setting.

A touching story of resilience.