Nadia Owusu’s memoir delves into the impact of earthquakes beyond just metaphors. Her story spans continents from Tanzania to Ethiopia, Rome to London to Arizona. As a child, she connected her personal trauma with the unstable nature of the earth. A pivotal moment occurred when her absent mother visited on the same day as a devastating earthquake in her mother’s homeland of Armenia, leading to a profound realization of the psychic effects of such terrestrial events. Drawing on Charles Darwin’s experience of an earthquake, Owusu reflects on the unsettling feeling of instability caused by such natural disasters.
Raised by her Ghanaian father, who worked at the UN, Owusu’s life was marked by global perspectives but transient experiences. After her father’s death and facing personal challenges, including a difficult breakup and revelations about his potential AIDS diagnosis, Owusu found herself in a week-long emotional turmoil described as her own “asylum” in a blue chair she discovered. In her memoir, she courageously explores the fractures in her life and the generational traumas affecting Black women’s mental health in a society that often stigmatizes their struggles.
Owusu’s introspective narrative examines the events leading up to her emotional breakdown, revealing a history of adversity including abandonment, domestic violence, sexual abuse, and terrorism. She also confronts the societal issues she had overlooked amidst her personal hardships, such as civil unrest, poverty, colorism, and the AIDS crisis. Like a seismologist mapping fault lines, Owusu highlights the accumulated tensions and challenges that have shaped her identity over time.
Through self-reflection and a reassessment of her relationships, Owusu dismantles her idealization of her father and acknowledges her own complexities as both victim and perpetrator of suffering. By embracing her imperfections and committing to personal growth, she strives for a new narrative and understanding of herself.
In her memoir, Owusu weaves together historical insights and poignant reflections, crafting a compelling narrative of resilience and self-discovery. After a lifetime of turmoil and searching, she finds empowerment in reclaiming her narrative and embracing self-care and self-love. Through her poignant storytelling, Owusu illustrates the transformative power of acknowledging one’s past and shaping a future based on self-compassion and understanding.
As an urban planner by profession, Owusu envisions new beginnings by addressing societal fractures and embracing intersectional perspectives. By sharing her story with honesty and vulnerability, she offers a path forward for herself and readers alike, encouraging all to find solace and belonging within their own narratives.
