Wayétu Moore certainly makes some very interesting stylistic choices in this memoir. To tell the story of her escape from war-torn Liberia, to the United States and back again, Moore plays with narrative voice and structure in bold and compelling ways that I think I would have appreciated oh so much more had I read traditionally rather than audiobook. Listening to it (whilst Christmas shopping!) was probably not the best choice and I found myself a little more confused and distracted than usual.

Moore writes her memoir so that it almost reads like fiction, with an immersive narrative style that, initially, is deeply engaging. The early sections, in particular, were very impactful, as we witness the confusion and chaos of civil war through the eyes of a child. In this section, Moore uses fairy-tales and local myths (hence the dragons and giants) as allegories to help make sense of the devastating events taking place. It is a beautiful account of a family’s determination to not only survive but love one another fiercely whilst doing so.

When the action shifts to Moore’s life in America, it becomes something altogether different, offering thoughtful ruminations on issues of immigration and racism. However, the final section, assumes Moore’s mother’s voice, whisking readers back to the turbulence of Liberia and taking creative licence to explain how the family managed to find each other again. It is during these sections that I lost my way a little with the narrative trajectory BUT I still relished Moore’s beautiful prose and rich storytelling.

It’s a powerful and moving account of a country and war I know very little about and I am keen to read it again (properly, in book form!) in the future.