She Who Knows, Nnedi Okorafor
She Who Knows, Nnedi Okorafor
List: $28.99 | Sale: $20.29
Club: $14.49

She Who Knows

Author: Nnedi Okorafor

Series: She Who Knows

Narrator: Yetide Badaki

Unabridged: 4 hr 20 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 08/20/2024

Synopsis

Part science fiction, part fantasy, and entirely infused with West African culture and spirituality, this novella offers an intimate glimpse into the life of a teenager whose coming of age will herald a new age for her world. Set in the universe Africanfuturist luminary Nnedi Okorafor first introduced in the World Fantasy Award-winning Who Fears Death, this is the first in the She Who Knows trilogyWhen there is a call, there is often a response.Najeeba knows.She has had The Call. But how can a 13-year-old girl have the Call? Only men and boys experience the annual call to the Salt Roads. What’s just happened to Najeeba has never happened in the history of her village. But it’s not a terrible thing, just strange. So when she leaves with her father and brothers to mine salt at the Dead Lake, there’s neither fanfare nor protest. For Najeeba, it’s a dream come true: travel by camel, open skies, and a chance to see a spectacular place she’s only heard about. However, there must have been something to the rule, because Najeeba’s presence on the road changes everything and her family will never be the same.Small, intimate, up close, and deceptively quiet, this is the beginning of the Kponyungo Sorceress.

About Nnedi Okorafor

Nnedi Okorafor, born to Igbo Nigerian parents in Cincinnati, Ohio, on April 8, 1974, is an author of fantasy and science fiction for both adults and younger readers. Her books include the Tor.com novella Binti, which won the 2015 Hugo and Nebula Awards; the children's book Long Juju Man, which won the 2007-08 Macmillan Writer's Prize for Africa; and the novels Who Fears Death (World Fantasy Award winner) and Akata Warrior (Lodestar and Locus Award winner). She is an associate professor of creative writing and literature at the University at Buffalo.

Reviews

Goodreads review by EveStar91 on May 01, 2025

Salt, dust, wind and a powerful will - this is Najeeba's tale. - Nnedi These words from the author's note are a perfect description of the novella, as well as Nnedi Okorafor's writing style. She Who Knows: Firespitter is Najeeba's origin story, as it were, and set in the same world as another series......more

Goodreads review by Alexandra on March 31, 2024

This novella is the back story of one of the characters from Who Fears Death. I haven’t read it, but She Who Knows stands perfectly well on its own. The world is post-apocalyptic, afro-futuristic and fascinating. There is technology, but also strange spirits, strange creatures and things that feel li......more

Goodreads review by Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) on August 23, 2024

Listen, I always like Nnedi Okorafor's writing, but this is among my favorite books I've read from her. She Who Knows follows the mother of the main character in Who Fears Death, coming of age as a young teen girl in a society where the lives of women are often constrained. It's a fascinating take o......more

Goodreads review by Sofia on April 03, 2024

An excellent novella with a strong voice and fascinating world. The only small flaw is that the ending felt a bit rushed, but I still had a great time reading it and I heartily recommend it. I received an advance copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review......more

Goodreads review by Allen on July 03, 2024

In a distant future Earth, Najeeba, a thirteen year old girl, feels a calling to go on the salt roads, where she must collect salt to sell at the village market. This task has historically been a male's task, so Najeeba finds herself in uncharted territory. Along her journey, she uncovers she has a......more

Quotes

“Yetide Badaki narrates this audio novella about Najeeba, who was introduced in the author's previous novel, Who Fears Death. Years before that story takes place, Najeeba is a 13-year-old girl who receives the call to the Salt Roads, an experience usually reserved for men. With her smooth voice and precise pacing, Badaki allows the details to linger in listeners' minds as the setting unfolds.… Using a mature voice, Badaki embodies a girl whose journey transforms her, and the world around her, irrevocably.” —AudioFile Magazine"Okorafor packs a punch in her She Who Knows series launch, a return to the realm of the World Fantasy Award–winning Who Fears Death . . . Fans of Who Fears Death will appreciate the return to this rich, fully realized world, but Okorafor keeps things accessible enough that this works just as well on its own. Readers will devour this." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)"As always with Okorafor’s work, the prose is sharp and immersive, the characters provide insight into family drama and healing, and the narrative seamlessly blends elements of fantasy, folklore, and speculative fiction . . . While this book may be short, its impact is anything but small." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List