In Every Mirror She's Black: A Novel

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I read it religiously over the course of a single Sunday, delighting in how it effortlessly weaves a rich tapestry of intersecting issues without every sacrifice good ol’ plot-driven storytelling. There is a sequel coming out in 2023 that I do want to read, but only because some of the storylines felt unfinished in the end. I guess I was intentional knowing she did write a two book deal at the outset.

For the side characters; well introduced and developed I’d give her that. I did feel bad for Ahmed’s end; a sad side story. Guinhild was a balm to my wounds for MunaThe relationship between Jonny and Brittany is highly unconvincing and there is no attempt to understand Brittany’s thought process as she undertakes a fairly ludicrous series of decisions. The author also seems to think the allusions to Jonny being somewhere on the autism spectrum are much more subtle than they are in reality. Muna’s story was powerfully told. I know Lola from the travel blogging and photography world, and so I was familiar with the gorgeous portraits she did of refugees in Sweden, and know that the author drew from her work there to create Muna’s character. Setting and the Novel I just want to send a request to all authors. . . . please don't waste my time with a story you never intended to finish. I don't need an HEA and things wrapped up in a pretty bow. Real life doesn't work that way therefore, I don't expect it in books. There is no need to finally divulge information that’s life altering and then end the book. WTF?!?!?! A chance meeting with Jonny in business class en route to the U.S. propels former model-turned-flight-attendant Brittany-Rae Johnson into a life of wealth, luxury, and privilege—a life she's not sure she wants—as the object of his unhealthy obsession. Muna’s life seems to be filled with so much tragedy for someone so young. Was there something that inspired you to tell the story of a refugee?

Even as a white American woman who has immigrated to Sweden, these characters spoke to cultural exclusion I’ve experienced where my (white American) husband thrives. The stark difference being that he was recruited for a high level position (similar to Kemi’s story) and I followed. This puts me in a position closer to Muna’s, where I struggle to find steady employment, despite an American university degree and fluency in English - advantages that Muna doesn’t have. I'm in no way intending to slut shame Brittany but I must ask: why the hell would she sleep with a man she barely knows (and by barely knows I mean she met him like once on a plane)? Especially when said man shows up at her house uninvited? Then she proceeds to keep sleeping with him, ends up getting pregnant, moves to a foreign country with him, and MARRIES him, all in the span of like 6 months! Some things are bad ideas, period. Many years ago, while writing my book LAGOM, I came across a Swedish proverb that says “The deepest well can also be drained,” and it arrested me. That even the strongest, most resilient among us can eventually break too because we are human. Kemi’s relationship with Ragnar is unhealthy almost from the start. What does her final interaction with him show about her own growth and what she’s learned about herself in Sweden? Johnny: I understand the author's attempt to make Johnny a complex character. However, I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with how his autism was used in the story. It's not that a character on the spectrum can't do bad things or be a bad person; anyone and everyone is capable of harming others. But something about it left a bad taste in my mouth. I wish I could explain better what rubbed me the wrong way.

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I could not put this down. I was hoping all 3 women would meet but their stories aligned in a way i didn't expect.

Overall, I did like this book and I'd recommend it to people who would be interested in seeing how racism looks in other countries and who enjoy intensely dramatic reads that don't necessarily end happily for all the characters. I wouldn't read this again but I'd read more from this author.The writing is beautiful. It pulls you in and it doesn't let you stop reading, i really struggled to find a good place to stop. I guarantee whilst reading this, you will start with one favourite character and end with another!!! Successful marketing executive Kemi Adeyemi is lured from the U.S. to Sweden by Jonny von Lundin, CEO of the nation’s largest marketing firm, to help fix a PR fiasco involving a racially tone-deaf campaign. A killer at work but a failure in love, Kemi’s move is a last-ditch effort to reclaim her social life.

After fleeing her home through a client to seek a new life in Sweden, Yasmiin finds love in the arms of Yagiz Çelik while carving out her own small corner. But as someone from her past forces Yasmiin to become a caretaker before she’s ready, she now must confront and move beyond her teenage history, while following her dreams of becoming a makeup artist. A chance meeting with Jonny in business class en route to the U.S. propels former model-turned-flight-attendant Brittany-Rae Johnson into a life of wealth, luxury, and privilege–a life she’s not sure she wants–as the object of his unhealthy obsession. Kemi, a first-generation American, is offered a lucrative position as Jonny's marketing firm's new diversity and inclusion adviser after a campaign's racial insensitivity makes international headlines. Brittany-Rae is a former model now working as a first-class flight attendant, which is where she first captures Jonny’s attention and is soon swept up in a passionate romance with him that appears to be the stuff of fairy tales. Finally, there is Muna, a Muslim refugee from Somalia who is the only surviving member of her family to be granted asylum in Sweden and now carves out a living as a janitorial worker at Jonny’s company.Kemi seems like she has a good job and her story will revolve around that, Brittany is a flight attendant for business class and her first chapter was so interesting! Finally Muna, a refugee and a Muslim aswell so instantly i connected with her. These are not fairy tale lives or absurdly perfect romances or tales of young women whose parents provided them with such an auspicious start in life that there's no way they can fail. This is contemporary life where women who are dating past high school are going to run into some uncomfortable and/or insulting situations. And refugee Muna Saheed, who lost her entire family, finds a job cleaning the toilets at Jonny's office as she works to establish her residency in Sweden and, more importantly, seeks connection and a place she can call home.