This novella tells a story inspired by clipping.’s song “The Deep”. It is a myth about the Wajinru—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women that had been thrown overboard by slavers. While the women died in the ocean, their children were born as Wajinru.
Yetu, the main character, is a Historian, tasked with all of the memories of Wajinru ancestors—including the horrors of how they came to be. The memories drive her mad with their sorrow, grief, and burden—all of which she carries alone save for annual ceremonies when she shares the memories with the others.
The memories become more than she can bear and she flees her home and the memories and takes solace at the surface, where she is too far from home to be touched by any memories. There, she learns more about family, history, ancestry, and community than she ever could have through memories alone.
This book was SO beautiful! It made beauty out of a violent and devastating past that isn’t far from true history. It was a truly unique story that was beautifully written with fantastic world building. I definitely recommend this book for fans of dark fantasy and/or mythology!
Yetu, the main character, is a Historian, tasked with all of the memories of Wajinru ancestors—including the horrors of how they came to be. The memories drive her mad with their sorrow, grief, and burden—all of which she carries alone save for annual ceremonies when she shares the memories with the others.
The memories become more than she can bear and she flees her home and the memories and takes solace at the surface, where she is too far from home to be touched by any memories. There, she learns more about family, history, ancestry, and community than she ever could have through memories alone.
This book was SO beautiful! It made beauty out of a violent and devastating past that isn’t far from true history. It was a truly unique story that was beautifully written with fantastic world building. I definitely recommend this book for fans of dark fantasy and/or mythology!