The Kaya Girl

April 15, 2022
Two Ghanaian girls from different backgrounds form an unlikely bond. Fourteen-year-old Abena was born to rich parents. Her father is a doctor, and she has lived a sheltered life: Her family has a personal chef and she attends the American international school. When Abena goes to spend the summer holidays with her Auntie Lydia, who has a fabric shop in Accra's crowded and colorful Makola Market, she meets Faiza, also 14, who is a kayayoo, or porter girl. Despite their stark difference in social class and initial inability to speak each other's languages, Abena and Faiza form a quick and solid bond. The girls learn about each other's lives, and both begin to see the world through new eyes. Through Abena's first-person narration, readers observe Faiza's journey as she dreams of academic success and works in pursuit of it despite the odds against her as a girl from a village in the rural north. Wolo's prose has an ease that draws readers in and keeps them engaged. Through the skillful descriptions of shared moments both momentous and trivial, they witness the blossoming of a beautiful connection between the two girls. Abena's voice reads as realistic for someone of her age, status, and experience--or lack thereof--as she grows in her understanding of societal prejudice, the ways it affects her friend's life, and the power of her own voice. A heartwarming and inspiring tale of a friendship that surpasses class differences and social stigma. (Fiction. 9-14)

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May 1, 2022
Grades 5-8 Abena and Faiza, 14-year-old girls living in Ghana, have very different experiences and expectations in this middle-grade story, in which they learn that the ways society fixates on differences can't hold a candle to the bright flame of friendship. Abena, the daughter of a wealthy doctor, spends the summer working at the Makola Market with her auntie, where she meets Faiza, a kaya girl who navigates the streets carrying shoppers' items in the pot upon her head. Despite the only commonality being their age, Abena and Faiza quickly become friends, and Abena learns that her worldview must be broadened if she wants to be the kind of journalist she dreams of becoming. With such a focused take on a common middle-grade plot of discovering class differences, the novel may feel simplistic, but it is laced with wonderful descriptions of food and dress that will transport readers to Ghana. A second part, set 15 years later, is a special treat that will especially appeal to readers on the upper end of the recommended grade range.

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Starred review from June 1, 2022

Gr 4-7-Plenty of kids can relate to being shipped off for the summer. Camps, trips to visit family, or even extra educational classes are common. Adena is no different from most kids that way, but her summer experience with Aunt Lydia certainly will be. Middle graders will enjoy being transported to the sights, sounds, smells, and flavors of the Makola Market in Accra, Ghana, which set the stage for Adena's summer. At first, her assignment seems to be a punishment, but it soon becomes an endearing story of forbidden friendship. Adena is a student at a private school for the children of wealthy Ghanaians, and Faiza is a kayayoo, a porter for shoppers in the Makola Market. An unlikely pair due to their very different lives, they become fast friends when Adena is sent to live with her aunt. The speed with which the girls overcome their language barrier is a tad unrealistic, but they share plenty of other connections: current fashion fads, music, and cute boys. A few of the phrases and names may present a bit of difficulty for unfamilar readers, but the surprising twist in the latter half of the novel makes the effort all worthwhile. VERDICT Including subtle yet important history and geography lessons, Wolo's book gives readers an opportunity to become immersed in West African culture while realizing the lessons of growing up include universal experiences: prejudice, poverty, and self-determination.-Darby Wallace

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Starred review from July 25, 2022
Set in an outdoor marketplace in the heart of Ghana’s capital, Wolo’s heartwarming debut traces a friendship that overcomes social boundaries, including class and language differences. Abena, the privileged 14-year-old daughter of a successful doctor, is set to spend her summer holidays at her aunt Lydia’s fabric shop, a world away from her upbringing in wealthy Labone, where she attends an exclusive American private school. At Accra’s Makola Market, Abena meets Faiza, a 14-year-old Muslim girl from a small, rural village in northern Ghana. Faiza has moved to Accra to work as a kayayoo, or girl porter, and often faces ill treatment from the market customers. The girls bond instantly over market snacks and the crushes they nurse on the brothers (“similar but different; cool as cucumbers”) who work at a nearby electronics shop, while teaching each other their respective languages. Employing realistic dialogue and lush descriptions of the sights, smells, and tastes of Ghana, this smart exploration of friendship’s lasting power centers two teens expanding and exploring their worlds. Ages 8–12. Agent: Charlotte Sheedy, Charlotte Sheedy Literary.