A Girl is a Body of Water: A Novel

At thirteen, Kirabo grapples with a fundamental question: who is her mother? Raised in the Ugandan village of Nattetta by her grandmother, best friend, and aunts, Kirabo feels the weight of her mother's absence. She seeks guidance from Nsuuta, a local witch, who reveals that Kirabo's mother is alive but unwilling to meet her. Nsuuta also helps Kirabo understand a mysterious second self emerging within her—a headstrong, confusing force that Nsuuta identifies as a streak of the "first woman," an independent, original state largely lost to women. Kirabo's effort to reconcile these feelings, reconnect with her mother, and honor her family's expectations unfolds through Ugandan folklore. The novel explores what it means to be a modern girl in a world that works to silence women. Winner of the Jhalak Prize and named a Best Book of the Year by TIME, The Washington Post, O, the Oprah Magazine, and BBC, the novel examines the connections between history, tradition, family, friendship, and the possibility of a different future.