“Captivating. . . . lingers on moments of hope and beauty ultimately telling a powerful story of mother-daughter love.”—Oprah Daily, A Best Book of February
“Emotionally resonant. . . . feels unexpectedly timely.”—Chicago Review of Books
“Beautiful. . . . this is one to savor.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“A powerful and emotional debut novel that deftly explores the complexities of identity, family, and belonging.”—Booklist, Starred Review
“A global, multigenerational novel suffused with heart, feeling, devastation, and hope.”—Kirkus Reviews
“An aching novel about lost connections and misunderstandings in which Nigerian women attempt to reconcile with each other and their experiences.”—Foreword Reviews, Starred Review
“Reckons with the collision of tradition, free will, and the devastation of a historic storm.”—Electric Literature
“A provocative story of mothers, daughters, and adopted family on both sides of the Atlantic.”—Pen America
“Ambitious. . . . Olufunke Grace Bankole doubles back to explore mother-daughter relationships, Nigerian folklore, Yoruba Christianity, and the almost unbelievable courage at the core of the immigrant experience.” —Goodreads, A Hottest Debut Novel of 2025
“Gets into Yoruba beliefs—both Christian and traditional—mother/daughter dynamics, and folklore. It’ll even give you a cackle or two.”—Book Riot
“About motherhood and daughterhood, romance and heartbreak. It shares a unique perspective on the Nigerian immigrant experience in America and tackles questions around reputation and belonging; around what one deserves and what one has the right to pursue.”—Willamette Week
“Gorgeously written. Every word is like silk.”—Debutiful, A Best Book of February
“Stunning.”—The Republic, A Most Anticipated Book by African Writers for 2025
“Beautiful.”—Scary Mommy
“Innovative . . . This debut is a success.”—Library Journal
“An important book.”—The Louisiana Advocate
“A mother and daughter story about a Nigerian family navigating life that explores the idea of love and sacrifice.”—Bloggess
“An artfully constructed, beautifully told, and utterly moving book. A thrilling debut.”—Jami Attenberg, author of A Reason to See You Again
“In exploring what happens when we reject our given paths, The Edge of Water asks the deepest questions of us. Olufunke Grace Bankole’s marginalized characters navigate heartbreak and hardship within communities that dehumanize them, but Bankole restores their humanity on the page in ways that reshaped me. Despite seeming trapped by adversity, they refuse to passively accept their fates; in this story, survival is not merely a physical question but also a spiritual one. I was gripped by this brilliant and fascinating take on Greek tragedy, employing Yoruba mythology, finding it both humbling and extraordinary, elegiac and inspiriting. Bankole moves from truth to shattering truth giving her characters the empathy and attention we all deserve. I savored every line of the arresting prose and ended this book yearning for more from this incredibly talented writer.” —Vanessa Walters, author of The Nigerwife
“The Edge of Water is a beautifully realized epic tale following the lives of three generations of women across two continents. Bankole expertly explores tenderness and heartache without sentimentality. This is a stunning addition to the canon of diasporic tales.”—Maurice Carlos Ruffin, author of The American Daughters
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