Before We Hit the Ground

How much can we truly know about the people we love? Contrarily, how much of us do we let them see? Selali Fiamanya’s Before We Hit the Ground is a heartfelt and gripping tale of family, identity and truth. In it, we meet Elom, who struggles to make sense of the life he was dealt, as well as his sister Dzifa and their parents. Fiamanya’s skill here is in allowing each of these characters to feel their doubts. Through his luminous prose, we get the story of four people simply trying to survive while causing as little damage to each other as is humanly possible. I thought I knew what a sweeping family tale was until I read this book. It is utterly original, moving and incredibly authentic. There is so much beauty in the world. This book dares you to look for it.