How Beautiful We Were

This beautifully written novel was touching, poetic and an emotional read. Set in the fictional village of Kosawa, where their farmlands, water supply and air have been corrupted by an American oil company, Pexton, the people of Kosawa are left to simply survive whilst watching the devastation that the oil has caused around them. It is not only their land that is suffering but their family and friends. Children are dying with too many people being buried before their time. With the company not taking ownership and washing their hands of the situation in Kosawa, the people are left with no option other than to fight back.

As the story unfolds we hear the voices of different people within the village from ‘The Children' through to different members of Thula's family. Each voice is not only thought-provoking but heartfelt. This is a story of struggle, exploitation, oppression, grief, loss but also of family, hope, love, dedication and fighting for what is right.

A memorising, poignant read that I urge you to read.