Beginning as a crime novel, Hawa's story quickly becomes a deeper and more engaging story. Depicting Scotland’s Sierra Leonean community, and the pressures on those moving to this country to support their families back home, I found I was quickly caught up in Hawa’s life. For me, the story became less about missing Othella, and the potential religious and political corruption, and more about Hawa’s experiences and friendships.
‘He said I’m too curvy and that I cook African food all the time,’ Anne-Marie laughed, her eyes bitter. ‘And then I saw a message on his phone. That rag of a man was texting some straight-cut White girls when I was out at work. I tried to get him a job, but he said that he has a master’s degree from back home and so would not wash dishes in kitchens or do care work. And so, I alone in this cold country worked shifts like a mad dog, whilst also doing hair to support us both.’
