Leo reviews:  Children of the Quicksands by  Efua Traoré

“’If a person penetrates the world of spirits too deeply in their sleep,’ Iyanla said, ‘then it is difficult to find the way back to reality.’”

Simi is stuck going to her long-lost grandmother’s remote Nigerian village for the school holidays. Life wasn’t hard enough with her parents’ divorce and her mum’s new job. Now she has to go to a place with no phone, no internet, nothing but old traditions her mother never shared with her. Simi’s grandmother, a healer in the village, holds the answer to the secrets Simi’s mother has been keeping. More secrets remain though, as Simi finds herself transported into another world through the quicksands of the forbidden lake…

Don’t judge a book by its cover…but it’s hard to do when the cover is this gorgeous. After reading the book the art begins to unfold its own secrets of the story, and I’ll guiltily admit that’s why chose this book. The story is perfect for fans of Encanto who enjoy magical realism, and a world where the normal is offset by the mystical. Simi is a regular girl, and her reactions and reasons for doing what she does are quite true to life. The story moves at a quick pace and though I felt the ending was a bit rushed, I learned quite a bit, from everyday life in Nigerian cities and villages, to the myths and legends and everyday magic that bring family together. A heartfelt read that I am glad I picked up.