I have always had my eye on the Faber Editions with these covers as they ALWAYS look so interesting.

Our Sister Killjoy by Ama Ata Aidoo lived up to that expectation. Originally published in 1977 it is shocking to see that quite a few of the Eurocentric attitudes and systems havn’t changed much.

The book follows Sissie as she travels from Ghana to Europe for the first time on a state sponsored scholarship. With her sharp humour she conveys her observations about western society, legacies of colonialism and the racism she experiences.

Sissie as a character was fantastic - she was unafraid to challenge injustice and was wholy herself.

I loved the narrative style, and the books exploration of identity, racism, and displacement - a lot is covered in this short book. The writing changes from prose to poetry which can be a bit hard to get used to.

I can’t wait to read more of Aidoos work.

This is an interesting piece of writing that blends poetry, prose and letters freely across its pages and asserts a post-colonial presentation of fiction. Without knowing too much about the development of literature in Ghana it made me want to research it and to understand the linguistic history that the author was reaching back towards. It’s a novel about belonging and the search to find a language and is a fascinating read that makes you want to understand it more amid its historical context.

Love that this classic was published again and I hope it finds its readers as this story is one that everyone needs to read! I love how it explores migrating from west Africa to Europe and all the trials and tribulations that come with that! Would highly recommend!

Wow, this was a brilliant read! Beautifully written, part prose poem, one section is a letter, I enjoyed all of it. First published 1977, Ghanaian author, Ama Ata Aidoo writes about Sissie, an intelligent young woman who travels first to Germany, then London. The effects of colonialism linger on so this book seemed timeless to me.

A really intriguing premise and an innovative idea! The writing was also excellent. I did not finish in time but I thoroughly enjoyed what I did read!

A metamorphic spearhead for post-colonial writing
—
Practically unknown in the West but celebrated in her native Ghana, Ata Aidoo’s anti-colonial, multi-faceted novel follows Sissie, or Sister Killjoy, as she is unexpectedly given the opportunity to visit Germany and England, and in seeing these other places, she sees herself othered. From a well-to-do family in Ghana, perfectly accented English and the trappings of modern living had been thrust upon her, but only by travelling out of her comfort zone does Sissy begin to understand her strength and her power.

Presented in a mix of prose, poetry and epistolary, this is a tour-de-force of post-colonial narrative that refuses the Western gaze, using language and frames from spoken and sung texts: oral tales, fireside songs, lullabies, protest chants, lover’s sweet nothings. Sissie is a powerful character, holding her own counsel until when it is most needed, her words incisive and direct, most of all to herself. As events conspire and show her the dross beneath the gloss, Sissie triumphantly returns to her Ordinary World, bearing the treasure of self wisdom that she had all along.

A short but powerful book: five stars.

Without browsing the website and stumbling over this very interesting cover of the republished work by Ama Ata Aidoo, including a very revealing foreword, I would have possibly missed that there was something published so early and boldly about Ghanaian representation abroad/ in exile, and about the author's feelings in respect to this.

What was difficult for me to ingest was the form: the text unravels as a combo of prose, letters, and verse, and the former and latter are intertwined in the first part of the book (Sissie's venture in Germany & co). On the other hand, that part was my favourite, as it pertained to many of the unasked questions I might be bearing at the back of my mind about how does it feel for a person to be seen differently, to cope far from home, to align expectations and truth.

To my shame I was not aware of the existence of the author, and much less of her exploits, before, but now that I read this I am quite curious and invested in learning much more.

This book will stay with me for a very long time.
I found myself racing through the first section due to the mix of prose and poetry but decided to slow down my reading to full immerse myself in the writer's style. I found this book to be challenging but rewarding. It offered a perspective that I had not been aware of before and introduced me to an author I knew nothing about and am keen to read more of her work.

I was so excited to pick up Our Sister Killjoy, especially knowing its influence on some of my favorite authors, like Tsitsi Dangarembga. Ama Ata Aidoo’s novel is a poetic meditation on the lives of Africans who leave home in search of education and opportunity, often supported by government scholarships, as is the case with Sissie. Through her journey, we witness her simmering anger, her resentment, and her growing disillusionment with both Europe and those Africans who become disconnected from their roots.

What struck me most was the novel’s shifting form, seamlessly blending prose and verse to offer a window into Sissie’s thoughts. This fluidity made her observations feel even more immediate and piercing, and I found myself saving several quotes to revisit later. Despite the novel’s serious themes, Aidoo also weaves in moments of sharp humor and irony, making Sissie’s voice all the more compelling.

For me, the final section was the most powerful, as it unpicks the long-term effects of a foreign education—not just on individuals, but on the countries they leave behind. Our Sister Killjoy is a bold, thought-provoking read that I’d highly recommend to anyone drawn to poetic storytelling, postcolonial literature, and incisive critiques of identity, migration, and colonial legacies.

This was an interesting read, originally released in 1977.
It's like a mix of poetry and story. A different read. Covering lots of different topics.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Originally published in 1977, an interesting exploration of migration from Africa to Europe. A love letter to Africa. This short book is many things - part poetry, part prose.

Thank you to Faber and NetGalley for the copy to review - I wouldn’t have wanted to miss this one.

This book was beautiful to read. The switch between poetry and prose was flawless and poignant, where the prose was informative and moved the plot along, and the poetry gave intense, emotional dialogue on colonialism, Western imperialism, love, and gender. Notably, the style swapping mid-sentence really drove home the emotional strain Sissie felt during her time abroad. I felt that the first sections were stronger than the last, but ultimately, the book was strong.

I should preface this review by saying that I was falling deep into a rather bad illness, so that likely influenced my opinions on this book. I think that's an important thing to acknowledge because circumstances often have a huge impact on what we think about a piece of media.

This book is a very experimental piece of literature, which typically I tend to enjoy, although there are always a few misses along the way. I don't think I quite got this one, probably because the more experimental verse elements had a more or less even split with the main narrative, and it was a little bit jarring in that respect. The way this book was styled also left it without much character work (or really any at all) and it was therefore hard for me to get invested even though it was only about a hundred pages. I think maybe if I had studied it and been invited to critically engage with it in more detail, perhaps it would have had an impact on me, but ultimately it just didn't seem to.

I had never read 'Our Sister Killjoy' and found it thought-provoking, gritty and engaging. The intro by Attuh is perfect for first time readers such as myself and it provided an important foundation going into the novel blind. This is a good edition and I plan to add a physical copy to my collection soon. Very poignant.

Some books resonate across generations, their themes refusing to be silenced. Ama Ata Aidoo’s Our Sister Killjoy, first published in 1977 and now reissued by Faber Editions in 2025, is one such novel. A searing critique of European imperialism, alienation, and the disillusionment of African intellectuals abroad, this book remains as urgent and thought-provoking as ever. For those who revel in literature that challenges, informs, and captivates, Aidoo’s work is an essential read.

Ayesha Harruna Attah’s foreword to this edition beautifully sets the scene and tone for the book, introducing readers to Aidoo’s legacy while providing historical and cultural context. It primes the reader for the journey ahead, offering valuable insights into Aidoo’s impact and the continuing relevance of Our Sister Killjoy.

At the heart of Our Sister Killjoy is Sissie, a sharp and observant Ghanaian woman who travels to Europe on a scholarship. Unlike many diasporic narratives that romanticise the Western experience, Aidoo flips the script—Sissie’s encounters in Germany and England are laced with disillusionment, cultural confrontation, and a deep yearning for home. The novel’s distinctive structure—blending poetry, prose, and political commentary—mirrors the disjointedness of the immigrant experience, making the reader feel Sissie’s displacement in every word.

Aidoo’s writing is masterful. Her prose is both lyrical and incisive, her wit razor-sharp. Through Sissie’s eyes, we see the absurdities of Western arrogance, the loneliness of the immigrant journey, and the moral reckoning faced by those who leave home in search of something better. The novel challenges the notion of assimilation, instead emphasising self-knowledge, resistance, and a return to one’s roots.

For those of us born into the Ghanaian diaspora, especially in the UK, Our Sister Killjoy carries an even deeper resonance. Sissie’s reflections on the immigrant experience expose the myth of Western superiority and the reality of alienation, themes that still echo in the lives of first-generation British-Ghanaians. The tension between embracing British influences while holding on to Ghanaian heritage is ever-present, making Aidoo’s message feel incredibly personal.

Moreover, Aidoo’s feminist perspective sheds light on the expectations placed on African women—both at home and abroad. Her portrayal of Sissie as a woman who rejects imposed societal norms feels especially powerful in a diasporic context where cultural expectations and Western ideologies often clash.

Reading Our Sister Killjoy in 2025 is a reminder of how relevant Aidoo’s work remains. With ongoing conversations about migration, identity, and postcolonial realities, Sissie’s story feels eerily contemporary. This book also fits perfectly into the 2025 Popsugar Reading Challenge category—‘A book where the main character is an immigrant or refugee’—but it is so much more than that. It is a feminist manifesto, an anti-colonial critique, and a love letter to Ghana, all wrapped in an evocative and innovative literary form.

For those new to Aidoo, this is an excellent introduction to her brilliance. For those revisiting her work, this reissue is a timely reminder of why she remains one of the most significant voices in African literature. Our Sister Killjoy is not just a book—it is an experience, one that demands to be felt, interrogated, and remembered.

***Thank you Netgalley and Faber for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

A lyrical and biting exploration of colonialism, racism, privilege and power, Our Sister Killjoy is a still prescient narrative that touches on the experience of the African diaspora in Europe through Sissie, a Ghanaian scholar who spends time in Germany and England. Ama Ata Aidoo seamlessly merges poetry and prose to expose the heart of the ignorance with which her people are treated through unflinching observations and powerful imagery, this short novel will stay with readers long after they have turned the final page.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for access to this ARC.

Ama Ata Aidoo is a new name for me and I did struggle a little, at times, with the style of the book which feels part memoir, part novel and part poetry.

It tells the story of Sissie but also of many others who came from the colonies to make their mark (or their lives) in Europe.

The first part deals with Sissie in Germany where she is befriended by a woman who becomes almost besotted with Sissie. The next part is about Sissie's time in London where she sees what living in England has done to her compatriots. The final part is a letter about and to those who have left and returned home.

It's an interesting look at emigrants and the language is, at times, very beautiful but it also doesn't let you rest on your laurels and think that life is easy for those who choose to leave their home for a better life, those who return or those who stay away.

Thankyou to Netgalley and Faber & Faber for the advance review copy.

I am trying to read more books from around the world and was very excited to see this book by a Ghanaian author appear as being reprinted. It was like nothing I've every read before being part poetry, part play script, part epistolary novel while also being a hugely impactful book about the thoughts of an African woman leaving her country to come to the places that irreversibly changed her home.

I very much liked Sissie's voice as she grew in confidence and understanding and it also gave me insight in to Ghana's past - to my shame I only know it now as a favoured birding destination of my late father in law.

While the book itself is now almost 50 years old many of the issues and points Sissie/Aidoo raise sadly haven't changed at all.

It took me a little time to get used to the various styles of the book but I really liked it.

This book is a masterpiece. It is searing, unflinching, uncomfortable, honest and absolutely incredibly written. You could spend months and months analysing the poetry and the prose, the interplay of the imagery and the beauty of the writing. The story of how Sissie travels through Europe from Africa, the people she meets, the encounters she experiences, and the issues she’s highlights are as prescient now as when the book was written. It is a lyrical exploration of racism, colonialism and imperialism and it is unflinching in its portrayal of uncomfortable truths. Absolutely spellbinding.

Wow. I have not stopped thinking about this book since I finished it a week ago. If you’re able, I highly recommend reading it in one or two sittings.

In the introduction, Ayesha Harruna Attah writes of this book: ‘I would wager that her book was ruffling the dainty feathers of her male author friends.’ If that isn’t reason enough to pick up this short yet thematically rich and essential work of art, I don’t know what is.

Our Sister Killjoy by Ama Ata Aidoo was first published in 1977, and this edition is part of the collection of ‘rediscovered gems’ from Faber & Faber. I’m so grateful to have come across this beautiful little book thanks to Faber Editions, made even more special by an introduction from Ayesha Harruna Attah that I found myself rereading and appreciating even more after finishing the novel.

From Ghana to Germany to London and back, we follow Sissie as she navigates the baffling ignorance and unchecked privilege of white Europeans, alongside the sheer shock of witnessing the realities of some from her own diaspora. Aidoo offers searing and unapologetic commentary on the duplicity of colonialism and reflections on implicit racism, both violent and veiled, all woven through sharp observations on the often unfathomable nuances of human relationships.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of this book is the way Aidoo seamlessly shifts between prose and poetry, with many of the poetic sections carrying immense power even when read in isolation. Wow.

Timeless, profound, and vital, Our Sister Killjoy is an essential read. Thank you to the Faber Editions team for bringing this gem back into the world. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy to annotate, share, and revisit time and time again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Faber & Faber for the e-arc. All opinions are my own.

TWs/CWs:
Graphic: Racism and Colonisation. Moderate: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Religious bigotry. Minor: Racial slurs and Toxic relationship