Check out our recommended reads for the month of April …
Our selection of books this month includes releases from the Matriarc herself Beyonce’s mother Ms Tina Knowles, Denne Michele Norris and Funmi Fetto for you to add to your reading list.
When the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele Norris
The venerated Reverend Doctor John Freeman did not raise his son, Davis, to be touched by any man, let alone a white man. He did not raise his son to whisper that man’s name with tenderness.
But on the eve of his wedding, all Davis can think about is how beautiful he wants to look when he meets his beloved Everett at the altar. Never mind that his mother, who died decades before, and his father, whose anger drove Davis to flee their home in Ohio for a freer life in New York City, won’t be there to walk him down the aisle. All Davis needs to be happy in this life is Everett, his new family, and his burgeoning career as an award-winning violist.
When Davis learns during the wedding reception that his father has died in a terrible car accident, years of childhood trauma and unspoken emotion resurface. Davis must revisit everything that went wrong between them, his fledgling marriage and irresistible self-confidence spiraling into a pit of despair.
In resplendent prose, Denne Michele Norris’s When the Harvest Comes fearlessly reveals the pain of inheritance and the heroic power of love, reminding us that in the end we are more than the men who came before us.
‘Epic, intimate, brutal, and tender, Denne Michele Norris has written a breathtaking testimony about the boundlessness of love.‘ Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
‘When the Harvest Comes is a book to sink into, to luxuriate within. . . . It’s only when you’re finished that you realize that you’ve never before read a story quite like this one.‘ Torrey Peters, author of Detransition, Baby
Publication date: 15th April 2025
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Hail Mary by Funmi Fetto
Meet Ifeoma. She’s been ready to leave her violent husband for some time, but her plans for a quiet departure take an unexpectedly gruesome turn…
Nkechi, a housemaid for a rich Lagos family, bears the weight of her Madam’s wrath when she discovers her husband’s dark secret.
In London, Riliwa meets Mary, a guardian angel full of advice, wisdom and practical support as she navigates her unfamiliar new home. But it soon becomes clear that Mary’s kindness comes at a price.
Passionate, raw, full of heart and humour, these are stories about women who will not be broken by the challenges life puts in their way.
‘Wow! I thought this collection was breathtaking. It packs such an emotional punch.’ Jessica George, author of Maame
‘Culturally layered and gripping… Fetto’s witty and candid storytelling made this a breathless read, while her vital and heroic protagonists will stay with me forever.‘ Vanessa Walters, author of The Lagos Wife
Publication date: 24th April 2025
Publisher: Oneworld Publishing
Possibility by Sareeta Domingo
What’s the thing you’d change about your life right now if you could click your fingers?
When Anika Lapo wakes up in the hospital on her thirtieth birthday, it’s not dying she’s afraid of: her real fear is how much of her life she has wasted. After a successful operation, she vows not to lose another second.
Every night, she writes in her diary about the person she wants to be and the next day, her words come true. How she’s going to land her dream job as a radio producer, DJ to a crowd instead of her bedroom – and that she’ll finally, blissfully connect with breakfast show host Cam Aseidu, the guy with the sexy smirk and jet-black eyes she’s lusted after from afar…
Thanks to her diary manifestations, Anika is finally living up to her potential. But what if she’s trying so hard to be in control that she loses herself along the way? What if, after everything, she was enough all along?
‘Whew! Such a gorgeous book… I was so heavily invested‘, Stephanie Yeboah
‘Beautifully written, full of heart, steamy, and emotional. I’ve officially found my new book boyfriend – Cam is everything‘ Lizzie Damilola Blackburn
‘Smart, funny, poised and sexy, this is a novel that has it all. Reading something this good is an unadulterated pleasure‘, Okechukwu Nzelu
Publication date: 24th April 2025
Publisher: Hachette UK
When We Ruled: The Rise and Fall of Twelve African Queens and Warriors by Paula Akpan
Njinga Mbande. Nana Yaa Asantewaa. Makobo Modjadji VI. Ranavalona the First.
These queens and warriors ruled vast swathes of the African continent, where they led, loved and fought for their kingdoms and people. Their impact can still be felt today, and yet, beyond the lands they called home, so few of us have ever heard their names.
In When We Ruled, historian Paula Akpan takes us into the worlds of these powerful figures, following their stories and how they came to rule and influence the futures of their people. Through deep research and discovery, Akpan will uncover new truths and grapple with uncomfortable realities, allowing us to be immersed in countless moments of bravery, intrigue and, for some, the unravelling of their rule.
With reigns spanning from pre-colonial Nigeria to the rich lands of Rwanda, and from Ancient Egypt to apartheid South Africa, these rulers shed a new light on gender politics in these regions, showing how women were celebrated and revered before colonising powers took hold, and continue to be long after.
In this game-changing narrative of twelve lives, Akpan takes us on a spellbinding, enrapturing and immersive history that is nothing short of revelatory.
‘A rich sumptuous and beautifully written tapestry‘ Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie
‘A searing, nourishing journey through a history the world needs‘ Bettany Hughes, author of The Seven Wonders Of The World
Publication date: 24th April 2025
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Another Mother Does Not Come When Yours Does by Mubanga Kalimukwento
A kaleidoscope of emotions: at once self-excavation and epitaph, exhumation, and burial song. These words are a conversation between the present and the past.
Kalimamukwento deftly navigates the aftermath of devastating personal losses, particularly that of her mother. Through them, she invites readers to reflect on their own experiences of loss and the enduring impact of familial bonds.
“Mubanga Kalimamukwento artfully and intentionally weaves together a powerful body of work that gradually gathers weight & strength with each devastating movement.” Sihle Ntuli, author of Zabalaza Republic
“Out of extraordinary loss, Mubanga Kalimamukwento has crafted a work of extraordinary genius. The desire to resurrect the dead informs every page—in the laments, the odes, the silence, the heartbreaking futility of the poet’s quest.” Sheila O’Connor, author of Evidence of V
Publication date: Monday 3rd March 2025
Publisher: Wayfarer Books
Matriarch by Tina Knowles
To understand the icons Beyoncé, Solange and Kelly, you have to understand where they came from… A deeply personal and revelatory memoir by Ms Tina Knowles – as you’ve never seen her before.
Tina Knowles, the mother of icons Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Solange Knowles and bonus daughter Kelly Rowland, is known the world over as a Matriarch with a capital M: the woman who raised and inspired some of the great artists of our time. But this story is about so much more than that.
For the first time ever, Tina Knowles shares her remarkable story in Matriarch. A life of grief and tragedy, love and heartbreak, the nurturing of her superstar daughters – and the perseverance and audacity it takes for a girl from Galveston, Texas to change the world.
This intimate and revealing memoir is a multigenerational family saga and a celebration of the wisdom that women, mothers and daughters pass on to each other across generations.
A glorious chronicle of a life like none other and a testament to the world-changing power of Black motherhood.
Publication date: Tuesday 22nd April 2025
Publisher: Hachette UK
Migration and Return in Modern African Literature: Black Bodies in White Spaces by Ernest Cole
The experiences of African migrants in the diaspora are deeply inflected by the condition of living as Black bodies in white spaces. In this work, author Ernest Cole examines closely the narratives of migration and return presented in nine powerful novels by authors who include Chimamanda Adichie, NoViolet Bulawayo, Teju Cole and others. The novels reveal a reversal of expectations that migrants from Africa experience upon arrival in the West, a reversal prompted in part by the racial prejudice they are confronted with as Black individuals. As the author notes, the novels also illustrate the desire to return to the homeland as a better alternative to the precarious life in the West, even though such a move is not without its complications.
The study is divided into three parts with seven chapters. The first two chapters deal with the reasons for the departure of migrants from the continent, the next two depict the experiences of migrants in the West, and the last three focus on contemplations of the return journey home. Collectively, the chapters lay out three phases in the migration process: departure from home, disillusionment in the West, and return to the country of origin. Within this framework, the book uses displacement and dislocation to examine a host of themes—social alienation, alterity and the precarity of Africans in the diaspora.
Publication date: April 2025
Publisher: Boydell and Brewer
100 Goats and Granny!: A funny counting book to share with Granny by Atinuke. Illustrated by Lauren Hinds.
Count all 100 of Granny’s mischievous goats in the brand-new picture book from award-winning author Atinuke and exciting debut Caribbean artist Lauren Hinds.
Granny’s beloved goats follow her wherever she goes – to the tailor, to the salon, and even on the bus. The children help her to keep count of them all… Oh wait! Oh no! Where did goat 100 go? Follow the trail of clues and chaos through the bright, bustling market to help find the missing goat! A hilarious, energetic and charming picture book introducing children to numbers 1 to 100
“This is a joyful story about community, a headstrong grandmother and some hilarious, unruly goats […] It’s a funny, rhythmic counting book!” – Inclusive Books for Children
Publication date: Thursday 6th March 2025
Publisher: Walker Books