Synopsis Makeeda loves her life and her friends in London. Her parents wish she'd spend less time texting her mates and more time finding out about her Ghanaian roots.

Review: Far from being an agricultural manual, "Growing Yams in London" follows the coming of age trials and triumphs of a young Londoner of Ghanian heritage.

Makeeda tries to manage family, friends, studies and boyfriend with varying degrees of success. From the moment she meets the very fit DJ Nelson, Makeeda knows that her family will be far from approving. She can't seriously be expected to wait until she's 18 to have a boyfriend! Can she?

Sophia Acheampong deals delicately with important issues such as first kisses, best friends and the importance of knowing about your culture. Schoolwork is always lurking in the background and Makeeda tests deadlines to the limit. By bending the rules to the very point of breaking them and beyond, she studies one of the heroines of Ghana, learning about life and herself on the way. This book will appeal to those who long for lip-gloss, rock solid best friends to text at all times and a boyfriend. They will get a real feel of what life's like for those whose parents come from a different culture and most importantly, gain some important tips about growing yams in London.

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2008-04-20