Rootless is a debut novel by author Krystle Zara Appiah. The novel follows Efe and Sam, who first meet in London as teenagers in the 1990s. Years later, after what started as a budding friendship, the two are married. Their love story could not seem more perfect. But Sam is desperate to start a family, while Efe is more hesitant, preferring instead to focus on her dreams and career aspirations. Then an unplanned pregnancy forces them to confront just how radically different they want their lives to be. Now Efe and Sam must discover if what they really want is still each other.
Rootless is a tender and powerful novel, filled with incredible characterisation. Efe’s character, in particular, is so richly developed that she feels real. We experience her emotions alongside her, and as her heart breaks, so does our own. Through Efe’s storyline, Appiah is able to tackle a multitude of topics surrounding motherhood and femininity that are not widely discussed. For example, whilst cultural norms expect her to want to become a mother, motherhood is not something that Efe desires, nor is it something that comes easy to her. Seeing Efe burdened with such expectations and witnessing its toll on her mental health was devastating. Moreover, once Efe does have a child, she comes to suffer from postpartum depression. Appiah treats this topic with tender hands, never naming it explicitly. Here she shows the wreckage postpartum depression can do to a relationship and to your sense of self.
Whilst it is easy to root for Efe, it is also easy to empathise with her husband Sam, as both their characters are written in a way that makes them incredibly three-dimensional. The book begins with Efe and Sam’s childhoods and continues up until the present day, when their marriage appears to be in crisis. This mode of storytelling allows readers to see both characters come of age and watch them deal with their own separate life experiences. Here we also come to understand the development of their relationship and how their traumas have come to haunt their marriage. In this way, Appiah reminds us that there are two sides to every story, as she forces us to take our time to emotionally connect with both characters before we pass judgement. Appiah’s ability to make us think so deeply here is a testament to her fantastic storytelling.
Overall, Rootless is a brilliantly written novel that is raw and emotional about motherhood, sacrifice, love, and family.
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