My Life as a Chameleon - by Diana Anyakwo (Hardcover)

About the Book

It's 1990, and Lily is a sixteen-year-old girl living in Manchester, England. It has been five years since her father's death, and she is soon to return to her birthplace in Nigeria to reunite with her mother and siblings for the anniversary. As cold rain thunders on the British streets, Lily flashes back to her childhood in Lagos. The biracial daughter of a Nigerian father and an Irish mother, Lily lives a dual reality as a child, with moments of joy existing alongside her father's increasingly erratic and violent behavior, which is due to a stage illness Lily doesn't understand called schizophrenia. As the streets of Lagos erupt in violence due to a coup, things with Lily's father reach a breaking point, and she is sent away to live with a family in England. As a confused and shy child thrust into a foreign country, Lily must deal with a new school and new friends, while longing for what she left behind in Nigeria. In the vein of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus, My Life As A Chameleon is is a powerful story of resilience and belonging across different cultures, and about how family secrets can destroy even the deepest bonds"--

Book Synopsis

"A story of touching resilience."--Kirkus

"In My Life As a Chameleon, Diana Anyakwo renders this emotional tale with such truthful and realistic eye that one feels like they're reading a memoir. Lily asks important questions about her multiple identities as she navigates the confusing, messy, and often violent adult world. An absorbing, sometimes painful, but ultimately hopeful tale of survival."--Veera Hiranandani

"A vivid and tender portrait of a teenager learning to navigate adult emotions, survive deracination and discover who she is inside." --Financial Times, Best Summer Books 2023

Shortlisted for the KPMG Children's Books Ireland Awards

Longlisted for the 2024 Jhalak Prize

It's 1990, and Lily is a sixteen-year-old girl living in Manchester, England. It has been five years since her father's death, and she is soon to return to her birthplace in Nigeria to reunite with her mother and siblings for the anniversary.

As cold rain thunders on the British streets, Lily flashes back to her childhood in Lagos. The biracial daughter of a Nigerian father and an Irish mother, Lily lives a dual reality as a child, with moments of joy existing alongside her father's increasingly erratic and violent behavior, which is due to a stage illness Lily doesn't understand called schizophrenia.

As the streets of Lagos erupt in violence due to a coup, things with Lily's father reach a breaking point, and she is sent away to live with a family in England. As a confused and shy child thrust into a foreign country, Lily must deal with a new school and new friends, while longing for what she left behind in Nigeria.

In the vein of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus, My Life As A Chameleon is is a powerful story of resilience and belonging across different cultures, and about how family secrets can destroy even the deepest bonds.

Review Quotes

"A vivid and tender portrait of a teenager learning to navigate adult emotions, survive deracination and discover who she is inside." --Financial Times, Best Summer Books 2023

Paper 61 Anticipated African Books of 2023

"Told with an authenticity that shines through...A book for anyone who's felt lonely, misunderstood or out of place, who's had to switch who they are to blend in or disappear." --The British Blacklist

"Lily's resilience and spirit shines through in this complicated depiction of family relationships. A quietly powerful debut from Irish-Nigerian author Diana Anyakwo that would appeal to fans of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Purple Hibiscus, here's hoping for more from this talented new voice." --Children's Books Ireland

"It's written so thoughtfully, and we cheer on Lily as she works out who she is. The descriptions of the heat and bustle of Lagos and 1980s dreary Manchester are excellent; they stay with you as you think about her life." --Book Clubs in Schools, 3 Books to Read Now

"In My Life as a Chameleon, Diana Anyakwo gifts pre-teen and teen readers with a young adult novel that skillfully and artistically explores some of the most pressing issues we are grappling with in the adult world today." --Brittle Paper

"An exceptional debut which captures the reader from the beginning and doesn't let go until the very end. It's a journey of both hope and despair, a story of empowerment, of self-discovery, bravery and courage in the face of family trauma and emotional turmoil. It's hard to believe that this emotionally charged book is a debut." --J P Rose, bestselling author of The Haunting of Tyrese Walker

"Beautiful...captures those granular everyday details of growing up, of navigating friendships, learning to feel comfortable in your skin and finding your own voice. Diana Anyakwo's writing is immersive and I was completely absorbed." --Andreina Cordiani, author of Dead Lucky

"What a lovely view of life Diana Anyakwo created through Lily's innocence as she tries fathoming out the adult world and how she fits into it...I'm bereft that it's over." --Eva Verde, author of Lives Like Mine

"In My Life as a Chameleon, Lily grows up in the sweetly painful world of 1980s Nigeria. Diana Anyakwo handles both the tender and the heart-wrenching with virtuosity. In her hands, Lily becomes a powerful young woman." --Ayesha Harruna Attah, author of The Deep Blue Between and The Hundred Wells of Salaga

"Tender and melancholic, Diana Anyakwo writes with a deceptively simple yet steady voice which immediately draws readers into Lily's rose-colored world. We navigate alongside her through the shattering of those innocent lenses as she discovers with each experience the complexities of life in this beautiful coming-of-age story. A gorgeous tale that leaves you wanting to hug the protagonist and assure her of a lifetime of tender moments." --Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström, international bestselling author of In Every Mirror She's Black