Where do I belong? Here? There? Where? These are some of the questions that the main characters in Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu Banda’s debut novel, No Be From Hia wrestle with. Natasha’s debut was selected as a Graywolf Africa Prize finalist 2019, and it is clear to see why.

No Be From Hia follows the lives of cousins, Maggie Oluwaseun Ayomide and Bupe Kombe from childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. The two spend their early years in rather different circumstances one in London, United Kingdom and the other Lusaka, Zambia. This is a narration that delves into the intricacies of growing up in mixed heritage families, particularly Zambia, Nigeria and Jamaica. Maggie and Bupe are searching for answers to questions that have left a void in their lives and to embrace the women they turn out to be.

The story starts from the 1960s with the almost mythical figure of Margaret Bupe Kombe who is the cousins’ grandmother. She is a shadow that looms throughout the novel. She is also the thread that weaves through this story because there is a secret that dictates many of the decisions made by the two connected families.

Just like this is a story of mixed heritage, it is also one of mixed places—Chinsali, Lagos, London, and Lusaka. Natasha does a wonderful job of describing places, capturing the sounds, times and smells with delicate rich prose. For example, “She felt free, finally, like the earlier days from the mountain tops of Chinsali: rushing rivers gushing beneath her feet; rich verdant valleys rolling out to the skies before her to the point where the sky meets the land, the horizon where God can be found. That place where the goddesses rest their pestles against the skyline.”

Natasha also paid attention to the history of Zambia, especially during the struggle for independence and the events that occurred after. This history does not seem overbearing or like a dull lesson, however, it sits in the background like a painting on the wall whose significance is only noticed when it is not there. She lets both the main and peripheral characters drive this story with their presence and robust dialogue. Even though the ending was satisfactory there is a feeling that there was so much potential that could have been tapped from it. It peters away into a calm conclusion as it ties the loose ends rather than the expectant avalanche it was building towards.

No Be From Hia is a strong debut from Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu Banda. It boasts memorable characters, engaging prose and some witty dialogue. When the final pages of the book are read, the reader is left satisfied that it was worth the journey. The book is a great addition to the recent literature that has been coming out of Zambia. 

No Be From Hia by Natasha Omokhodion-Kalulu Banda

236 pages

Publisher: Copper Monstera

Available in Bookworld