My life as a chameleon - diana anyakwo

Its 1990, and Lily is a sixteen-year-old living in Manchester, England.

It has been five years since her fathers death, and she is soon to return to her birthplace in Nigeria to reunite with her mother and siblings for the anniversary.

As cold rain thunders on the British streets, Lily flashes back to her childhood in Lagos.

The biracial daughter of a Nigerian father and an Irish mother, Lily lives a dual reality as a child, with moments of joy existing alongside her fathers increasingly erratic and violent behavior.

As the streets of Lagos erupt in violence due to a coup, things within Lilys family reach a breaking point, and she is sent away to live with a new family in England.

As a confused child thrust into a foreign world, Lily must deal with a new school and new friends, while longing for her she left behind in Nigeria.

In the vein of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies Purple Hibiscus , My Life As A Chameleon is is a powerful story of resilience and belonging across different cultures, and about how family secrets can destroy even the deepest bonds.