A retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, this novel offers a decolonised narrative that spans two decades across Nigeria and England. With its engaging characters and remarkable writing, it deftly interweaves dark and light themes. While it draws inspiration from Austen's work, it stands strong as an independent story, so prior knowledge of the original is not necessary. Highly recommended for its fresh perspective and captivating storytelling.

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I love a family saga and this one was excellent. It had me rooting for both main protagonists, Funke and Liv, from start to finish and I couldn't wait to get back to it every time I had to put it down. I loved the girls relationship and reading about the challenges they both faced as they moved through adolescence into adulthood. I loved reading about their lives in England and Nigeria, especially the cultural differences and the family dynamics in each setting. The wider cast of characters was fab and there were some I fell in love with and some I loved to hate. As the girls are thrown together then forced apart their journey took a few unexpected turns and was sadder than I'd anticipated at times but I consumed the sad parts as greedily as the happy parts and it's easily one of my top reads this year.

What a wonderful read. I adored this book and became totally immersed in the lives of Funke and Liv, the beautifully vivid descriptions of Nigeria and the cast of characters that brought the book to life. Funny, sad, heartwarming and ultimately full of love, I know that this will be a book I would happily recommend and read again, it was lovely. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This Motherless Land by Nikki May is a gorgeous novel based between England and Nigeria, following Funke as she travels from everything she has known to adapt to life in a whole new country

Funke and Liv are cousins. Funke has joined her mothers family in England after her mother passed away and despite the frosty reception, finds a kindred spirit in Liv, despite their personality differences. The pair grow up together and this creates a beautiful story of love and loss, motherhood and identity, all supported by a deep level of connection to others and what we perceive is home

A deeply moving, eclectic and immersive piece and I absolutely adored it for its heart and authenticity

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers | Doubledayand Nikki May for this ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

In this novel - set in the 1970s, 80s and 90s - we follow Funke, a young girl growing up in Nigeria, the daughter of a Black Nigerian father and a white English mother. When her mother and brother die in a car accident, Funke is sent to live with her estranged aunt Margot, cousins Dominic and Olivia, and grandmother Dorothy in Somerset, in the house her mother Lizzie used to talk about all the time. We follow her as she is renamed Kate by her aunt's family and tries to adjust, and later returns - in complicated circumstances, but no spoiler - to Nigeria.

The plot itself was a bit... far-fetched at times, the events that led to Funke going back to Nigeria were barely believable. The characters go through seemingly unexplained changes in personality - Funke's loving father rejects her, then welcomes her back later; her cousin Olivia/Liv is a kind and lovely little girl and later a troubled and selfish teenager...Aunt Margot and cousin Dominic were a bit too caricatural in their cruelty and racism. There were a few events that I thought did not quite add up, too many convenient coincidences - I know it's a novel but I thought at times it was too outlandish.

That said, I loved many of the other characters, Funke especially - and I loved following her as she moved between cultures, each time having to re-adapt and become nearly a new person, adopting a new name and a new language, trying to blend in but not quite. Descriptions of life in Nigeria in the 70s and 90s felt warm, rich and convincing; I liked the writing. I have not read anything else by Nikki May but I would love to.

I loved Nikki May’s book Wahala, and was thrilled to receive this from NetGalley. It’s a modern day Mansfield Park, exploring cultural differences between Lagos and Somerset (unsurprisingly many) and the relationships between family members.
Funke grows up in Nigeria but after a family tragedy ends up living with her aunt and cousins in the UK. Most of the family are pretty horrid (or at least ineffective) in the face of her arrival but she finds a true connection with cousin Luv, until another tragedy tears them apart.
I loved these characters, and found this book really moving and thought provoking about identity, and the choices we make according to our upbringing and sense of family. Absolutely lovely.

Marketing this book as a retelling of Mansfield Park does it something of a disservice. The links between the two are extremely limited and as such is a little disappointing for someone hoping for a genuine post-colonial retelling of Austen's original, with its rare. though hardly elaborated, hints at the slave trade. Judging it as an original story in it's own right, it is interesting. The relationship between Funke and the estranged family of her white mother is painfully rendered with a complexity of tenderness in some cases tainted with resentment and racism. While the links to Austen are limited there's an odd hangover of Funke's inability to act when she is ousted by her aunt's cunning. It stretches credulity that her aunt, though influential, would be able to exile Funke so completely and Funke would believe that she had no power to change it. She is painted too naive, too like the sweet and pliable Fanny, in a way that jars with the modern context. Despite being billed as fiercely intelligent this is rarely demonstrated and she is passive to the point of disbelief, happy to subordinate herself to the needs of others whether she likes them or not.

I have long been a fan of Nikki May after reading Wahala and waiting with anticipation for her next book and it did not disappoint. I found this novel equally as charming and full of female friendship, food and rich in culture. I loved reading about England and Nigeria and seeing the two lives being pulled apart and put together. 100% would recommend this to everyone to read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC of Thus Motherless Land.

To begin my review, I will state that I really enjoy reading about cultures and countries other than my own, any this can up any rating for me, particularly when a description is done well.

The heartbreaking story of liv and funke/Kate brought me through every emotion. I enjoyed this book even though it was a hard read at times.

Highly recommend.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book #ThisMotherlessLand. It’s beautifully written.
A story about race, culture, belonging, mothers, loss and grief, sibling rivalry and identity.
It’s witty, moving and raw. It tugs at your heartstrings.
I loved the writing style as you feel connected to the characters and feel every emotion. The characters are brilliant and relatable with detailed descriptions of culture and food both in England and Nigeria.
I loved the cover too.
Overall, a gripping and poignant entertaining read. I definitely recommend.
With thanks to #NetGallery #RandomHouseUk #TransworldPublishers for an arc in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 18 July 2024.

Funke loves her life in Nigeria with her parents and brother. But when tragedy hits, she is sent to live with family in England, family she has never met. Her new family are cold, and they don't care much for her. All expect for Liv, her cousin, who takes her under her wing.

I can't begin to describe how much I adored this book! I read Nikki's debut Wahala when it was first released and loved it! But I still think 'This motherless land' is even better!! Nikki's writing style really connects you to the characters, and very much makes you feel every emotion!

I really felt for Funke the whole way through this book and felt myself rooting for her. She was a great character who went through so much in her life but still stayed exceptionally resilient and ambitious.

Synopsis: When Funke’s mother is killed in an accident in Lagos, she is sent to live with her maternal family in the English countryside. Here under the grey skies and with the strange food and culture that she does not fully understand Funke meets her cousin Liv who becomes her friend and protector as she slowly acclimatises. However as the cousins grow older choices made by previous generations and themselves drive them apart.

Review: I can’t say how much I enjoyed this loose retelling of Jane Austin’s Mansfield Park. Spanning two decades in Nigeria and England the stark contrasts between country and culture are more than apparent and Funke’s struggle to adapt to both pulls at your heartstrings. Book of many topics- mothers, sibling rivalry, culture , prejudice, loss and grief- it is above all about identity. What makes us who we are, where do we belong and the things we need to do to be accepted. The descriptions of Nigeria and its culture are vibrant and developed beyond just the food and culture to also class and corruption. Overall this is a thoroughly entertaining novel that on one hand I did not want to put down but also that I did not want to finish. I will remember Funke for a long time. So if you want an immersive page turner then you can’t go wrong with this novel and I can’t recommend it highly enough

Funke lives in Nigeria with her Nigerian father, English mother and younger brother Femi. After a tragic accident Funke's father decides to send her to live with her mother's family in Somerset. Funke has never had any contact with her mother's family as they disowned her after her marriage. Arriving in England she met with indifference and the only person who takes any interest in her is her cousin Liv. They become firm friends and Funke, now known as Kate, eventually settles down in her new home. Just as Funke is about to start Medical School, another tragic accident results in her being sent back to live in Nigeria. Poor Funke now has to readjust once again to living in a strange environment. Liv in the meantime is lurching from one dead end job to another and is confused as to why her cousin left so abruptly.
I enjoyed Nikki May's previous novel, Wahala and was delighted to receive an advanced copy of This Motherless Land. This too was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

I was offered this novel by the publishers because I'd enjoyed the author's "Wahala" a couple of years ago. It was touted as a de-colonising reworking of Jane Austen's "Mansfield Park," which was a bit of a shame, as although it had similar aspects at first (poor relation goes to live with her posh cousins on their country estate aged eight, the story is revisited every ten or so years), it was more of a (powerful) riff on that novel, offering a contrast between England and Nigeria in which Nigeria comes off better and as "home" while celebrating inheritance, interest in other cultures and community.

I wish I'd not wasted time searching for the characters in the Austen novel who weren't echoed in this novel: in fact, the two cousins, Funke and Liv, are friends from the start, an obvious difference. Anyway, I did enjoy this once I'd got over that slight issue: the plot is quite complicated and has some coincidences which I was fine to accept, and it was good to see both Funke and Liv grow into their power. Funke gets a raw deal in one respect, Liv in another, and we see them both broken then growing and can celebrate that growth. There was much musing on mothers and mother figures, including aunts and aunties.

Definitely a good read and I will continue to look out for more by this author.

Reviewed on my blog 29 July 2024 https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2024/07/29/two-book-reviews-mothers-friends-and-lovers/

Unfortunately life has got in the way and I haven’t been able to get to this book before publication day. Once I’ve read it I will come back here to update my review and leave my review on all relevant book retailers websites.

Funke was born in Nigeria to a Nigerian father and English mother. In the wake of a tragedy, she is sent to England to live with her mum's family, despite them having disowned her when she married Funke's dad. It is a huge culture shock, plus she doesn't feel fully accepted by most of the family, except for her cousin Liv who being similar in age is quick to connect.

All is going great for a while, until they are hit by another tragic event and Funke is sent back to Nigeria. Feeling like she had finally settled in England, coming back to Nigeria feels like starting again and Funke really struggles to rebuild her life. We also follow Liv back in England as she tries to rebuild her life without Funke around.

I really enjoyed this. Following Funke and Liv after the tragic event that separates them as they both try to put their lives back together, it shows how no matter your differences, there is always some way to make a strong connection with other people, despite external pressures. They are very different characters, but also very likeable and it was great to see their relationship develop in this beautifully written, engaging story.

Having absolutely loved May’s previous book, Wahala, I was really looking forward to this, billed as a retelling of Mansfield Park, and it proved to be another fabulous read thanks to May’s ability to bring people and places to life in glorious technicolour whilst also tackling some thought-provoking issues around belonging and cultural differences.

It is the story of Funke, born in Nigeria to a Nigerian father and an English mother. Her mother was disowned by her family when she chose to marry a Nigerian - despite never having met that side of the family, when tragedy strikes, Funke is sent to England to live with them. A somewhat dysfunctional family, the only person happy to have her there is her cousin Liv and as Funke strives to fit into an unfamiliar and often hostile environment they form a strong bond - until a catastrophic event sees Funke sent back to Nigeria where once again she must battle against feeling like an outsider and rebuild her life. Meanwhile Liv also faces her own battles with her complicated family and her life begins to spiral out of control.

It is a story of the human need to belong and as such it tugs at your heart as you feel for both Funke and Liv as they each try to come to terms with their past and move forward in their very different but intertwined lives - but there is so much hopefulness too. May writes from personal experience about the challenges of straddling two different cultures and captures it all so well - beautifully written and utterly engaging, May has knocked it out of the park once again!

I adored Nikki Mary's debut novel, Wahala a couple of years ago, so I was thrilled to be invited to read her new book, This Motherless Land. Thank you Random House UK for the ARC.

Funke has a happy life in Nigeria with her parents and younger brother. But when tradegy strikes she is sent to England to live with her mother's family.

Although this book deals with some difficult themes, the author dealt with them well and I found it a pleasure to read. I loved the descriptions of life in Nigeria, which was vibrant and full of energy. It was interesting seeing the UK through the eyes of young Funke. In contrast to Nigeria the UK appeared dull and grey.

I really enjoyed how the relationship evolved between cousins, Liv and Funke. They developed a beautiful friendship that transcends cultural differences and family troubles. This is a captivating but emotional story that pulled on my heart strings throughout.

Funke loses her mother and finds herself living in Somerset. She is young, and so is her cousin Liv - the two sort of become friends. Beautifully and fairly told. the first part is 4.5/5. The prose is easy-to-follow. Funke experiences racism, discrimination and more grief.
Concept and themes 5/5 (the multicultural aspects, the authenticity, how the important themes are woven into the plot)
Characterisation and plot 4/5 (the twists and the resolution 3.5/5)
Prose 4/5

Overall, 4/5

I am eager to read more by this author and on similar themes.

Absolutely brilliant.
Primary age Funke lives in Nigeria in the 1970's with her professor Nigerian father and white English teacher mother and brother Femi. Funke is growing up in a culture where male children are considered more important and where there is a strong cultural significance with Christianity but if you're Muslim, interfaith marriages are frowned upon (and probably vice versa) and if you're white or of mixed race, you are open to name calling and not being accepted fully into the culture. That is just he way it is and if you know no different then what does it matter. Funke however, has been told of stories of her mother's former life in in England and how different it all is.
Funke is involved in a car accident with her mother and brother and is the only survivor of the accident. Her father does not cope and her paternal grandmother is simply cruel, so it is decided that Funke should move to England to live with her grandparents, aunt and cousins.
Funke doesn't want to leave all she has ever known and arrives to live with strangers to live in an attic room with an aunt who hates Femi because she is the daughter of her sister who she disked for marrying a black man and because of the colour of her skin. She has a male cousin who is nothing short of a bully to Funk and being a boy who is more highly thought of than his sister Liv. Liv thankfully, is warm to Funke and helps her settle into the new culture of England such as food, baths, the weather and light evenings. As unwelcome as she is made to feel, Funke feels that by fitting in, she will be more accepted and goes as far to leave her name Funke behind instead going by Katherine or Kate. The years pass and the disproportionate treatment by virtue of the colour of her skin is relentless but despite everything - Kate flourishes. Kate takes the opportunity to discover the land where her dead mother was from and tried to find her in hidden corners being bereft of a mother whilst growing up in a family that can be described at best mildly negligent and at worst racist. Liv however, desperate to go in another direction, gets into trouble being blackmailed into handing over money that she can't afford and when Kate refuses to bail her out, Liv plays a nasty trick on Kate. An incident happens which culminates in Kate going back to Nigeria. In Nigeria, she finds her mother on every corner.
There's an element of will they won't they and frustrating missed opportunities that created a page turner where I felt going to work was getting in the way of reading this book to find out what happens.
The two female protagonists are very likeable but very different, Funke (Kate) is bereft from her loving mother and moved to strangers who live in a completely different culture. Despite this she learns to adapt and flourish. Liv on the other hand is privileged in comparison to Funke (Kate) to the point she is unfairly favoured but like Funke, does not have a mother figure even though she is very much alive. They are similar in that the nearest they have to a mother figure is their grandmother. Their as their lives mature, they again differ with Funke (Kate) excelling academically and Liv spiralling out of control. Their love and support for one another is equal in every way.
This is a contemporary book of grief, racism, rejection, misogyny, culture, family love and romantic love and multicultural interest.

With thanks to #NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for this ARC.