Ancestor Stones — Aminatta Forna

From the award-winning author: A “wonderfully ambitious” novel of West Africa, told through the struggles and dreams of four extraordinary women (The Guardian).
 
When a cousin offers Abie her family's plantation in the West African village of Rofathane in Sierra Leone, she leaves her husband, children, and career in London to reclaim the home she left behind long ago. With the help of her four aunts -- Asana, Mariama, Hawa, and Serah -- Abie begins a journey to uncover the past of her family and her home country, buried among the neglected coffee plants.
 
From rivalries between local chiefs and religious leaders to arranged marriages, manipulative unions, traditional desires, and modern advancements, Abie's aunts weave a tale of a nation's descent into chaos -- and their own individual struggles to claim their destiny.
 
Hailed by Marie Claire as “a fascinating evocation of the experience of African women, and all that has been gained -- and lost -- with the passing of old traditions,” Ancestor Stones is a powerful exploration of family, culture, heritage, and hope.
 
“This is [Forna's] first novel, but it is too sophisticated to read like one.” -- The Guardian