All That It Ever Meant

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Content advice: Car accident, death (including of a parent), child death, grief, references to drugs, sexual relationships and abortion 
 
A haunting story of loss and bereavement and its impact on family dynamics, but also on the ability it holds to unite and strengthen bonds and connections.  Mati and her family travel from London to Zimbabwe following the death of her mother.  Each of the family members copes with grief in their own unique way.  Travelling along with them is a spirit named Meticais who provides wisdom and advice, helping Mati to come to terms with her grief.   

The book guides the reader through a literal and metaphorical journey, providing a multilayered narrative with multitudes of meaning.  Spare language provides figurative, beautiful and at times philosophical insight into ideas of memory and its ability to shape self-awareness and our place within the world.  Chichi, Mati’s sister, brings a lot of light to the novel.  The worldbuilding is strong throughout and there’s an unsettling undercurrent that all is not quite as it seems.  Thought-provoking, highly original and evocative, the reader is drawn into the heart of this powerful exploration of culture and identity.