02/02/2015
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. (Apr.)
Watson paints a portrait of a world torn by issues of class, race, and belief…[T]he book becomes progressively more convincing, darker and unexpectedly comic as a lively cast of characters inject humor and a believable awkwardness into an often painful drama…[A] moving and complex picture. Watson is especially good at describing Elijah’s pleasure in the odd beauties of nature, as well as the wants and needs of domestic life. Elijah is never more heartbreaking than when he’s imagining all the people he loves brought together in one place.” —New York Times Book Review
"[Christie] Watson gracefully creates the delicate workings of a small household with an adopted Nigerian son at the center...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." —Booklist
"A multilayered, sophisticated book that gets to the heart of what family is and what we will do to love them." —Kirkus Reviews
"[Christie] Watson...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. Where Women Are Kings is undeniably powerful." —Publishers Weekly
"[A]n intense cross-cultural story of love...Watson's portrayal of these characters is forceful and potent...the love that pervades the story is liberating." —Shelf Awareness
"At times hauntingly heartbreaking, Christie Watson’s second novel explores race, family and the complexities of the Western foster system...Watson shows us the politics of adoption, the complexities of calling a stranger your son, and the capacity of love." —The Riveter
"Where Women are Kings does not coddle its readers, nor does it cling to the hysteria of melodrama. Watson’s controlled prose transforms Elijah into a boy as real and memory-soaked as a scar." —The Toast
"Equally heartwarming and heartbreaking." —The Jersey Journal
“Watson’s writing is magical and beguiling. Elijah, the protagonist of this novel, joins a distinguished list of fictional wunderkinder that stretches from Peter Pan to Oskar Matzerath of The Tin Drum to Azaro of The Famished Road. Watson is a fluent story teller.” —E. C. Osondu, winner of the Caine Prize
“In this very moving story, Watson confronts us with pain and loss. And yet, despite all of that, love ultimately wins.” —Chika Unigwe, author of On Black Sisters Street
“Christie Watson reeled me into this wise and moving portrayal of one family’s struggle to love fiercely to the haunting end. Young Elijah stayed with me long after the last page.” —Shilpi Somaya Gowda, best-selling author of Secret Daughter
“Christie Watson writes with compassion, insight, and a delicate beauty about a difficult and often overlooked subject—the intersections of race, family, fostering and the unexpected power of love.” —Chris Abani, author of GraceLand and The Secret History of Las Vegas
“Christie Watson writes with incredible commitment and understanding of her subject. Where Women Are Kings is a great follow up to her first novel, Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away, and I hope it finds the readers it deserves.” —Helon Habila, author of Oil on Water
“A beautifully sad novel… Watson’s words are beautifully lyrical…Watson leaves us with an unforgettable story that will make your chest tighten, your eyes leak and your heart lurch.” —In Style
“A sensitive portrayal of the complex realities of adoption and mental illness.” —Daily Telegraph
“Staggeringly authentic, staggeringly moving and profound…and at times hysterically funny. It’s a gem.” —Lesley Lokko, author of A Private Affair
“Watson’s second offering is deeply moving and disturbing, with a rich narrative that keeps the reader keen — yet fearful — of what happens next.” —Independent Press Association
“One of those stories that goes straight to the heart.” —Litteratursiden
“Expertly handles delicate, culturally sensitive issues . . . Elijah’s voice shines through the pages, making him a character who is memorable long after the story ends.” —We Love This Book
“A stunningly haunting novel… impossible to put down.” —Image
“Kept us gripped throughout . . . stayed with us long after we’d finished the final page.” —Stylist
“Uplifting, heartwarming...” —Pride Magazine
03/01/2015
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.
2015-02-02
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.
