That Hair - Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida
It’s very important for readers to read the translator’s note at the beginning of the book - it helps situate the narrative and the author correctly, and provides helpful information on the structure and the plot.
That Hair is Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida’s semi-autobiographical story of narrator Mila’s hair: unruly, different, unwilling to be tamed or put into a box. Through the tale of Mila’s hair, Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida weaves a tale of family, of colonialism, racism, immigration, identity, and of memory. The narrative reads more like an essay rather than a novel, jumping between short interactions with Mila’s hair, the outside world, and memories of family members, stories passed on between generations, and stories she has lived herself. Born in Angola to a black, Angolan mother, and a white, Portuguese father, Mila arrives in Lisbon at the age of 3, and grows up hovering between the two worlds she lives in, never feeling like she belongs to one or the other.
I loved the structure of this narrative, one storyline revealing another and another, the topic of hair tying together a history of colonialism and its long-term after effects. I also loved how the author manages to create an imperfect jigsaw puzzle in her prose, pieces of the past, present, and future fitting together, but with an unruly, jagged outline. It’s beautifully written, lyrical, and full of images.
I did sometimes get a little confused between names and places, but that comes from not being familiar enough with Portugal and/or Angola. At the same time it made me do a little research while reading which is always a huge positive for me!
I really enjoyed reading this book, it was so gorgeously written, and comes with a depth that was fascinating to dig into, creating challenging discussions that we must all have with each other.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.