Binti: Home

Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor, 164 pages

*Spoiler alert for those who haven't read Binti (which you really should do).*

A year after leaving her family for Oomza University, Binti is struggling with PTSD brought on by the horrific space voyage that took her to Oomza, as well as the conflicting feelings of being Himba with a bit of the alien Meduse. She believes that the best thing would be to return home for her pilgrimage, a coming-of-age ceremony for the women of her tribe. But that means seeing her family again for the first time since abruptly leaving, and, of course, nothing goes as expected.

This is an excellent follow-up to Binti, continuing to explore the nature of humanity, of family, of tradition and identity. It's simply written, but with vast amounts of substance percolating just beneath the surface. I can't wait to read the third novella in this series.