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Bitter Honey
An Audible Best Book of the Year
A Glamour Magazine SA Book Club Pick
As seen in Stylist UK, People, Essence, and more
Two women. Four decades. A lifetime of secrets.
1978: A scholarship draws Nancy from Gambia's warmth into Sweden's winter. When her friendship with charismatic scholar Lars blossoms into something more, she thinks she may have finally found her place. But there's more to Lars than his charming persona, and Nancy is about to discover the danger of being drawn into his world.
2006: Tina has had her taste of fame as the nation's sweetheart pop princess. But beneath her glittery façade, Tina is desperate to discover who she really is. Her mother, Nancy, seems desperate to keep the past under wraps, but will an unexpected figure help open the door?
Spanning four decades and three continents, Bitter Honey is a story of mothers, daughters, and the importance of carving your own path.
A Glamour Magazine SA Book Club Pick
As seen in Stylist UK, People, Essence, and more
Two women. Four decades. A lifetime of secrets.
1978: A scholarship draws Nancy from Gambia's warmth into Sweden's winter. When her friendship with charismatic scholar Lars blossoms into something more, she thinks she may have finally found her place. But there's more to Lars than his charming persona, and Nancy is about to discover the danger of being drawn into his world.
2006: Tina has had her taste of fame as the nation's sweetheart pop princess. But beneath her glittery façade, Tina is desperate to discover who she really is. Her mother, Nancy, seems desperate to keep the past under wraps, but will an unexpected figure help open the door?
Spanning four decades and three continents, Bitter Honey is a story of mothers, daughters, and the importance of carving your own path.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published May 15, 2025
64 people are currently reading
7841 people want to read
About the author
Lola Akinmade Åkerström
7 books946 followersAward-winning Nigerian-American visual storyteller and international bestselling author based in Stockholm, Sweden.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
November 4, 2025
[ 4.5/5 stars ]
Tina is a mixed-race woman in her journey to become a famous singer when an unexpected figure appears in her life, someone her mother (Nancy) wants to keep buried in the past.
It's been a while since I read a heartfelt and layered historical fiction - Åkerström touches on mixed-heritage (Gambia/Sweden), belonging, identity, race, cultural appropriation, desire and obsession, addiction and mental health through a cast of characters that feel real, delivering broken people whose emotions are tangible and relatable. Moreover, the supporting characters are nuanced, inviting a fuller depiction and emotional resonance that made me invested throughout the story (even if it demanded some time). This book reads fast, with dual enticing timelines and short chapters that keep one immersed, unable to distract from the pages.
The toxic (romantic) and messy relationships can be annoying yet feel genuine, and the mother-daughter relationship personally stirred intense emotions. I found refreshing the way Åkerström dives into the complexity of art - the sacrifices, creative process and how far one is willing to go to achieve the artistry, and the approach is devoid of its layers of abstraction when real people are embodied in the narrative. The story is also about dream as it questions 'when is too late to pursue your dreams?'
BITTER HONEY is a textured family drama in which I absorbed the author's intention and enjoyed reading about Sweden. For those seeking an emotionally powerful historical fiction, this is for you.
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - William Morrow books . All opinions are my own ]
Tina is a mixed-race woman in her journey to become a famous singer when an unexpected figure appears in her life, someone her mother (Nancy) wants to keep buried in the past.
It's been a while since I read a heartfelt and layered historical fiction - Åkerström touches on mixed-heritage (Gambia/Sweden), belonging, identity, race, cultural appropriation, desire and obsession, addiction and mental health through a cast of characters that feel real, delivering broken people whose emotions are tangible and relatable. Moreover, the supporting characters are nuanced, inviting a fuller depiction and emotional resonance that made me invested throughout the story (even if it demanded some time). This book reads fast, with dual enticing timelines and short chapters that keep one immersed, unable to distract from the pages.
The toxic (romantic) and messy relationships can be annoying yet feel genuine, and the mother-daughter relationship personally stirred intense emotions. I found refreshing the way Åkerström dives into the complexity of art - the sacrifices, creative process and how far one is willing to go to achieve the artistry, and the approach is devoid of its layers of abstraction when real people are embodied in the narrative. The story is also about dream as it questions 'when is too late to pursue your dreams?'
BITTER HONEY is a textured family drama in which I absorbed the author's intention and enjoyed reading about Sweden. For those seeking an emotionally powerful historical fiction, this is for you.
[ I received an ARC from the publisher - William Morrow books . All opinions are my own ]
January 11, 2025
First of all, thank you Netgalley and the publishing house Heus of Zeus for allowing me to read this great novel before its publication in May. But after reading this novel, I should rather say: Tusen Tack!
We meet Tina, a young singer with a promising future. At the same time, we discover her mother Nancy, forty years earlier, who came to Sweden from Gambia to finish her studies. The two women are very different but they will both fall in love with men who will make them suffer. From the first chapters, we want to discover their destiny and secrets and it is with pleasure that we follow them over several decades.
I loved this reading: the author's style is really gripping, the chapters are short, the double temporality brings suspense and the characters are amazing. I really liked the sentences in different languages that bring a bit of a change of scenery: Swedish but also in languages that I discovered as I read, such as Wolof or Mandinka.
The characters are terribly endearing, I found Nancy incredibly modern and courageous. I liked discovering her journey before becoming a mother. Tina is more impulsive and sometimes hard on her mother or Seb, but I would put that down to youth.
The mother-daughter relationship is really well exploited, with all its secrets and this obvious lack of communication between the two women. Likewise, toxic romantic relationships are present from beginning to end through different characters like Lars or Jonas. The author describes very well the hold on women and how their lives, their dreams can be shattered very quickly.
It is a deep, intense, really touching novel and I am really delighted to have discovered Lola Akinmade Åkerström. I enjoyed discovering Sweden through her pen, I only know the country from having spent holidays there and everyone was very welcoming. But we also see another side of society here, with racism for example. It is also a quest for identity for Tina and how family helps us build ourselves. A magnificent novel that I can only recommend.
We meet Tina, a young singer with a promising future. At the same time, we discover her mother Nancy, forty years earlier, who came to Sweden from Gambia to finish her studies. The two women are very different but they will both fall in love with men who will make them suffer. From the first chapters, we want to discover their destiny and secrets and it is with pleasure that we follow them over several decades.
I loved this reading: the author's style is really gripping, the chapters are short, the double temporality brings suspense and the characters are amazing. I really liked the sentences in different languages that bring a bit of a change of scenery: Swedish but also in languages that I discovered as I read, such as Wolof or Mandinka.
The characters are terribly endearing, I found Nancy incredibly modern and courageous. I liked discovering her journey before becoming a mother. Tina is more impulsive and sometimes hard on her mother or Seb, but I would put that down to youth.
The mother-daughter relationship is really well exploited, with all its secrets and this obvious lack of communication between the two women. Likewise, toxic romantic relationships are present from beginning to end through different characters like Lars or Jonas. The author describes very well the hold on women and how their lives, their dreams can be shattered very quickly.
It is a deep, intense, really touching novel and I am really delighted to have discovered Lola Akinmade Åkerström. I enjoyed discovering Sweden through her pen, I only know the country from having spent holidays there and everyone was very welcoming. But we also see another side of society here, with racism for example. It is also a quest for identity for Tina and how family helps us build ourselves. A magnificent novel that I can only recommend.
December 2, 2025
This story really draws you in and tugs at your emotions. I was fully invested in Nancy's path, cheering her on to make better choices. Along comes her daughter, Tina headed in a similar direction as her Mother. Women going through life in a world that is dominated by the men around them, being manipulated along the way. At one point I wanted to yell at Tina, questioning how she could make the choices she did. My heart ached for what Nancy had to endure. I was really enthralled with this story, an insightful read that I would recommend to others that might enjoy family drama with a little history mixed in.
**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
**Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to this advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
June 16, 2025
Thank you William Morrow and Netgalley for this Advance Readers Copy ebook in exchange for my honest review.
I struggled through the 1st 60% of the book. I felt that the MC’s were a little flat and the story was dragging. The story picked up and I started to enjoy it a little more. This was a solid read, but maybe just not for me.
I struggled through the 1st 60% of the book. I felt that the MC’s were a little flat and the story was dragging. The story picked up and I started to enjoy it a little more. This was a solid read, but maybe just not for me.
May 21, 2025
This is one of the best books I’ve read in a long, long while.
"It is always the ones awash with wickedness who look their best, leaving their victims haggard and trying to pick up the pieces of their lives." WHEW.
The dual POV we got between Nancy and Tina was everything to me and really highlighted the fact that we as the children of our parents can often forget they had lives before us.
First loves. First kisses. Crushes. Heartbreak. Loss. Dreams. All of it.
The same things we've experienced, they did too. It was beautiful to see that and walk in both mother and daughters footsteps. How are they alike? How are they different? What did Nancy pass onto Tina? How are Tina's experiences as a half white Swedish and half black Gambian woman different to her fully black Gambian mothers?
At first when reading this I thought Nancy's indifference to everything going on around her odd. She seemed really standoffish and cold - I honestly didn't feel like I was reading an interaction with a mother and her children. As the story progressed, my feelings towards Nancy changed and I wanted nothing more than to reach into the pages of the book and embrace her, comfort her, spend time with her, listen to her dreams and troubles and most importantly warn her about a certain character! I felt fiercely protective of her and felt like I was reading a horror - it just kept getting worse and worse.
With regards to Tina, while at times I found her annoying, her story and witnessing her finding herself was nothing short of beautiful. I could feel the change from her being insecure and unsure of herself into a confident woman standing up for what she believes in and what she deserves. Everything she went through in this book needed to happen for the woman she became at the end to have existed. One thing this book really highlighted for me is that no two biracial experiences are the same! Even between Tina and her brother Tobias. While I could relate to so many things, comments and behaviour/reactions from both Tina and Tobias, there were also lots of things I couldn't relate to.
Now Lars, Lars, LARS. I don't think I've ever encountered a character I hated as much as him. He is the embodiment of a narcissist. He deceived Nancy and abused his relationship as her professor, preying on her vulnerability to get closer. I also think other people had a role to play in what happened to Nancy and failed to protect her against something that should have never happened.
"A smile begins to slowly carve itself across Yaya's face. Like a parent who has just discovered their daughter has a cute crush on their neighbour."
What was Yaya playing at? Lars was not an age-appropriate neighbour. He was in an authorative position who violated the professional boundaries he should have upheld. He cut off Nancy from Malik, the one person she felt safe with, and continued to advance even after multiple instances of Nancy rejecting his advances. He forced himself into Nancy's life and did everything in his power to 'own' her. He didn't love Nancy and he wore her culture like a costume, shrugging it off when it suited him.
"Wearing her culture, she realises now, was never going to make him of her culture."
In my honest opinion, Nancy didn't love Lars. She convinced herself she did or else everything that happened, her true love that she lost, the two children that came as a product of this affair and the life that she didn't get to live, would have been for nothing.
"She would have resisted him. Even if it meant Tobias and Tina vanishing into thin air, never existing."
This is evidence of that. When I read this I got shivers down my whole body. This is not a light-heartened comment, the pain and anguish behind such a statement can never convince me Nancy loved Lars. Nancy's behaviour to Tina shows us that. The fact she screamed when she saw Tina had Lars' eyes. Her eternal haunting. Wow wow wow.
This book was incredible and touched on so many important topics - substance abuse, sexuality, addiction, adjusting to completely foreign culture and languages, loneliness and different dynamics within an interracial relationship. So much was going on that I was still reading this book until the early hours of the morning as I could NOT put it down. Lola Akinmade has clearly put so much effort into her writing, into each character, into their stories. I was even deeply invested with the secondary characters; Leif, Seb, Jonas, even Mr Torbjorn!
Bitter Honey is perfect for a book club pick, there is so much to unpack and things to discuss about each character. It was extremely thought provoking! Thank you so much @headofzeus for sending me a physical copy and thank you to @netgalley for the e-copy!
"It is always the ones awash with wickedness who look their best, leaving their victims haggard and trying to pick up the pieces of their lives." WHEW.
The dual POV we got between Nancy and Tina was everything to me and really highlighted the fact that we as the children of our parents can often forget they had lives before us.
First loves. First kisses. Crushes. Heartbreak. Loss. Dreams. All of it.
The same things we've experienced, they did too. It was beautiful to see that and walk in both mother and daughters footsteps. How are they alike? How are they different? What did Nancy pass onto Tina? How are Tina's experiences as a half white Swedish and half black Gambian woman different to her fully black Gambian mothers?
At first when reading this I thought Nancy's indifference to everything going on around her odd. She seemed really standoffish and cold - I honestly didn't feel like I was reading an interaction with a mother and her children. As the story progressed, my feelings towards Nancy changed and I wanted nothing more than to reach into the pages of the book and embrace her, comfort her, spend time with her, listen to her dreams and troubles and most importantly warn her about a certain character! I felt fiercely protective of her and felt like I was reading a horror - it just kept getting worse and worse.
With regards to Tina, while at times I found her annoying, her story and witnessing her finding herself was nothing short of beautiful. I could feel the change from her being insecure and unsure of herself into a confident woman standing up for what she believes in and what she deserves. Everything she went through in this book needed to happen for the woman she became at the end to have existed. One thing this book really highlighted for me is that no two biracial experiences are the same! Even between Tina and her brother Tobias. While I could relate to so many things, comments and behaviour/reactions from both Tina and Tobias, there were also lots of things I couldn't relate to.
Now Lars, Lars, LARS. I don't think I've ever encountered a character I hated as much as him. He is the embodiment of a narcissist. He deceived Nancy and abused his relationship as her professor, preying on her vulnerability to get closer. I also think other people had a role to play in what happened to Nancy and failed to protect her against something that should have never happened.
"A smile begins to slowly carve itself across Yaya's face. Like a parent who has just discovered their daughter has a cute crush on their neighbour."
What was Yaya playing at? Lars was not an age-appropriate neighbour. He was in an authorative position who violated the professional boundaries he should have upheld. He cut off Nancy from Malik, the one person she felt safe with, and continued to advance even after multiple instances of Nancy rejecting his advances. He forced himself into Nancy's life and did everything in his power to 'own' her. He didn't love Nancy and he wore her culture like a costume, shrugging it off when it suited him.
"Wearing her culture, she realises now, was never going to make him of her culture."
In my honest opinion, Nancy didn't love Lars. She convinced herself she did or else everything that happened, her true love that she lost, the two children that came as a product of this affair and the life that she didn't get to live, would have been for nothing.
"She would have resisted him. Even if it meant Tobias and Tina vanishing into thin air, never existing."
This is evidence of that. When I read this I got shivers down my whole body. This is not a light-heartened comment, the pain and anguish behind such a statement can never convince me Nancy loved Lars. Nancy's behaviour to Tina shows us that. The fact she screamed when she saw Tina had Lars' eyes. Her eternal haunting. Wow wow wow.
This book was incredible and touched on so many important topics - substance abuse, sexuality, addiction, adjusting to completely foreign culture and languages, loneliness and different dynamics within an interracial relationship. So much was going on that I was still reading this book until the early hours of the morning as I could NOT put it down. Lola Akinmade has clearly put so much effort into her writing, into each character, into their stories. I was even deeply invested with the secondary characters; Leif, Seb, Jonas, even Mr Torbjorn!
Bitter Honey is perfect for a book club pick, there is so much to unpack and things to discuss about each character. It was extremely thought provoking! Thank you so much @headofzeus for sending me a physical copy and thank you to @netgalley for the e-copy!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2024
“The rights of democracy are not reserved for a select group within society, they are the rights of all the people.”—Olof Palme, former prime minister of Sweden
To say writing this book was simply a joy is a gross understatement. I absolutely loved writing this book. Creating these characters who feel so real to me and navigating their personal struggles with identity, belonging and self-actualization with them was incredibly humbling. They lived in my dreams and every waking moment.
As my first foray into more historical fiction, writing this book was a deeply profound journey of humility, learning, gratitude and understanding. For this, I am extremely grateful I get to do what I love… Write stories which make people feel seen, heard and acknowledged.
To say writing this book was simply a joy is a gross understatement. I absolutely loved writing this book. Creating these characters who feel so real to me and navigating their personal struggles with identity, belonging and self-actualization with them was incredibly humbling. They lived in my dreams and every waking moment.
As my first foray into more historical fiction, writing this book was a deeply profound journey of humility, learning, gratitude and understanding. For this, I am extremely grateful I get to do what I love… Write stories which make people feel seen, heard and acknowledged.
June 24, 2025
Firstly, there is a special place in hell for Lars😌
This book took me through so many emotions and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
The author discusses heavy topics in a way that really highlights the emotions that are tied to these experiences. I found myself really immersed in Nancy and Tina’s lives and it was also fascinating to see the way generational patterns play out. Their dynamic is reflective of many realities.
I really enjoyed this book!
This book took me through so many emotions and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.
The author discusses heavy topics in a way that really highlights the emotions that are tied to these experiences. I found myself really immersed in Nancy and Tina’s lives and it was also fascinating to see the way generational patterns play out. Their dynamic is reflective of many realities.
I really enjoyed this book!
December 21, 2025
This was a slow burn that has many seemingly disparate threads. By the end these threads weave together to create a tapestry of rich relationships filled with deep, complex emotion. I walked away with a story that left me in reflection. I was moved by the moral - “Women, don’t allow men to derail your pursuit of your dreams.” I absolutely HATED Lars and struggled during his parts of the book. The way he pursued Nancy, the way he acted towards Malik, the way he lied about being divorced and childless, the way he treated his brother, the way he used Nancy and became rich off her image, the way he denied his children, the way he tried coming back into Tina’s life once she was famous, the way he unburdened himself in his letters - all infuriated me. He was a classic narcissist. “The heart wants what it wants or it else does not care” was a very appropriate literary quote for his selfishness. I really thought I’d walk away from this story with an okay read because I disliked him so much, but the last 1/3 of this book brought everything full circle. You see the reasons behind some of the decisions our characters make. Tina finds her voice. And there’s a fun Easter Egg at the end tying to In Every Mirror She’s Black. Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow & Lolá Ákínmádé for the ARC in exchange for my insights.
October 30, 2025
This is unlike your typical historical fiction. BITTER HONEY spans decades between Sweden and the US, as we learn the stories of generational pain, mistakes, and aspirations of a mother and her daughter. Nancy and Tina’s individual and collective journeys (and the men they love) are heartbreaking, devastating, and ultimately rewarding. The vivid depictions of Nancy’s circumstances, her relationship with Lars, and her life as a mother are truly captivating. Tina’s rise to stardom and ultimate fall leaves you wanting more. This is such a unique take on a historical fiction that will resonate with any and everyone.
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June 3, 2025If you want to hear me talk about this book, I will be having a conversation with THE Lola Akinmade herself! Tomorrow, Wednesday the 4th of June, at 18:00 at the English Bookshop in Stockholm Please come!
May 15, 2025
”His memories are poison, his entire being dead to her. His sweet honey eyes, now bitter.”
For the most part, I loved this story as it alternated between mother and daughter’s timelines, unfolding a mystery of Nancy’s story and Tina’s heritage, how Nancy loses herself and her dreams and ambitions — and Tina finds herself amid and despite living hers. In this way, it artfully tells a story of intergenerational trauma and also healing, deep wounds and forgiveness. It’s also a story of the destruction that can be wrought by narcissistic men, how they can unmoor even the strongest, most passionate women, particularly when they have few anchors in other friendships and facets of their lives. And cultural appropriation.
“She’s seen his type crisscrossing Banjul in too-short shorts, rubber flip-flops and flowing long hair, learning all they wanted, flashing those grins at local women, returning home as experts on her country, while leaving their spawn behind.”
The last third of the book didn’t drag exactly, but it felt too long and I grew weary of Nancy’s emotional stuntedness, which I suppose was maybe the point, but also I think her inner story could have been a lot more developed. Lars was a creep, i never quite felt her fall in love with him nor and understood why, unless there was an unexplained need in her to be seen, a tenderness beyond what’s described, something besides his pushiness. And because the love rang hollow, so did the void of his absence, the allure of his return.
All in all, an enjoyable historical fiction set in a time, place and culture of which I knew nothing - African Swedes traversing European entertainment epicenters, glamorous LA music industry, navigating domestic racism and stardom in the era of Arab Spring. 3.5-4 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to read this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
For the most part, I loved this story as it alternated between mother and daughter’s timelines, unfolding a mystery of Nancy’s story and Tina’s heritage, how Nancy loses herself and her dreams and ambitions — and Tina finds herself amid and despite living hers. In this way, it artfully tells a story of intergenerational trauma and also healing, deep wounds and forgiveness. It’s also a story of the destruction that can be wrought by narcissistic men, how they can unmoor even the strongest, most passionate women, particularly when they have few anchors in other friendships and facets of their lives. And cultural appropriation.
“She’s seen his type crisscrossing Banjul in too-short shorts, rubber flip-flops and flowing long hair, learning all they wanted, flashing those grins at local women, returning home as experts on her country, while leaving their spawn behind.”
The last third of the book didn’t drag exactly, but it felt too long and I grew weary of Nancy’s emotional stuntedness, which I suppose was maybe the point, but also I think her inner story could have been a lot more developed. Lars was a creep, i never quite felt her fall in love with him nor and understood why, unless there was an unexplained need in her to be seen, a tenderness beyond what’s described, something besides his pushiness. And because the love rang hollow, so did the void of his absence, the allure of his return.
All in all, an enjoyable historical fiction set in a time, place and culture of which I knew nothing - African Swedes traversing European entertainment epicenters, glamorous LA music industry, navigating domestic racism and stardom in the era of Arab Spring. 3.5-4 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to read this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 30, 2025
This is a highly addictive, compelling and heartbreaking novel where by we follow mother and daughter, Nancy and Tina in two different time lines as they navigate their way through life in Sweden.
We follow Nancy in 1987, who has just moved from Gambia to Sweden to further her studies in international relations. During this time Nancy adapts to her new life in Sweden, and enters a precarious relationship with an academic at her university. We also follow Tina in 2006 who is a rising pop star, set to sing in the Eurovision song contest representing Sweden. As the story develops we witness Tina struggle with her identity and life in the public eye, as she figures out who she is and what she wants from life. During both POV’s Nancy and Tina enter romantic relationships with men who cause them a great deal of pain and hold them back from their promising futures.
This book does an excellent job at exploring so many different themes and topics such as the intricacies of having mixed heritage, adapting to life in a forgein country, struggles with identity, culture and a sense of belonging, racism, sexuality, substance abuse and addiction, toxic romantic relationships, interracial relationships and a strained mother-daughter relationship.
Lola Akinmade did an incredible job writing this book! The writing was so engaging and captivating I was hooked from chapter one. Although some of these complex characters were irritating at times and made some questionable decisions I was still so emotionally invested in the characters, and shed many tears whilst reading about their stories. This was such a captivating, addictive and highly enjoyable read, I would definitely recommend. 4.5 stars rounded up!!!
We follow Nancy in 1987, who has just moved from Gambia to Sweden to further her studies in international relations. During this time Nancy adapts to her new life in Sweden, and enters a precarious relationship with an academic at her university. We also follow Tina in 2006 who is a rising pop star, set to sing in the Eurovision song contest representing Sweden. As the story develops we witness Tina struggle with her identity and life in the public eye, as she figures out who she is and what she wants from life. During both POV’s Nancy and Tina enter romantic relationships with men who cause them a great deal of pain and hold them back from their promising futures.
This book does an excellent job at exploring so many different themes and topics such as the intricacies of having mixed heritage, adapting to life in a forgein country, struggles with identity, culture and a sense of belonging, racism, sexuality, substance abuse and addiction, toxic romantic relationships, interracial relationships and a strained mother-daughter relationship.
Lola Akinmade did an incredible job writing this book! The writing was so engaging and captivating I was hooked from chapter one. Although some of these complex characters were irritating at times and made some questionable decisions I was still so emotionally invested in the characters, and shed many tears whilst reading about their stories. This was such a captivating, addictive and highly enjoyable read, I would definitely recommend. 4.5 stars rounded up!!!
November 17, 2025
An emotionally poignant story told in dual POVs and timelines set in Sweden, Bitter Honey is about the lives of mother and daughter Nancy and Tina. Nancy moved to Sweden from Gambia for her studies with ambitious dreams. She meets her professor, Lars who details her dreams. Years later, Tina is Sweden’s rising pop star and on the night of one her biggest performances her estranged father shows up to reconnect, and throws her off course.
What ensues is a journey of self-understanding and acceptance as Tina struggles with her identity on two levels - as a biracial woman in a country that’s seeing a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment, and a daughter abandoned and never acknowledged by her father. Nancy, too has to reconcile with this intrusion into their lives. The hard decisions she made and dreams she gave up to be a single mother.
I couldn’t put this down once the story got going as I was so drawn to both women, and moved by their wildly different experiences. I was especially affected by Tina’s trauma and identity crisis due to her father’s abrupt intrusion into her life. Couple that with the national fallout from a disastrous performance and her head’s messed up.
I loved Ákínmádé’s previous, 𝗜𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸. She deftly taps into the lives of the disaffected, enabling the reader to see the world through their eyes. There’s no way to read her novels without being deeply touched by the characters and their experiences. 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 is another beautiful accomplishment from a talented writer. Add this to your TBR soon!
Thank you @williammorrowbooks for my ARC in exchange for an honest review, 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 is out now!
What ensues is a journey of self-understanding and acceptance as Tina struggles with her identity on two levels - as a biracial woman in a country that’s seeing a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment, and a daughter abandoned and never acknowledged by her father. Nancy, too has to reconcile with this intrusion into their lives. The hard decisions she made and dreams she gave up to be a single mother.
I couldn’t put this down once the story got going as I was so drawn to both women, and moved by their wildly different experiences. I was especially affected by Tina’s trauma and identity crisis due to her father’s abrupt intrusion into her life. Couple that with the national fallout from a disastrous performance and her head’s messed up.
I loved Ákínmádé’s previous, 𝗜𝗻 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸. She deftly taps into the lives of the disaffected, enabling the reader to see the world through their eyes. There’s no way to read her novels without being deeply touched by the characters and their experiences. 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 is another beautiful accomplishment from a talented writer. Add this to your TBR soon!
Thank you @williammorrowbooks for my ARC in exchange for an honest review, 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 is out now!
July 15, 2025
i could not STAND that professor lmao i was irate whenever i had to engage with him
November 23, 2025
Thank you @harperaudio for the free audiobook— the narrators, Délé Ogundiran and Palmira Koukkari Mbenga, did a beautiful job bringing these characters to life through their voice.
Bitter Honey was full of drama for yo mama and I loved that! I enjoyed the mother–daughter saga and the way their story unfolded throughout the years. What I appreciated most was how Lọlá layered this story, little by little, year by year, so you really get to feel the weight of generational hurt and the ways it shapes a woman’s choices.
Both women were strong in their own ways and experienced such similar heartache and trouble. My heart broke for Nancy with the way her ambitions shifted and the trauma she experienced through her relationships… and my goodness, don’t get me started on Lars. Ugh. I disliked him the whole time and that dislike continued to grow as the story went on. 🤨
This book digs into motherhood, identity, immigration, ambition, and how love can both heal and ruin when it’s not healthy.
Bitter Honey was full of drama for yo mama and I loved that! I enjoyed the mother–daughter saga and the way their story unfolded throughout the years. What I appreciated most was how Lọlá layered this story, little by little, year by year, so you really get to feel the weight of generational hurt and the ways it shapes a woman’s choices.
Both women were strong in their own ways and experienced such similar heartache and trouble. My heart broke for Nancy with the way her ambitions shifted and the trauma she experienced through her relationships… and my goodness, don’t get me started on Lars. Ugh. I disliked him the whole time and that dislike continued to grow as the story went on. 🤨
This book digs into motherhood, identity, immigration, ambition, and how love can both heal and ruin when it’s not healthy.
November 30, 2025
Another wonderful yet intense novel by the author. So much pain in these characters’ lives, but a righteous ending.
May 23, 2025
Lola Akinmade Åkerström returns to literary fiction with Bitter Honey, a powerful multigenerational epic that spans four decades, weaving together the interconnected lives of mothers and daughters caught between cultures, dreams, and harsh realities. Building on the foundation established in her acclaimed debut In Every Mirror She's Black, Åkerström delivers a more intimate yet equally ambitious narrative that explores themes of identity, sacrifice, and the complex inheritance passed between generations of women.
The Architecture of Memory: Dual Timeline Mastery
Nancy's Journey: From Promise to Disillusionment (1978-1986)
The novel opens in 1978 with Nancy Ndow, a brilliant young Gambian woman arriving in Stockholm on a scholarship, carrying her family's dreams of her becoming "Madame President" someday. Åkerström's portrayal of Nancy's initial optimism is both heartbreaking and beautifully rendered—here is a woman with genuine political aspirations, intellectual curiosity, and the kind of fierce determination that should have propelled her to greatness.
Nancy's relationship with her anthropology professor, Lars "Lasse" Wikström, begins as an intellectual mentorship but evolves into something far more complicated and ultimately destructive. Åkerström's handling of this power dynamic is particularly skillful, showing how Lars's knowledge of Nancy's language and culture becomes both a seductive bridge and a tool of manipulation. The author doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable realities of how cultural fetishization can masquerade as genuine appreciation and love.
The most devastating aspect of Nancy's story is watching her dreams systematically dismantled. What begins as a promising academic career derails as she becomes pregnant with Tobias, then later Tina, while Lars continues his double life with his Swedish wife Frida. Åkerström captures the slow erosion of Nancy's ambitions with painful precision, showing how each compromise and sacrifice moves her further from the woman she intended to become.
Tina's Struggle: Fame, Identity, and the Weight of Secrets (2006-2016)
Twenty-eight years later, we meet Tina Wikström at her moment of Eurovision triumph—and spectacular failure. Åkerström's portrayal of the pop music industry feels authentic and unforgiving, particularly in her depiction of how quickly fame can turn to infamy. Tina's decision to transform her upbeat pop song "Honey" into a raw, emotional ballad on the Eurovision stage becomes a powerful metaphor for her desperate need to be seen and heard as more than just a performing object.
The author's exploration of mixed-race identity in Sweden is particularly nuanced. Tina's struggles with her appearance—the freckles and red hair inherited from Lars, the "fire crotch" taunts from classmates—reflect larger questions about belonging and acceptance in a society that often sees her as perpetually foreign despite her Swedish birth and upbringing.
Character Development: The Art of Flawed Humanity
Nancy: A Study in Survival and Sacrifice
Nancy emerges as one of the most complex protagonists in contemporary literary fiction. Åkerström avoids the trap of making her either purely victim or villain, instead presenting a woman whose choices—while often frustrating—feel psychologically authentic. Nancy's emotional distance from Tina, her fierce protection of Tobias, and her ultimate inability to fully love herself or trust others stem from deep trauma that the author unveils gradually.
The relationship between Nancy and her daughter forms the emotional core of the novel. Nancy's struggle to see past Lars in Tina's features—those honey-colored eyes that serve as a constant reminder of her greatest heartbreak—creates a tragic dynamic that affects both women profoundly. Åkerström's handling of this mother-daughter relationship is both heartbreaking and deeply realistic.
Lars: The Charming Manipulator
Lars Wikström represents a particularly insidious type of predator—the cultural colonizer who uses his academic knowledge and linguistic skills to gain access to and ultimately exploit the women he claims to love. Åkerström's portrayal of Lars is masterful in its subtlety; he's never an obvious villain, which makes his manipulation all the more effective and disturbing.
The revelation that Lars had Malik deported by planting drugs—destroying Nancy's one chance at genuine love—demonstrates the depths of his selfishness and control. Yet Åkerström resists making him a caricature, showing his genuine feelings for Nancy alongside his inability to sacrifice his privileged position for their relationship.
Supporting Characters: A Rich Tapestry of Humanity
The novel's supporting characters feel lived-in and authentic, from Uncle Leif's complex sacrifice in claiming Tina and Tobias as his own, to Sebastian's journey from vulnerable teenager to Tina's anchor, to the various figures who populate Nancy's world in Sweden. Each character serves both plot function and thematic purpose, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected lives.
Cultural Authenticity and Historical Context
The Immigrant Experience in Sweden
Åkerström's portrayal of the African immigrant experience in Sweden from the 1970s onward feels authentic and well-researched. The microaggressions, the cultural isolation, the complex dynamics of interracial relationships—all are handled with sensitivity and insight. The author's own multicultural background brings authenticity to these depictions that might feel forced or studied in less experienced hands.
The novel's exploration of how Sweden's progressive self-image can coexist with deep-seated prejudices is particularly effective. The contrast between the country's official multiculturalism and the reality of characters like Mr. Torbjörn—the aging veteran who befriends Nancy but still carries racist assumptions—creates compelling tension.
Historical Events as Narrative Scaffolding
The author skillfully weaves major historical events into the personal narratives, from the 1981 attempted coup in Gambia that leads to Malik's disappearance, to the assassination of Olof Palme that triggers Tina's premature birth, to the Arab Spring protests that help Tina find her voice as an activist. These events never feel forced or superficial but rather provide meaningful context for the characters' personal struggles.
Writing Style and Technical Craft
Lyrical Prose with Emotional Depth
Åkerström's prose is lyrical without being overwrought, capturing both the beauty and brutality of her characters' experiences. Her descriptions of Sweden's changing seasons, the warmth of Gambian culture, and the glittering artifice of the music industry all feel vivid and authentic. The author has a particular gift for sensory details that ground readers in specific moments and places.
The shifting perspectives between Nancy and Tina are handled seamlessly, with each character having a distinct voice and worldview. The author's decision to structure the novel in parts rather than strictly alternating chapters allows for deeper immersion in each character's story while building toward their inevitable convergence.
Symbolism and Metaphor
The central metaphor of honey—bitter honey—works on multiple levels throughout the novel. It represents the false sweetness of Lars's promises, the complicated inheritance he leaves his children, and ultimately the transformation of something meant to nourish into something that poisons. Åkerström uses this imagery effectively without overexplaining or belaboring the symbolism.
Thematic Depth and Social Commentary
The Price of Dreams Deferred
One of the novel's most powerful themes is the cost of abandoning one's dreams for love or security. Nancy's transformation from aspiring "Madame President" to home healthcare worker represents not just personal tragedy but also a broader commentary on how systemic inequalities can derail even the most promising individuals.
The parallel between Nancy's abandoned political ambitions and Tina's struggle to find her artistic voice creates a compelling generational echo. Both women must ultimately learn to reclaim their agency and pursue their authentic selves rather than the roles others have imposed upon them.
Intergenerational Trauma and Healing
The novel's exploration of how trauma passes between generations is particularly sophisticated. Nancy's inability to fully love Tina doesn't stem from lack of caring but from deep psychological wounds that have never properly healed. The author shows how patterns of emotional distance and protection can repeat across generations until someone makes the conscious choice to break the cycle.
Critical Analysis: Strengths and Areas for Growth
What Works Brilliantly
The novel's greatest strength lies in its emotional authenticity and cultural specificity. Åkerström writes from lived experience, and it shows in every detail—from Nancy's navigation of Swedish bureaucracy to Tina's experience of being mixed-race in the music industry. The author's refusal to provide easy answers or neat resolutions feels mature and realistic.
The character development is exceptional, particularly in the way Åkerström allows her protagonists to be flawed without being unsympathetic. Nancy's coldness toward Tina could easily read as cruel, but the author provides enough context to make it heartbreaking instead.
Minor Criticisms
While the novel's scope is generally a strength, some sections feel less fully developed than others. Tina's time in Los Angeles, while important for her character development, occasionally reads as less vivid than the Swedish and Gambian sections. The Jonas Jonsson subplot, while thematically relevant, sometimes feels disconnected from the main narrative thrust.
Additionally, some of the later time jumps feel slightly rushed, particularly the resolution of Tina and Sebastian's relationship and Nancy's final confrontation with Frida. These important emotional beats might have benefited from more space and development.
The Architecture of Memory: Dual Timeline Mastery
Nancy's Journey: From Promise to Disillusionment (1978-1986)
The novel opens in 1978 with Nancy Ndow, a brilliant young Gambian woman arriving in Stockholm on a scholarship, carrying her family's dreams of her becoming "Madame President" someday. Åkerström's portrayal of Nancy's initial optimism is both heartbreaking and beautifully rendered—here is a woman with genuine political aspirations, intellectual curiosity, and the kind of fierce determination that should have propelled her to greatness.
Nancy's relationship with her anthropology professor, Lars "Lasse" Wikström, begins as an intellectual mentorship but evolves into something far more complicated and ultimately destructive. Åkerström's handling of this power dynamic is particularly skillful, showing how Lars's knowledge of Nancy's language and culture becomes both a seductive bridge and a tool of manipulation. The author doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable realities of how cultural fetishization can masquerade as genuine appreciation and love.
The most devastating aspect of Nancy's story is watching her dreams systematically dismantled. What begins as a promising academic career derails as she becomes pregnant with Tobias, then later Tina, while Lars continues his double life with his Swedish wife Frida. Åkerström captures the slow erosion of Nancy's ambitions with painful precision, showing how each compromise and sacrifice moves her further from the woman she intended to become.
Tina's Struggle: Fame, Identity, and the Weight of Secrets (2006-2016)
Twenty-eight years later, we meet Tina Wikström at her moment of Eurovision triumph—and spectacular failure. Åkerström's portrayal of the pop music industry feels authentic and unforgiving, particularly in her depiction of how quickly fame can turn to infamy. Tina's decision to transform her upbeat pop song "Honey" into a raw, emotional ballad on the Eurovision stage becomes a powerful metaphor for her desperate need to be seen and heard as more than just a performing object.
The author's exploration of mixed-race identity in Sweden is particularly nuanced. Tina's struggles with her appearance—the freckles and red hair inherited from Lars, the "fire crotch" taunts from classmates—reflect larger questions about belonging and acceptance in a society that often sees her as perpetually foreign despite her Swedish birth and upbringing.
Character Development: The Art of Flawed Humanity
Nancy: A Study in Survival and Sacrifice
Nancy emerges as one of the most complex protagonists in contemporary literary fiction. Åkerström avoids the trap of making her either purely victim or villain, instead presenting a woman whose choices—while often frustrating—feel psychologically authentic. Nancy's emotional distance from Tina, her fierce protection of Tobias, and her ultimate inability to fully love herself or trust others stem from deep trauma that the author unveils gradually.
The relationship between Nancy and her daughter forms the emotional core of the novel. Nancy's struggle to see past Lars in Tina's features—those honey-colored eyes that serve as a constant reminder of her greatest heartbreak—creates a tragic dynamic that affects both women profoundly. Åkerström's handling of this mother-daughter relationship is both heartbreaking and deeply realistic.
Lars: The Charming Manipulator
Lars Wikström represents a particularly insidious type of predator—the cultural colonizer who uses his academic knowledge and linguistic skills to gain access to and ultimately exploit the women he claims to love. Åkerström's portrayal of Lars is masterful in its subtlety; he's never an obvious villain, which makes his manipulation all the more effective and disturbing.
The revelation that Lars had Malik deported by planting drugs—destroying Nancy's one chance at genuine love—demonstrates the depths of his selfishness and control. Yet Åkerström resists making him a caricature, showing his genuine feelings for Nancy alongside his inability to sacrifice his privileged position for their relationship.
Supporting Characters: A Rich Tapestry of Humanity
The novel's supporting characters feel lived-in and authentic, from Uncle Leif's complex sacrifice in claiming Tina and Tobias as his own, to Sebastian's journey from vulnerable teenager to Tina's anchor, to the various figures who populate Nancy's world in Sweden. Each character serves both plot function and thematic purpose, creating a rich tapestry of interconnected lives.
Cultural Authenticity and Historical Context
The Immigrant Experience in Sweden
Åkerström's portrayal of the African immigrant experience in Sweden from the 1970s onward feels authentic and well-researched. The microaggressions, the cultural isolation, the complex dynamics of interracial relationships—all are handled with sensitivity and insight. The author's own multicultural background brings authenticity to these depictions that might feel forced or studied in less experienced hands.
The novel's exploration of how Sweden's progressive self-image can coexist with deep-seated prejudices is particularly effective. The contrast between the country's official multiculturalism and the reality of characters like Mr. Torbjörn—the aging veteran who befriends Nancy but still carries racist assumptions—creates compelling tension.
Historical Events as Narrative Scaffolding
The author skillfully weaves major historical events into the personal narratives, from the 1981 attempted coup in Gambia that leads to Malik's disappearance, to the assassination of Olof Palme that triggers Tina's premature birth, to the Arab Spring protests that help Tina find her voice as an activist. These events never feel forced or superficial but rather provide meaningful context for the characters' personal struggles.
Writing Style and Technical Craft
Lyrical Prose with Emotional Depth
Åkerström's prose is lyrical without being overwrought, capturing both the beauty and brutality of her characters' experiences. Her descriptions of Sweden's changing seasons, the warmth of Gambian culture, and the glittering artifice of the music industry all feel vivid and authentic. The author has a particular gift for sensory details that ground readers in specific moments and places.
The shifting perspectives between Nancy and Tina are handled seamlessly, with each character having a distinct voice and worldview. The author's decision to structure the novel in parts rather than strictly alternating chapters allows for deeper immersion in each character's story while building toward their inevitable convergence.
Symbolism and Metaphor
The central metaphor of honey—bitter honey—works on multiple levels throughout the novel. It represents the false sweetness of Lars's promises, the complicated inheritance he leaves his children, and ultimately the transformation of something meant to nourish into something that poisons. Åkerström uses this imagery effectively without overexplaining or belaboring the symbolism.
Thematic Depth and Social Commentary
The Price of Dreams Deferred
One of the novel's most powerful themes is the cost of abandoning one's dreams for love or security. Nancy's transformation from aspiring "Madame President" to home healthcare worker represents not just personal tragedy but also a broader commentary on how systemic inequalities can derail even the most promising individuals.
The parallel between Nancy's abandoned political ambitions and Tina's struggle to find her artistic voice creates a compelling generational echo. Both women must ultimately learn to reclaim their agency and pursue their authentic selves rather than the roles others have imposed upon them.
Intergenerational Trauma and Healing
The novel's exploration of how trauma passes between generations is particularly sophisticated. Nancy's inability to fully love Tina doesn't stem from lack of caring but from deep psychological wounds that have never properly healed. The author shows how patterns of emotional distance and protection can repeat across generations until someone makes the conscious choice to break the cycle.
Critical Analysis: Strengths and Areas for Growth
What Works Brilliantly
The novel's greatest strength lies in its emotional authenticity and cultural specificity. Åkerström writes from lived experience, and it shows in every detail—from Nancy's navigation of Swedish bureaucracy to Tina's experience of being mixed-race in the music industry. The author's refusal to provide easy answers or neat resolutions feels mature and realistic.
The character development is exceptional, particularly in the way Åkerström allows her protagonists to be flawed without being unsympathetic. Nancy's coldness toward Tina could easily read as cruel, but the author provides enough context to make it heartbreaking instead.
Minor Criticisms
While the novel's scope is generally a strength, some sections feel less fully developed than others. Tina's time in Los Angeles, while important for her character development, occasionally reads as less vivid than the Swedish and Gambian sections. The Jonas Jonsson subplot, while thematically relevant, sometimes feels disconnected from the main narrative thrust.
Additionally, some of the later time jumps feel slightly rushed, particularly the resolution of Tina and Sebastian's relationship and Nancy's final confrontation with Frida. These important emotional beats might have benefited from more space and development.
July 5, 2025
My heart was so full of emotion after reading this. These characters took me through it! It felt like being behind soundproof glass, banging because you know the disaster coming, but knowing you can't look away because you need better to follow.
Lola is a master of complex, real characters and situations and so far is my only auto-buy author.
What a journey.
Lola is a master of complex, real characters and situations and so far is my only auto-buy author.
What a journey.
March 8, 2025
Happy International Women’s Day! I just finished a really good book by a female author featuring two strong and compelling characters. The story unfolds across two timelines.
In the first, set in 1978, we follow Nancy, a young woman navigating her move to university in Sweden and falling into a risky relationship with a much older man. The second timeline, set in 2006, follows Tina, Nancy’s daughter - a talented singer chosen to represent Sweden in the next Eurovision Song Contest. But just as she prepares for the biggest moment of her career, her world is turned upside down when the father she believed to be dead suddenly reappears.
I found myself more drawn to Tina’s storyline, even though she was the messier character, constantly caught up in drama. But in a way, that made her feel more real and relatable. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it!
In the first, set in 1978, we follow Nancy, a young woman navigating her move to university in Sweden and falling into a risky relationship with a much older man. The second timeline, set in 2006, follows Tina, Nancy’s daughter - a talented singer chosen to represent Sweden in the next Eurovision Song Contest. But just as she prepares for the biggest moment of her career, her world is turned upside down when the father she believed to be dead suddenly reappears.
I found myself more drawn to Tina’s storyline, even though she was the messier character, constantly caught up in drama. But in a way, that made her feel more real and relatable. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it!
November 9, 2025
This might be my favorite book of the year! This book was both inspiring and heartbreaking. Using dual points of view, Bitter Honey tells the story of a mother and daughter whose lives seem so different, yet they are almost the same as they struggle with identity, love, and acceptance.
Nancy, the mom, wins a scholarship to study in Stockholm. She has her whole life ahead of her when she meets Lars. Lars is Nancy's professor and mentor, who became infatuated with her. In a fit of jealousy, Lars makes a decision that changes Nancy's life forever. Nancy never imagined falling in love with Lars, but when she does, her dreams no longer seem to exist.
Tina, Nancy's daughter, who looks and reminds her too much of her father, is getting ready to grace her biggest stage when she receives an unexpected visitor—a man who claims to be her father. Up until this point, Tina thought her father was dead. At that moment, the world as she knew it began to crumble.
Lola does a phenomenal job of connecting historical events to Tina and Nancy's story. We got to see the contrasting and connecting views of this mother-daughter duo. We got a vivid view into Nancy's struggle to find herself and how she allowed hate to hinder her from the life she desired and her relationship with her daughter. We got to see how Tina almost self-destructed and followed in her mothers foot footsteps before she found herself. It was incredibly wonderful watching these characters evolve into the best version of themselves.
My heart ached for Nancy throughout the book. She experienced so much heartbreak that she didn't deserve. I was glad that she found out about what happened to Malik and was able to move on with peace.
Lars needs to go straight to hell!
Leif deserved so much more than what he ended up with.
Tobias was an amazing brother and support to her sister.
The narrators did a superb job. This book was brought to life by them. I loved that one of them had an African accent and the other had a Swedish accent. The contrast added so much value to the audio of this book.
This book was so good. I've been recommending it to all my friends. Thank you, Net Galley and Harper Audio, for the audio copy of this book!
Nancy, the mom, wins a scholarship to study in Stockholm. She has her whole life ahead of her when she meets Lars. Lars is Nancy's professor and mentor, who became infatuated with her. In a fit of jealousy, Lars makes a decision that changes Nancy's life forever. Nancy never imagined falling in love with Lars, but when she does, her dreams no longer seem to exist.
Tina, Nancy's daughter, who looks and reminds her too much of her father, is getting ready to grace her biggest stage when she receives an unexpected visitor—a man who claims to be her father. Up until this point, Tina thought her father was dead. At that moment, the world as she knew it began to crumble.
Lola does a phenomenal job of connecting historical events to Tina and Nancy's story. We got to see the contrasting and connecting views of this mother-daughter duo. We got a vivid view into Nancy's struggle to find herself and how she allowed hate to hinder her from the life she desired and her relationship with her daughter. We got to see how Tina almost self-destructed and followed in her mothers foot footsteps before she found herself. It was incredibly wonderful watching these characters evolve into the best version of themselves.
My heart ached for Nancy throughout the book. She experienced so much heartbreak that she didn't deserve. I was glad that she found out about what happened to Malik and was able to move on with peace.
Lars needs to go straight to hell!
Leif deserved so much more than what he ended up with.
Tobias was an amazing brother and support to her sister.
The narrators did a superb job. This book was brought to life by them. I loved that one of them had an African accent and the other had a Swedish accent. The contrast added so much value to the audio of this book.
This book was so good. I've been recommending it to all my friends. Thank you, Net Galley and Harper Audio, for the audio copy of this book!
July 6, 2025
Some books pack a punch.
Bitter Honey by Lola Akinmade is one of those books. It also falls under the category of books I wish I'd written but I know I couldn't have. It's a powerful story that spans four decades and examines the dark secrets families often keep and how they affect parents and children, even when those children are adults.
This is Nancy's story – a young woman from Gambia who comes to Sweden in the late-1970s whose family harbours dreams of her becoming the first female prime minister of the country. But those dreams get pushed to the side...
And then there's the story of her daughter, Tina, who has had to deal with the aftermath of her mother's dreams being squashed without understanding how or why it happened. Tina, who is trying to achieve her own dreams as a singer/songwriter, is struggling with her own identity as a mixed race woman and the concept of her Swedishness. Especially when she is representing Sweden in Eurovision and her representation is being put to the test by white supremacists who are too close for comfort about a white lie about who is her father.
Lola excels at handling the intricate twists and turns of this kind of storytelling. And she has a way of pulling you into the characters' lives and making you feel like you're right there with them. There were so many times when the Nancy and Tina's actions frustrated me and made me want to scream at them but I couldn't stop reading – and that's a sign of stellar writing!
I loved Bitter Honey. I am convinced that this is one of the best books that Lola has ever written.
It's absolutely definitely a 5-star must-read.
Bitter Honey by Lola Akinmade is one of those books. It also falls under the category of books I wish I'd written but I know I couldn't have. It's a powerful story that spans four decades and examines the dark secrets families often keep and how they affect parents and children, even when those children are adults.
This is Nancy's story – a young woman from Gambia who comes to Sweden in the late-1970s whose family harbours dreams of her becoming the first female prime minister of the country. But those dreams get pushed to the side...
And then there's the story of her daughter, Tina, who has had to deal with the aftermath of her mother's dreams being squashed without understanding how or why it happened. Tina, who is trying to achieve her own dreams as a singer/songwriter, is struggling with her own identity as a mixed race woman and the concept of her Swedishness. Especially when she is representing Sweden in Eurovision and her representation is being put to the test by white supremacists who are too close for comfort about a white lie about who is her father.
Lola excels at handling the intricate twists and turns of this kind of storytelling. And she has a way of pulling you into the characters' lives and making you feel like you're right there with them. There were so many times when the Nancy and Tina's actions frustrated me and made me want to scream at them but I couldn't stop reading – and that's a sign of stellar writing!
I loved Bitter Honey. I am convinced that this is one of the best books that Lola has ever written.
It's absolutely definitely a 5-star must-read.
November 4, 2025
This follows Nancy and her daughter, Tina, in two timelines as they try to build their lives in Sweden. Nancy arrives in the 1980s from Gambia, hopeful and focused on a fresh start. Tina in the 2000s is rising fast in the music scene and battling the pressure that comes with fame and expectations.
What made this book emotional is how history repeats itself with the two women. Both women fall for the kind of love that feels sweet first, then slowly becomes poison. And a huge part of that poison is Lars, Nancy’s second love and Tina’s father. I don’t even know where to start with that man. His narcissism was on full display, a very selfish man. He manipulated love, loyalty, and even their vulnerability, going as far as to blackmail his brother Lief( I really like Lief). Even till the end, he never truly faced the consequences of his actions.
Lola Akinmade dug deep into real themes, immigration, identity, racism, the pressure to belong, toxic relationships, addiction, mental health, and the complicated tension between mother and daughter. And I love how we see who Nancy was before motherhood(how she went was having dreams, dining with diplomats to becoming a broken woman), and how Tina tries to escape the very pain she inherited, yet fell into the same cycle.
The dual timelines flow beautifully, the cultural blend is rich, and the emotional moments hit hard. It’s messy, heartbreaking, and painfully realistic. Love can lift you up, but with the wrong person it can also burn you from the inside out.
What made this book emotional is how history repeats itself with the two women. Both women fall for the kind of love that feels sweet first, then slowly becomes poison. And a huge part of that poison is Lars, Nancy’s second love and Tina’s father. I don’t even know where to start with that man. His narcissism was on full display, a very selfish man. He manipulated love, loyalty, and even their vulnerability, going as far as to blackmail his brother Lief( I really like Lief). Even till the end, he never truly faced the consequences of his actions.
Lola Akinmade dug deep into real themes, immigration, identity, racism, the pressure to belong, toxic relationships, addiction, mental health, and the complicated tension between mother and daughter. And I love how we see who Nancy was before motherhood(how she went was having dreams, dining with diplomats to becoming a broken woman), and how Tina tries to escape the very pain she inherited, yet fell into the same cycle.
The dual timelines flow beautifully, the cultural blend is rich, and the emotional moments hit hard. It’s messy, heartbreaking, and painfully realistic. Love can lift you up, but with the wrong person it can also burn you from the inside out.
November 18, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ / 5 loved this book! The characters felt so vivid and complex and their development over the course of the book and years in the case of Tina / decades in the case of Nancy was beautiful. I felt like I grew along side them. The book touches on lots of heavy themes including mixed-heritage, belonging and identity, democracy, nationalisation, race, cultural appropriation and idolisation, manipulation and deceit, love, desire and obsession, addiction, and mental health. There’s also a historical aspect that I always love in books and felt I learnt about a time in political history in Sweden and Gambia.
Some of my favourite prose from the book:
“The rights of democracy are not reserved for a select group within society, they are the rights of all people” - Olof Palme.
“No woman deserves disrespect. Especially from another women who should have understood that he was the one who deceived us both”.
“I am living the privilege of a free man,” he counters. “ I am living free not bound by rules. Not having to prove my worth to anyone. Not looking for validation in anyone’s else’s gaze”.
“True love comes from within. Unconditional love comes from deep down inside you. When you stare at yourself in the mirror. When those eyes are all you peering back at you, you have no choice but to love them because no one else wills the way you want them to.”
Some of my favourite prose from the book:
“The rights of democracy are not reserved for a select group within society, they are the rights of all people” - Olof Palme.
“No woman deserves disrespect. Especially from another women who should have understood that he was the one who deceived us both”.
“I am living the privilege of a free man,” he counters. “ I am living free not bound by rules. Not having to prove my worth to anyone. Not looking for validation in anyone’s else’s gaze”.
“True love comes from within. Unconditional love comes from deep down inside you. When you stare at yourself in the mirror. When those eyes are all you peering back at you, you have no choice but to love them because no one else wills the way you want them to.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2025
I won a free copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway. This is my honest review.
Bitter Honey: A novel that tells two different interconnected stories; that of an immigrant woman new to Sweden who gets caught up in an ill-advised affair with her college professor; and the daughter, one of the results of said dalliance—a singer whose instant fame comes with a fair bit of problems.
Nancy (the mother's point of view) was a delight to read. I enjoyed every bit of her story: the drama, sweet romance, then an awful romance leading to horrific betrayal. I truly felt for Nancy. Though there were times I was mad at her, for the most part, I was always on her side.
I didn't care so much for the daughter, Tina. Mainly because she still had plenty of growing up to do at the start of this book, and came off a bit self-centered. She also made a lot of terrible decisions, as expected of a person her age trying to make a name for herself.
The side characters really made this book shine: The dead gay uncle; and also Malik and Seb: the mother's first boyfriend (the son of a diplomat) and the daughter's boyfriend (a soccer star heartthrob), respectively.
Also included in this book: Eurovision, the Soccer World Cup, the Grammys, Hollywood parties, drugs, addiction, the price of fame, the assassination of a President, Swedish culture, history, language, infidelity, and politics.
Bitter Honey: A novel that tells two different interconnected stories; that of an immigrant woman new to Sweden who gets caught up in an ill-advised affair with her college professor; and the daughter, one of the results of said dalliance—a singer whose instant fame comes with a fair bit of problems.
Nancy (the mother's point of view) was a delight to read. I enjoyed every bit of her story: the drama, sweet romance, then an awful romance leading to horrific betrayal. I truly felt for Nancy. Though there were times I was mad at her, for the most part, I was always on her side.
I didn't care so much for the daughter, Tina. Mainly because she still had plenty of growing up to do at the start of this book, and came off a bit self-centered. She also made a lot of terrible decisions, as expected of a person her age trying to make a name for herself.
The side characters really made this book shine: The dead gay uncle; and also Malik and Seb: the mother's first boyfriend (the son of a diplomat) and the daughter's boyfriend (a soccer star heartthrob), respectively.
Also included in this book: Eurovision, the Soccer World Cup, the Grammys, Hollywood parties, drugs, addiction, the price of fame, the assassination of a President, Swedish culture, history, language, infidelity, and politics.
July 9, 2025
I loved it! I loved it so so much!! the writing? the double pov? my emotions going through a roller coaster?! LOVED IT
"His memories are poison, his entire being dead to her. His sweet honey eyes, now bitter."- which is exactly why the book is titled Bitter Honey
Lars is genuinely the worst character in this book and I don’t even want to talk about him 😭 …Nancy was just a naive young girl, she had so much trauma to unpack..I don’t think she actually ever loved Lars.. He already took so much from her, she probably just felt this was her only place. Tina? She was just a girl.. imagine your mum “hating you” because you look exactly like the man that broke her heart.
I love that Nancy and Tina were able to fix their relationship, I loved that Tina could express art in her way and not look for validation. and Nancy?! I’m so proud of her!!
"His memories are poison, his entire being dead to her. His sweet honey eyes, now bitter."- which is exactly why the book is titled Bitter Honey
Lars is genuinely the worst character in this book and I don’t even want to talk about him 😭 …Nancy was just a naive young girl, she had so much trauma to unpack..I don’t think she actually ever loved Lars.. He already took so much from her, she probably just felt this was her only place. Tina? She was just a girl.. imagine your mum “hating you” because you look exactly like the man that broke her heart.
I love that Nancy and Tina were able to fix their relationship, I loved that Tina could express art in her way and not look for validation. and Nancy?! I’m so proud of her!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2025
5 Brilliant Stars!
I enjoyed this book so much that I know I’ll re-read it to experience it all over again.
It tells the story of a mother and daughter, decades apart.
The mother was an immigrant from Gambia to Sweden, and her daughter, born and raised in Sweden.
The novel beautifully weaves themes of love, lust, family, race, politics, music, poetry, and art. It is also about forgiveness and self-acceptance.
Nancy and Tina were mother and daughter, yet as different as they were, both were lost, searching for themselves in order to survive and to love.
I absolutely despised Lars’s character and disliked the endless grace he received from the two women he betrayed. Honestly, I wished him a painful, lonely death in a hospital bed with no one by his side.
Anyhooo…
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!
Read this! You won’t regret it one bit!!!
I enjoyed this book so much that I know I’ll re-read it to experience it all over again.
It tells the story of a mother and daughter, decades apart.
The mother was an immigrant from Gambia to Sweden, and her daughter, born and raised in Sweden.
The novel beautifully weaves themes of love, lust, family, race, politics, music, poetry, and art. It is also about forgiveness and self-acceptance.
Nancy and Tina were mother and daughter, yet as different as they were, both were lost, searching for themselves in order to survive and to love.
I absolutely despised Lars’s character and disliked the endless grace he received from the two women he betrayed. Honestly, I wished him a painful, lonely death in a hospital bed with no one by his side.
Anyhooo…
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it!
Read this! You won’t regret it one bit!!!
November 5, 2025
Thank you to the publisher for a gifted copy of this book; all thoughts are my own!
📖 Book Review 📖 Generational trauma is real and its hold extends through every layer of family dynamics with a tight grip. And I promise you that indulging in Ákínmádé’s newest novel is a far more captivating and maybe even more convincing way to prove this than my grad level Family Dynamic course. Bitter Honey is a powerful story of finding your truth, bringing together multiple generations and cultures for a beautifully blended story of female empowerment and familial bonds.
When Tina is cast into the spotlight during the Eurovision contest, the full story of her mother’s past comes to light and the father Tina believed was dead is in fact alive. Complicated yet beautiful layers unfold, weaving a complex modern tale of finding your north in a world where the compass skews. Bitter Honey is an absolutely captivating, heartfelt work of fiction.
📖 Book Review 📖 Generational trauma is real and its hold extends through every layer of family dynamics with a tight grip. And I promise you that indulging in Ákínmádé’s newest novel is a far more captivating and maybe even more convincing way to prove this than my grad level Family Dynamic course. Bitter Honey is a powerful story of finding your truth, bringing together multiple generations and cultures for a beautifully blended story of female empowerment and familial bonds.
When Tina is cast into the spotlight during the Eurovision contest, the full story of her mother’s past comes to light and the father Tina believed was dead is in fact alive. Complicated yet beautiful layers unfold, weaving a complex modern tale of finding your north in a world where the compass skews. Bitter Honey is an absolutely captivating, heartfelt work of fiction.
December 14, 2025
Bitter Honey is an emotionally powerful historical fiction. We follow two timelines first we meet Nancy who is leaving her home country of Gambia to go to college in Sweden. We follow her throughout her college years to essentially how she becomes a mother to Tina and her brother. In between Nancy’s story we are also meeting Tina in present time as she becoming a Sweden singing star.
Tina has just found out a secret Nancy has been keeping from the family for years which causes Tina to make some questionable choices. There is so much going on in the book from questioning your identity to family drama.
I really enjoyed this book and I felt so hard for Nancy and the “traps” she fell into at such a young age. Lola did a great job with this one.
Thank you to NetGalley for letting me enjoy a free arc copy in exchange for a honest review.
Tina has just found out a secret Nancy has been keeping from the family for years which causes Tina to make some questionable choices. There is so much going on in the book from questioning your identity to family drama.
I really enjoyed this book and I felt so hard for Nancy and the “traps” she fell into at such a young age. Lola did a great job with this one.
Thank you to NetGalley for letting me enjoy a free arc copy in exchange for a honest review.
November 26, 2025
TW: abandonment, infidelity, drug use, mental abuse and nationalism
Bitter Honey by Lola Ákínmádé Åkerström is a beautifully layered and deeply moving story of identity, loss, family secrets, and the complicated bond between a mothers and daughter.
Tina, known across Sweden as The Swedish Siren, has a voice that mesmerizes and a presence that promises long-term success. Born to an African mother and a father she never knew, she grew up alongside her brother Tobias, both of them carrying features—fair skin, striking eyes, and curly hair—that set them apart and sparked questions that were never fully answered. Behind Tina’s public confidence lies a lifetime of private pain, scars she has learned to bury but never truly healed. This emotional aspect of her life has had her involved in a relationship that was ultimately toxic.
But Tina’s journey is only half of this riveting novel. Interwoven with her 2006 storyline is the story of Nancy, her mother, beginning in 1978 when Nancy leaves Gambia on a scholarship to Sweden. Hopeful and ambitious, Nancy envisions a bright future—but her path becomes clouded by her complicated feelings for Lars, a professor decades older and completely inappropriate, yet impossible for her to ignore.
Back in Tina’s timeline, just as her music career is taking off and an irresistible offer pulls her toward the United States, she is contacted by a man named Lars claims to be her father. Tina is stunned—not only because she grew up believing her father was dead, but because this new truth contradicts everything her mother ever told her. The emotional fallout is intense, further straining her already fragile relationship with Nancy.
As mother and daughter navigate their own romantic entanglements—separated by decades yet unexpectedly parallel—their stories begin to mirror each other in ways neither of them anticipated. Their struggles with desire, identity, and belonging reveal how similar they are, even as they fight to understand one another.
Bitter Honey is a powerful, emotionally rich novel that explores race, belonging, betrayal, generational trauma, and the fierce love that can both bind and break a family. It lingers long after the final page, offering truths that resonate deeply.
Many thanks to William Morrow, Libro.FM and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
Bitter Honey by Lola Ákínmádé Åkerström is a beautifully layered and deeply moving story of identity, loss, family secrets, and the complicated bond between a mothers and daughter.
Tina, known across Sweden as The Swedish Siren, has a voice that mesmerizes and a presence that promises long-term success. Born to an African mother and a father she never knew, she grew up alongside her brother Tobias, both of them carrying features—fair skin, striking eyes, and curly hair—that set them apart and sparked questions that were never fully answered. Behind Tina’s public confidence lies a lifetime of private pain, scars she has learned to bury but never truly healed. This emotional aspect of her life has had her involved in a relationship that was ultimately toxic.
But Tina’s journey is only half of this riveting novel. Interwoven with her 2006 storyline is the story of Nancy, her mother, beginning in 1978 when Nancy leaves Gambia on a scholarship to Sweden. Hopeful and ambitious, Nancy envisions a bright future—but her path becomes clouded by her complicated feelings for Lars, a professor decades older and completely inappropriate, yet impossible for her to ignore.
Back in Tina’s timeline, just as her music career is taking off and an irresistible offer pulls her toward the United States, she is contacted by a man named Lars claims to be her father. Tina is stunned—not only because she grew up believing her father was dead, but because this new truth contradicts everything her mother ever told her. The emotional fallout is intense, further straining her already fragile relationship with Nancy.
As mother and daughter navigate their own romantic entanglements—separated by decades yet unexpectedly parallel—their stories begin to mirror each other in ways neither of them anticipated. Their struggles with desire, identity, and belonging reveal how similar they are, even as they fight to understand one another.
Bitter Honey is a powerful, emotionally rich novel that explores race, belonging, betrayal, generational trauma, and the fierce love that can both bind and break a family. It lingers long after the final page, offering truths that resonate deeply.
Many thanks to William Morrow, Libro.FM and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
December 2, 2025
I absolutely loved this book. The writing style, character development, and how she connected the mother and daughter’s story together.
The author told each story from the being and catching them up to present day was chefs kiss.
It is heartwarming to read a book that shows the struggles between mother and daughter in such a realistic way. Not every mother and daughter have the best relationships but in time & with healing there can be understanding and respect that brings them together. Thats what I felt as I immersive read this book.
10/10 recommend.
The author told each story from the being and catching them up to present day was chefs kiss.
It is heartwarming to read a book that shows the struggles between mother and daughter in such a realistic way. Not every mother and daughter have the best relationships but in time & with healing there can be understanding and respect that brings them together. Thats what I felt as I immersive read this book.
10/10 recommend.
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