Castles from Cobwebs

Longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and named among the 50 most notablenew books from Africa, Castles from Cobwebs follows one girl's transition fromyouthful innocence to understanding as she navigates questions about family,identity, and race.

"I'd always known that I was Brown. Black was different though; it came announced. Black came with expectations, of rhythm and other things that might trip me up."

Imani is a foundling. Rescued as a baby and raised by nuns on a remote Northumbrian island, she grows up with an ever-increasing feeling of displacement. Full of questions, Imani turns to her shadow, Amarie, and her friend Harold. When Harold can't find the answers, she puts it down to what the nuns call her "greater purpose".At nineteen, Imani answers a phone call that will change her life: she is being called to Ghana after the sudden death of her biological mother.

Past, present, faith and reality are spun together in this enthralling debut. Following her transition from innocence to understanding, Imani's experience illuminates the stories we all tell to make ourselves whole.

Winner of Inaugural NourthBound Book Award 2019 Long-listed for The Desmond Elliott Prize 2021 (UK)

“"Mensah's prose is gorgeous and lyrical, conjuring crystalline images ... Strong women abound ... Mensah's storytelling skills make for an atmospheric, poignant, and bold novel that explores uncharted territory." Foreword Reviews, May/June 2022, Starred review "From start to finish, I was spellbound.... Mensah intricately weaves complex characters, vivid descriptions, universal topics of love, loss, identity, religion, with themes like the search for a place to belong, into a well spun tapestry, a mind-spinning tale, a heart-pounding novel--and I'm hooked. I absolutely love this book." Yvonne Battle-Felton, author of Remembered , nominated for the Women's Prize 2019 "Real beauty and clarity in the prose ... powerful and unique." Chitra Ramaswamy, winner of the debuts prize at Scotland's National Book Awards and columnist at the Guardian "A compelling exploration of memory, race, mothers and the fractured self, Mensah ... interrogates how to put disparate parts of our identities together to become the most true version of ourselves." Jessica Andrews, author of Saltwater , winner of the Portico Prize 2020 "Mensah doesn't shy away from tough subjects ... a well-crafted debut ... an extraordinary literary talent and ... a thoroughly recommended read." Northern Soul magazine”

‘From start to finish, I was spellbound by the characters (especially Imani), the narrative voice, and the vivid imagery. Mensah intricately weaves complex characters, vivid descriptions, universal topics of love, loss, identity, religion, with themes like the search for a place to belong, into a well spun tapestry, a mind-spinning tale, a heart-pounding novel – and I'm hooked. I absolutely love this book.’ Yvonne Battle-Felton, author of Remembered, longlisted for the Women’s Prize 2019
Real beauty and clarity in the prose … powerful and unique.' Chitra Ramaswamy
‘A compelling exploration of memory, race, mothers and the fractured self, Mensah questions the frameworks through which we understand the world and interrogates how to put disparate parts of our identities together to become the most true version of ourselves.' Jessica Andrews, author of Saltwater, winner of the Portico Prize 2020
'[An] extraordinary debut … changes with every reading, like the sea, deep and light, or the flicker of spidersilk … a book to be cherished and shared.' Vahni Capildeo
'Lyrical and magical … a powerful and very readable novel.' Louise Maskill
'Mensah doesn’t shy away from tough subjects … a well-crafted debut … an extraordinary literary talent and … a thoroughly recommended read.' -- Emma Yates-Badley Northern Soul
'A strong debut.' The Feminist Nook
'Brilliance and beauty … The writing is exquisite, the plot is thoughtful and complex, and the characters are deeply lovable. This story will be told like folklore, passed on from person to person. And this is me passing it onto you.' Kate Baguley
'A sensitive ear for language and observational detail … offers a unique blend of magical realism and social commentary – the past and the present intermingle with colonial history, displacement and family ties to form a rich narrative tapestry.' -- Reshma Ruia Words of Colour
‘Strong storytelling crafted from a fine delicate web of themes … wonderfully vivid.’ Busy Mama Book Club
'In … Castles from Cobwebs, we gain insight into how identity is not necessarily set in stone, nor is it straightforward or well defined. But rather how it can be complex, ever evolving and and simultaneously painful yet liberating to piece together.' Blackbooksandnotes
'A stunning debut … immersive and captivating … all the threads come together to form the perfect cobweb.' Literary Lucie blog

J.A. Mensah is a writer of prose and theatre and a lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of York, England. Her plays have focused on human rights narratives and the testimonies of survivors. Her short stories appear in several collections. Castles from Cobwebs, her first novel, won the inaugural NorthBound Book Award and was nominated for the Desmond Elliott Award.

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