Ties That Tether

By Jane Igharo

Book Overview

One of Betches' 7 Books by Black Authors You Need to Read This Summer

One of Elite Daily's Books Featuring Interracial Relationships You Should Read In 2020

One of Marie Claire's 2020 Books You Should Add to Your Reading List

When a Nigerian woman falls for a man she knows will break her mother's heart, she must choose between love and her family.

At twelve years old, Azere promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man and preserve her culture, even after immigrating to Canada. Her mother has been vigilant about helping--well forcing--her to stay within the Nigerian dating pool ever since. But when another match-made-by-mom goes wrong, Azere ends up at a bar, enjoying the company and later sharing the bed of Rafael Castellano, a man who is tall, handsome, and...white.

When their one-night stand unexpectedly evolves into something serious, Azere is caught between her feelings for Rafael and the compulsive need to please her mother. Soon, Azere can't help wondering if loving Rafael makes her any less of a Nigerian. Can she be with him without compromising her identity? The answer will either cause Azere to be audacious and fight for her happiness or continue as the compliant daughter.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593101944
• ISBN13: 9780593101940
• Release Date: September 2020
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A story of the struggle between choosing love or choosing family

What an emotional Rollercoaster! There is so much to unravel with this story. And the author did it beautifully. It's an age old story, told over and over again. Parents expectations. The love that conquers all. But, still the author did an amazing job putting it all together. Azere is an incredible young woman, strong, and yet docile when it comes to her culture. She made a promise, to her no dead father, that she wouldn't forget her Nigerian culture and would marry a Nigerian man. Well we all know how the story goes. Love looks beyond race and culture. She falls for Rafael, who has his own baggage and pain to shed. Over the course of the story, the struggle between sticking with the promise she made to her father and her mother and the love she feels for Rafael, seems like an impossible obstacle to over come. Yet, with time and a little guidance from her best friends parents, she choose love. I connected so fiercely with Azere. While I'm not Nigerian, my family had certain expectations for me. And like Azeres family, I wasn't supported in my decisions. But like her, I choose love and eventually they came around as well. Ties that tether is an incredibly moving story of love but also the ties that keep family together. Anyone whose dealt with expectations of family, will connect with this story. Amazing writing, beautiful complex characters, and breath taking scenery and nods to both Spanish and Nigerian cultures ❤