Head Above Water by Buchi Emecheta (1986): A Review

Title: Head Above Water

Author: Buchi Emecheta

Publication Year: 1986

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pages: 229

Source: ebook

Genre: Nonfiction, autobiography

I have been working on Buchi Emecheta’s novels and have already read ten of her books, but I never expected to enjoy her autobiography more than her fiction. I was completely wrong.

Head Above Water feels like the behind-the-scenes counterpart to her novels: the uncensored context behind the anger, struggle, and urgency that shape her fiction. In her novels, Emecheta often seems intensely angry at the injustices faced by women, migrants, mothers, and Black communities. After reading this autobiography, I realized that anger was not excessive at all. If anything, it was restrained.

The book offers a direct connection to the experiences behind In the Ditch, Second-Class Citizen, The Joys of Motherhood, and her essays. I have not read The Joys of Motherhood yet, but learning about the circumstances that led her to write it was heartbreaking. While I do not agree with all of Emecheta’s views, especially some of her comments about women who are not mothers, I appreciated her honesty, self-reflection, and willingness to learn and evolve.

Head Above Water is a powerful account of an African woman navigating the constraints of both Nigerian society and immigrant life in London. It is also the story of a writer raising children, surviving poverty, confronting racism and sexism, and continuing to create despite everything placed in her way.

If you want to understand the life behind Emecheta’s fiction, this autobiography is essential reading.