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One Leg on Earth
From the author of the National Book Award finalist Ghostroots, a debut novel that thrills with its eerie mix of folklore and history.
The lonely daughter of a distant mother, Yosoye arrives in Lagos ready to change her life. Weeks after she begins an internship at a fancy architectural firm, she discovers she is pregnant. Yosoye is joyful—a new life brings the hope of connection and companionship.
But an inexplicable force is haunting the pregnant women of Lagos. As construction speeds ahead on the firm’s glossy new development on land reclaimed from the ocean, stories of the uncanny deaths in the city’s open waters reach a fever pitch. Yosoye finds herself stalked by a presence she can neither ignore nor appease—without risking her unborn baby and her precarious hopes for the future.
In One Leg on Earth, ‘Pemi Aguda turns the question of who belongs in a city into an arresting exploration of what it means to be a mother in an unforgiving world, and a haunting vision of the dark side of progress.
The lonely daughter of a distant mother, Yosoye arrives in Lagos ready to change her life. Weeks after she begins an internship at a fancy architectural firm, she discovers she is pregnant. Yosoye is joyful—a new life brings the hope of connection and companionship.
But an inexplicable force is haunting the pregnant women of Lagos. As construction speeds ahead on the firm’s glossy new development on land reclaimed from the ocean, stories of the uncanny deaths in the city’s open waters reach a fever pitch. Yosoye finds herself stalked by a presence she can neither ignore nor appease—without risking her unborn baby and her precarious hopes for the future.
In One Leg on Earth, ‘Pemi Aguda turns the question of who belongs in a city into an arresting exploration of what it means to be a mother in an unforgiving world, and a haunting vision of the dark side of progress.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published May 5, 2026
20 people are currently reading
5758 people want to read
About the author
'Pemi Aguda
15 books151 followersPemi Aguda is a Nigerian writer known for her short stories and debut collection Ghostroots (2024). Her work often explores complex themes surrounding motherhood, identity, and the supernatural. Ghostroots, which includes previously published stories such as "Breastmilk" and "The Hollow", was a finalist for the 2024 National Book Award for Fiction and received critical acclaim for its unifying themes and narrative cohesion.
Aguda's stories have been widely recognized, earning multiple accolades, including an O'Henry Award in 2022 for "Breastmilk" and again in 2023 for "The Hollow". Additionally, "Breastmilk" was shortlisted for the 2024 Caine Prize for African Writing. Her forthcoming novel, The Suicide Mothers, which won the 2020 Deborah Rogers Foundation Award, is slated for release in 2025.
Aguda's stories have been widely recognized, earning multiple accolades, including an O'Henry Award in 2022 for "Breastmilk" and again in 2023 for "The Hollow". Additionally, "Breastmilk" was shortlisted for the 2024 Caine Prize for African Writing. Her forthcoming novel, The Suicide Mothers, which won the 2020 Deborah Rogers Foundation Award, is slated for release in 2025.
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April 23, 2026I received this audiobook through NetGalley and Dreamscape Media.
One Leg on Earth was a harder one for me to connect with. Maybe part of that was experiencing it through audio only, but by the end I still felt unsure about the why behind some of the women’s choices, and that made it harder for me to fully settle into the story.
This is definitely a slower-paced, more literary novel, and that pacing fits the kind of story it is trying to tell. While it wasn’t really my vibe, I could still see how thought-provoking it was. The loneliness around motherhood stood out the most for me and gave the story its strongest emotional thread.
The narration itself was good, but with Yosoye being 23, the voice sounded too mature for me to fully believe I was following someone in her twenties. Because of that, it was harder for the perspective to land as naturally as I wanted it to.
Overall, while this wasn’t a book I fully connected with, I would recommend it to readers and listeners who enjoy slower, more literary, thought-provoking stories that focus on motherhood, loneliness, atmosphere, and character study more than straightforward plot.
One Leg on Earth was a harder one for me to connect with. Maybe part of that was experiencing it through audio only, but by the end I still felt unsure about the why behind some of the women’s choices, and that made it harder for me to fully settle into the story.
This is definitely a slower-paced, more literary novel, and that pacing fits the kind of story it is trying to tell. While it wasn’t really my vibe, I could still see how thought-provoking it was. The loneliness around motherhood stood out the most for me and gave the story its strongest emotional thread.
The narration itself was good, but with Yosoye being 23, the voice sounded too mature for me to fully believe I was following someone in her twenties. Because of that, it was harder for the perspective to land as naturally as I wanted it to.
Overall, while this wasn’t a book I fully connected with, I would recommend it to readers and listeners who enjoy slower, more literary, thought-provoking stories that focus on motherhood, loneliness, atmosphere, and character study more than straightforward plot.
January 27, 2026
Totally stunning. What a novel!
Want to Read
December 16, 2025This is so important to me (I loved Ghostroots: Stories)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5/5 stars, rounded up.
"This state of pregnancy is not so different from what we’re doing here. We’re gestating a city, Yosoye. Soon we will birth greatness. Isn’t it all creation? Isn’t it all holy work?"
There’s an interesting microtrend of “women walking into bodies of water” going on among spring 2026 releases. In March, we had Westward Women by Alice Martin, in which women were drawn towards the pacific ocean, to vanish without a trace. In April, we had The Underlake by Erin L. McCoy, in which two women is drawn to a rumoured utopian city beneath the surface of a lake. And now in May, we’re presented with One Leg on Earth, in which a wave of water-based suicides affects only the pregnant women of Lagos, Nigeria.
The Story:
The lonely daughter of a distant mother, Yosoye arrives in Lagos ready to change her life. Weeks after she begins an internship at a fancy architectural firm, she discovers she is pregnant. Yosoye is joyful—a new life brings the hope of connection and companionship.
But an inexplicable force is haunting the pregnant women of Lagos. As construction speeds ahead on the firm’s glossy new development on land reclaimed from the ocean, stories of the uncanny deaths in the city’s open waters reach a fever pitch. Yosoye finds herself stalked by a presence she can neither ignore nor appease—without risking her unborn baby and her precarious hopes for the future.
What I loved:
Based on ‘Pemi Aguda’s previous short-story-collection, I had high hopes for her debut novel. I can gladly say that she didn’t disappoint. Through her sensory and almost ethereal prose, she brings across an emotional, slightly disorienting, but ultimately memorable story of motherhood, agency and belonging (in multiple senses of the word).
Metaphors of water, fluidity and liminality run all throughout the story, and I was surprise to find how multilayered each managed to be in such a limited amount of pages. By the end, I felt like I’d gotten a lot more than 240 pages-worth of exploration out of these themes, and yet the novel didn’t feel dense or heavy-handed for a second.
Without spoiling any specifics, I think I particularly enjoyed the parallels Aguda draws between the creation of a city – a new way of living – and the creation of human life. There is a certain in-between-state involved in either, but only one has a name: pregnancy.
Overall, I’ve read an incredible streak of fabulous debuts this year, and this novel can join that hall of fame immediately.
It’s worth noting that this is a book that’s light on plot, and heavy on character and metaphor, and I’m aware that some readers will bounce off that. That being said, if you, like me, enjoy this kind of thing, then you cannot let One Leg on Earth float by you.
Notes on the Audio:
Although I usually love the audio-format just about equally to the written word, I would’ve preferred to read this book with my eyes, had I had the choice. Although the narrator does a fantastic job of performing the story, I couldn’t shake the feeling that her voice and inflection sounded far too mature for the 23-year old protagonist. Additionally, the narrator has a fairly heavy Nigerian accent, which adds to the authenticity and the cultural feeling of the book, but it also demands more from my listening-comprehension as a non-native English speaker.
This is obviously specific to me and will impact native speakers less, but it’s worth a mention, given I rarely have this issue with English audio.
Many thanks to RB Media for providing me with an audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Please not that quotes are taken from the ARC and may not match the final publication exactly.
"This state of pregnancy is not so different from what we’re doing here. We’re gestating a city, Yosoye. Soon we will birth greatness. Isn’t it all creation? Isn’t it all holy work?"
There’s an interesting microtrend of “women walking into bodies of water” going on among spring 2026 releases. In March, we had Westward Women by Alice Martin, in which women were drawn towards the pacific ocean, to vanish without a trace. In April, we had The Underlake by Erin L. McCoy, in which two women is drawn to a rumoured utopian city beneath the surface of a lake. And now in May, we’re presented with One Leg on Earth, in which a wave of water-based suicides affects only the pregnant women of Lagos, Nigeria.
The Story:
The lonely daughter of a distant mother, Yosoye arrives in Lagos ready to change her life. Weeks after she begins an internship at a fancy architectural firm, she discovers she is pregnant. Yosoye is joyful—a new life brings the hope of connection and companionship.
But an inexplicable force is haunting the pregnant women of Lagos. As construction speeds ahead on the firm’s glossy new development on land reclaimed from the ocean, stories of the uncanny deaths in the city’s open waters reach a fever pitch. Yosoye finds herself stalked by a presence she can neither ignore nor appease—without risking her unborn baby and her precarious hopes for the future.
What I loved:
Based on ‘Pemi Aguda’s previous short-story-collection, I had high hopes for her debut novel. I can gladly say that she didn’t disappoint. Through her sensory and almost ethereal prose, she brings across an emotional, slightly disorienting, but ultimately memorable story of motherhood, agency and belonging (in multiple senses of the word).
Metaphors of water, fluidity and liminality run all throughout the story, and I was surprise to find how multilayered each managed to be in such a limited amount of pages. By the end, I felt like I’d gotten a lot more than 240 pages-worth of exploration out of these themes, and yet the novel didn’t feel dense or heavy-handed for a second.
Without spoiling any specifics, I think I particularly enjoyed the parallels Aguda draws between the creation of a city – a new way of living – and the creation of human life. There is a certain in-between-state involved in either, but only one has a name: pregnancy.
Overall, I’ve read an incredible streak of fabulous debuts this year, and this novel can join that hall of fame immediately.
It’s worth noting that this is a book that’s light on plot, and heavy on character and metaphor, and I’m aware that some readers will bounce off that. That being said, if you, like me, enjoy this kind of thing, then you cannot let One Leg on Earth float by you.
Notes on the Audio:
Although I usually love the audio-format just about equally to the written word, I would’ve preferred to read this book with my eyes, had I had the choice. Although the narrator does a fantastic job of performing the story, I couldn’t shake the feeling that her voice and inflection sounded far too mature for the 23-year old protagonist. Additionally, the narrator has a fairly heavy Nigerian accent, which adds to the authenticity and the cultural feeling of the book, but it also demands more from my listening-comprehension as a non-native English speaker.
This is obviously specific to me and will impact native speakers less, but it’s worth a mention, given I rarely have this issue with English audio.
Many thanks to RB Media for providing me with an audio-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Please not that quotes are taken from the ARC and may not match the final publication exactly.
February 20, 2026
Listen up.
When this novel comes out, take your money and buy two copies—one for yourself and one for a friend.
This was a mind-blowing reading experience. I’m never going to shut up about this book when it comes out. One Leg on Earth is so brilliant. There are so many words I discovered while reading this book that I want to tattoo them on my body.
Thank you, Pemi Aguda, for doing what you do. And of course, thank you to NetGalley for giving me early access to this book.
When this novel comes out, take your money and buy two copies—one for yourself and one for a friend.
This was a mind-blowing reading experience. I’m never going to shut up about this book when it comes out. One Leg on Earth is so brilliant. There are so many words I discovered while reading this book that I want to tattoo them on my body.
Thank you, Pemi Aguda, for doing what you do. And of course, thank you to NetGalley for giving me early access to this book.
May 2, 2026
This novel begins with a pregnant woman jumping off a bridge in Lagos to her death, seemingly in a fit of ecstasy. We soon learn that this has become an epidemic of sorts, or a contagion. Then Yosoye moves to Lagos to fulfil her year in the National Youth Services Corps, working for a company developing a high-end residential community by the water. Yosoye becomes pregnant and starts to hear to hear the deceased pregnant women and the water calling to her.
This novel is part literary horror, part social commentary, and part cautionary tale. The idea of “progress” and development at all costs is examined. What is more important: people or money? Are women valued, and if so, where does their value lie? Are they afforded true choice in their lives? This is a propulsive, tense read that covers a lot of ground.
Thank you to NetGalley and WW Norton for allowing me to read an ARC of this title.
This novel is part literary horror, part social commentary, and part cautionary tale. The idea of “progress” and development at all costs is examined. What is more important: people or money? Are women valued, and if so, where does their value lie? Are they afforded true choice in their lives? This is a propulsive, tense read that covers a lot of ground.
Thank you to NetGalley and WW Norton for allowing me to read an ARC of this title.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I’ve been thinking more about this debut since I read it, and while it didn’t initially come together for me, putting together Aguda’s landscape post-read reveals just how much this book is doing in such a small space.
Twentysomething Yosoye arrives in Lagos for her year of service corps work and starts at an architectural firm that’s designing a new city on land reclaimed from the ocean. During her stay, she becomes pregnant, amid a swath of pregnant women committing suicide by entering the ocean. Inevitably, she wonders, what is going on and will she be next?
It becomes clear to Yosoye, early on in her time at the firm, that their project on reclaimed land won’t bring the progress it promises. That it will disenfranchise and displace and price out many. Colonization is the social critique here, and I suppose that it connects to the women entering the sea. Pregnancy connotes a colonized body, in a way. A body under control, at least by another life, and suspiciously under further control when multiple women are seen taking their own lives. This can’t be driven by individual choice, surely?
Yosoye is isolated and not close to her mother. Isolation is a tool used to intensify the oppression of less fortunate communities, and also maybe aids in a colonization of the mind. Makes you question less, fall in line more. Yosoye, having come to Lagos in hopes of a rebirth, instead ends up getting ready to give birth and cannot fall in line when she feels the spirits of the pregnant women, determined to uncover the mystery of their mysteries, if only to forsee her own fate.
Why are these women called to the ocean? Why does it feel like there’s something off about the architectural firm’s city plans? The psychological mystery and Aguda’s atmospheric writing elevate this novel cinematically.
There is the commentary of motherhood as sacrifice and a woman’s given duty. Nothing terribly new here, and I don’t know how to feel about the supposed spiritual awakening of motherhood or the spiritual pull of pregnant women to their deaths in the sea. Something didn’t sit right about dead mothers-to-be and the social critique of colonization being so wrapped up, though maybe there is a pertinent point to that that I’m not getting because the connections just missed the mark for me. It’s not exactly Dead Mother Trope, but it’s nudging against it too closely for my taste.
Growing a life is a pretty unhinged thing to do. It can put you between the real and the spiritual, whether you want that or not. Yosoye taking on motherhood in the absence of her own mother creates that perfect storm of isolation that enables her to connect with spirits of the other women and unravel the mystery of their disappearances. There is something magical about mothers?? Or their relation as colonized bodies to the colonized sea. In the same way having a biological mother isn’t enough for Yosoye, neither is building a city enough for people who can’t afford to live in it.
Aguda’s prose is solid and carries the novel, imo. The rest of it just didn’t hit, for me.
“When she saw a lone pedestrian, the clock in her stomach chimed. That’s who she was looking for. Herself. No, not her exactly, but her kind. The kind of woman poised for flight.”
Twentysomething Yosoye arrives in Lagos for her year of service corps work and starts at an architectural firm that’s designing a new city on land reclaimed from the ocean. During her stay, she becomes pregnant, amid a swath of pregnant women committing suicide by entering the ocean. Inevitably, she wonders, what is going on and will she be next?
“She was pregnant, and pregnant women were to be watched, suspected. Would she be next? Would she blight their pristine coastline, their dazzling plans, with her bloated body?”
It becomes clear to Yosoye, early on in her time at the firm, that their project on reclaimed land won’t bring the progress it promises. That it will disenfranchise and displace and price out many. Colonization is the social critique here, and I suppose that it connects to the women entering the sea. Pregnancy connotes a colonized body, in a way. A body under control, at least by another life, and suspiciously under further control when multiple women are seen taking their own lives. This can’t be driven by individual choice, surely?
“She was sad because she knew - intellectually, even technically - that she must be loved by her mother. Alas, the cold fact of it was not enough.”
Yosoye is isolated and not close to her mother. Isolation is a tool used to intensify the oppression of less fortunate communities, and also maybe aids in a colonization of the mind. Makes you question less, fall in line more. Yosoye, having come to Lagos in hopes of a rebirth, instead ends up getting ready to give birth and cannot fall in line when she feels the spirits of the pregnant women, determined to uncover the mystery of their mysteries, if only to forsee her own fate.
Why are these women called to the ocean? Why does it feel like there’s something off about the architectural firm’s city plans? The psychological mystery and Aguda’s atmospheric writing elevate this novel cinematically.
“Why did she think she deserved a different ending? Would she wait six, seven more months only to go into labor, then discover that her baby was not in fact shaping her into a real person, but just a baby with painful gums that would shred her nipples, leaving her still hollow, a milk-bleeding hole?”
There is the commentary of motherhood as sacrifice and a woman’s given duty. Nothing terribly new here, and I don’t know how to feel about the supposed spiritual awakening of motherhood or the spiritual pull of pregnant women to their deaths in the sea. Something didn’t sit right about dead mothers-to-be and the social critique of colonization being so wrapped up, though maybe there is a pertinent point to that that I’m not getting because the connections just missed the mark for me. It’s not exactly Dead Mother Trope, but it’s nudging against it too closely for my taste.
“A mother is what is real.”
Growing a life is a pretty unhinged thing to do. It can put you between the real and the spiritual, whether you want that or not. Yosoye taking on motherhood in the absence of her own mother creates that perfect storm of isolation that enables her to connect with spirits of the other women and unravel the mystery of their disappearances. There is something magical about mothers?? Or their relation as colonized bodies to the colonized sea. In the same way having a biological mother isn’t enough for Yosoye, neither is building a city enough for people who can’t afford to live in it.
Aguda’s prose is solid and carries the novel, imo. The rest of it just didn’t hit, for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I loved this book. Reading it during the rainy season made me suspicious of every raindrop and water source, it couldn’t have been a more perfect setting.
Set in a divided Lagos where aspiration and illusion blur, One Leg on Earth follows Yosoye as she navigates class, belonging, and a city that seems to demand something in return.
One Leg on Earth does a wonderful job of peeling back the layers of an aristocratic society. Its narrative echoes the age-old adage: a house built on sand does not stand when the rain falls and the streams rise.
I was first introduced to Pemi Aguda’s work through Ghostroots and immediately fell in love with her writing; she has a unique style, cadence, and a gift for metaphor. One Leg on Earth is no different. Aguda thrusts you into the raging waters of Lagos from the very first page, much like the pregnant women you will come to wonder about. Each character reads like a narrator intent on ushering you through their own version of Lagos - fragmented, intimate, and deeply revealing.
Yosoye is such an interesting character. She almost acts as a tour guide, walking us through the stark divide between the elite and the working class. Every day, she crosses a literal bridge between two worlds: the lived reality of most Lagosians and the gleaming shores of Omi City - a promised heaven that feels just within reach.
In her desperate search for belonging and something to anchor her, she finds herself wrestling with both the seductions of Lagos and its quieter horrors. Newly pregnant in a city where pregnant women are throwing themselves into the waters, we keep a watchful eye on her as she grapples with a question that lingers long after the final page: Who owns a city, and who must surrender to its past?
Atmospheric and unsettling, this is a story that blurs reality and myth while remaining deeply rooted in place. Perfect for readers drawn to character-driven narratives that interrogate class, identity, and the cost of belonging.
I think this will really resonate with readers who enjoy character-driven stories that explore class, identity, and the cost of belonging, with just a touch of the surreal.
Releasing May 5, 2026, this is one that lingers. It is an absolute must-have on your TBR shelf. I’m incredibly grateful to the team at W. W. Norton & Company for the opportunity to experience this book ahead of its release, and I already know I’ll be coming back to it both for a deeper review and to unpack it properly with my book club once it’s out. (I can already hear them arguing about Yosoye and her mom, Olabisi)
Set in a divided Lagos where aspiration and illusion blur, One Leg on Earth follows Yosoye as she navigates class, belonging, and a city that seems to demand something in return.
One Leg on Earth does a wonderful job of peeling back the layers of an aristocratic society. Its narrative echoes the age-old adage: a house built on sand does not stand when the rain falls and the streams rise.
I was first introduced to Pemi Aguda’s work through Ghostroots and immediately fell in love with her writing; she has a unique style, cadence, and a gift for metaphor. One Leg on Earth is no different. Aguda thrusts you into the raging waters of Lagos from the very first page, much like the pregnant women you will come to wonder about. Each character reads like a narrator intent on ushering you through their own version of Lagos - fragmented, intimate, and deeply revealing.
Yosoye is such an interesting character. She almost acts as a tour guide, walking us through the stark divide between the elite and the working class. Every day, she crosses a literal bridge between two worlds: the lived reality of most Lagosians and the gleaming shores of Omi City - a promised heaven that feels just within reach.
In her desperate search for belonging and something to anchor her, she finds herself wrestling with both the seductions of Lagos and its quieter horrors. Newly pregnant in a city where pregnant women are throwing themselves into the waters, we keep a watchful eye on her as she grapples with a question that lingers long after the final page: Who owns a city, and who must surrender to its past?
Atmospheric and unsettling, this is a story that blurs reality and myth while remaining deeply rooted in place. Perfect for readers drawn to character-driven narratives that interrogate class, identity, and the cost of belonging.
I think this will really resonate with readers who enjoy character-driven stories that explore class, identity, and the cost of belonging, with just a touch of the surreal.
Releasing May 5, 2026, this is one that lingers. It is an absolute must-have on your TBR shelf. I’m incredibly grateful to the team at W. W. Norton & Company for the opportunity to experience this book ahead of its release, and I already know I’ll be coming back to it both for a deeper review and to unpack it properly with my book club once it’s out. (I can already hear them arguing about Yosoye and her mom, Olabisi)
May 7, 2026
ARC REVIEW - received physical copy at BookCon
The prologue (“Fruit”) immediately drew me in and set an intriguing tone for the story. However, I found that the story slowed considerably in the early chapters and didn’t fully pick up again until Yosoye discovered she was pregnant.
One aspect I appreciated was how her friend and coworker grounded the situation in reality, pointing out the challenges she faced, including relocating to a new city, navigating what is essentially a rare internship opportunity, financial instability, and uncertainty about the father of her child.
That said, I struggled with how pregnant women were treated throughout the book. There were moments that felt uncomfortable, such as her coworkers pressuring her to drink despite knowing she was pregnant, and the extreme behavior of Blessing’s husband confining her out of fear for her and their child.
I was also struck by the social dynamics, particularly how the company employees treated poorer individuals. Even when some characters acknowledged their own difficult circumstances, they still seemed eager to support a system that perpetuated those inequalities, which was frustrating to read.
Yosoye’s relationship with her mother was another difficult element. The lack of support was disheartening, and certain backstory details, like how she came to have Mandy, left me feeling annoyed. Similarly, when she sought help through a support group and shared her experiences, the dismissive responses she received added to the sense that she was consistently let down by those around her.
Some of the side characters were also challenging to connect with, particularly the friend whose fixation on pregnant women dying by suicide felt extreme. Altogether, the story often gave the impression that Yosoye lacked a meaningful support system, which made her journey feel especially isolating.
Overall, while the book presents some intriguing ideas, I found myself wishing for stronger character support and more nuanced handling of certain themes.
The prologue (“Fruit”) immediately drew me in and set an intriguing tone for the story. However, I found that the story slowed considerably in the early chapters and didn’t fully pick up again until Yosoye discovered she was pregnant.
One aspect I appreciated was how her friend and coworker grounded the situation in reality, pointing out the challenges she faced, including relocating to a new city, navigating what is essentially a rare internship opportunity, financial instability, and uncertainty about the father of her child.
That said, I struggled with how pregnant women were treated throughout the book. There were moments that felt uncomfortable, such as her coworkers pressuring her to drink despite knowing she was pregnant, and the extreme behavior of Blessing’s husband confining her out of fear for her and their child.
I was also struck by the social dynamics, particularly how the company employees treated poorer individuals. Even when some characters acknowledged their own difficult circumstances, they still seemed eager to support a system that perpetuated those inequalities, which was frustrating to read.
Yosoye’s relationship with her mother was another difficult element. The lack of support was disheartening, and certain backstory details, like how she came to have Mandy, left me feeling annoyed. Similarly, when she sought help through a support group and shared her experiences, the dismissive responses she received added to the sense that she was consistently let down by those around her.
Some of the side characters were also challenging to connect with, particularly the friend whose fixation on pregnant women dying by suicide felt extreme. Altogether, the story often gave the impression that Yosoye lacked a meaningful support system, which made her journey feel especially isolating.
Overall, while the book presents some intriguing ideas, I found myself wishing for stronger character support and more nuanced handling of certain themes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Known for her award-winning collection Ghostroots, this is Aguda’s May 2026 debut novel that I have seen on all the lists lately. It helped fill the slot on my personal reading challenge for this month for “Read a book with a body part in the title”.
In the novel, 22 year old Yosoye is a recent university graduate beginning her internship at a company in Lagos that is designing and building a luxury island neighborhood from land reclaimed from the ocean. Yosoye has always felt lonely and isolated, from a nearly nonexistent relationship with her mother to friendlessness in her teens and young adulthood. When she arrives in Lagos, she is determined to change all of that even if she has to fake it until it happens. And then Yosoye discovers she is pregnant as the result of a one night stand at the same time that pregnant women are drowning themselves by jumping or walking into the ocean.
I’m not sure what I think of the book. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. There was one take about the spirituality of motherhood vs plain old biology. There was another take about body autonomy vs being used as an incubator. There was yet more on the water as an almost sentient being that was claiming mothers-to-be in revenge for this capitalistic and unethical real estate venture in a city where countless people living in poverty could never afford such a place. Add on gentrification to colonization, a body or a piece of real estate being taken vs being freely given. It’s all in there, but it’s muddy. Nothing seems to run to the front claiming to be the main point. The prose is lovely, though I rolled my eyes a time or two when I felt it to be a bit overdone. 3 stars, and I’m really sorry about it.
Thank you to W.W. Morton & Company, ‘Pemi Aguda (author), and Edelweiss for a digital review copy of One Leg on Earth. Their generosity did not influence my review in any way.
In the novel, 22 year old Yosoye is a recent university graduate beginning her internship at a company in Lagos that is designing and building a luxury island neighborhood from land reclaimed from the ocean. Yosoye has always felt lonely and isolated, from a nearly nonexistent relationship with her mother to friendlessness in her teens and young adulthood. When she arrives in Lagos, she is determined to change all of that even if she has to fake it until it happens. And then Yosoye discovers she is pregnant as the result of a one night stand at the same time that pregnant women are drowning themselves by jumping or walking into the ocean.
I’m not sure what I think of the book. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. There was one take about the spirituality of motherhood vs plain old biology. There was another take about body autonomy vs being used as an incubator. There was yet more on the water as an almost sentient being that was claiming mothers-to-be in revenge for this capitalistic and unethical real estate venture in a city where countless people living in poverty could never afford such a place. Add on gentrification to colonization, a body or a piece of real estate being taken vs being freely given. It’s all in there, but it’s muddy. Nothing seems to run to the front claiming to be the main point. The prose is lovely, though I rolled my eyes a time or two when I felt it to be a bit overdone. 3 stars, and I’m really sorry about it.
Thank you to W.W. Morton & Company, ‘Pemi Aguda (author), and Edelweiss for a digital review copy of One Leg on Earth. Their generosity did not influence my review in any way.
May 6, 2026
I have thoughts... first off, the vibes of this audio was good. The atmosphere of Lagos was so thick I could practically feel the humidity coming through my ears. But I am honestly so conflicted.
A little premise: we follow Yosoye, who is 23 and living her absolute best life at this high-end architectural firm. I was obsessed with the descriptions of the "Omi City" project. It felt very Selling Sunset meets Black Mirror. You’ve got all these fancy gallery openings and glamorous friends, but then there’s this literal dark undercurrent because pregnant women are just...walking into the water and drowning? It’s such a creepy, high-concept hook. The way the author writes Lagos is everything. It’s vibrant, shiny, and terrifying all at once; some horror elements aren't your typical jump scares-It’s that deep, "something is fundamentally wrong here" kind of dread. The title makes so much sense as the story progresses. (about 60%)
Since I did the audiobook, I have to shout out the narrator. They did an incredible job with the accents and the pacing—it really helped bridge the gap during the slower parts.
I felt sad rating this so low but LISTEN LINDA LISTEN, I wanted to love this with my whole heart, but the middle section felt a little... looped? Like we were waiting for the "collision course" the blurb promised for a bit too long. Yosoye is a great POV character, but sometimes her naivety made me want to shake her (LIKE GIRL step away from the luxury development PLEASE.) The ending also leaned really heavily into the metaphorical side. I like a weird book, don't get me wrong, but I'm left with more questions than answers. I’m all for "no thoughts, just vibes," but I needed maybe three more thoughts to stick the landing.
If you liked The City We Became or anything by Akwaeke Emezi, you’ll probably like this. It’s chilling, and definitely made me never want to go near a waterfront property again.
3.75 🎧
A little premise: we follow Yosoye, who is 23 and living her absolute best life at this high-end architectural firm. I was obsessed with the descriptions of the "Omi City" project. It felt very Selling Sunset meets Black Mirror. You’ve got all these fancy gallery openings and glamorous friends, but then there’s this literal dark undercurrent because pregnant women are just...walking into the water and drowning? It’s such a creepy, high-concept hook. The way the author writes Lagos is everything. It’s vibrant, shiny, and terrifying all at once; some horror elements aren't your typical jump scares-It’s that deep, "something is fundamentally wrong here" kind of dread. The title makes so much sense as the story progresses. (about 60%)
Since I did the audiobook, I have to shout out the narrator. They did an incredible job with the accents and the pacing—it really helped bridge the gap during the slower parts.
I felt sad rating this so low but LISTEN LINDA LISTEN, I wanted to love this with my whole heart, but the middle section felt a little... looped? Like we were waiting for the "collision course" the blurb promised for a bit too long. Yosoye is a great POV character, but sometimes her naivety made me want to shake her (LIKE GIRL step away from the luxury development PLEASE.) The ending also leaned really heavily into the metaphorical side. I like a weird book, don't get me wrong, but I'm left with more questions than answers. I’m all for "no thoughts, just vibes," but I needed maybe three more thoughts to stick the landing.
If you liked The City We Became or anything by Akwaeke Emezi, you’ll probably like this. It’s chilling, and definitely made me never want to go near a waterfront property again.
3.75 🎧
May 7, 2026
[Copy provided by publisher]
READ IF YOU LIKE...
• Cities vs. nature
• Fiction that explores pregnancy
• Beautifully incorporated symbolism
I THOUGHT IT WAS...
A really arresting novel that effortlessly explores many of the complexities of seemingly composed places and communities, exposing the ugliness beneath. Yosoye arrives in the big city of Lagos in her early 20s to work at a prestigious architecture firm helming an ambitious project: building a brand new development from scratch on new reclaimed ground. Simultaneously, something ominous is happening - pregnant women in the city are finding their way to water and drowning. What starts as idle gossip becomes Yosoye's obsession as she finds herself pregnant after a one-night stand.
I can see now why Aguda's story collection received such praise and a finalist spot for the National Book Award. Her writing is stunning, and you walk away with her story as well as all that swirls underneath the story (a hallmark of the best short story writers, in my opinion).
In this novel, we're told the story of poor Yosoye, a girl that repeatedly describes herself as hollow, yearning for a person or a community to fill her up and make her "real." But we're also entering a story already in progress, a conflict as old as time between human greed masked as ingenuity and the Earth. As a city on the coast, the urbanity of Lagos is constantly at war with water. And it seems like we've won, to the point where we can literally reclaim land from the sea. But what happens if the sea fights back by reclaiming not just people, but also future generations?
Exploring urbanization, wealth inequality, displacement, depression, pregnancy, motherhood, and women's continued societal burden, Aguda's written a compact novel bursting with big things to say.
READ IF YOU LIKE...
• Cities vs. nature
• Fiction that explores pregnancy
• Beautifully incorporated symbolism
I THOUGHT IT WAS...
A really arresting novel that effortlessly explores many of the complexities of seemingly composed places and communities, exposing the ugliness beneath. Yosoye arrives in the big city of Lagos in her early 20s to work at a prestigious architecture firm helming an ambitious project: building a brand new development from scratch on new reclaimed ground. Simultaneously, something ominous is happening - pregnant women in the city are finding their way to water and drowning. What starts as idle gossip becomes Yosoye's obsession as she finds herself pregnant after a one-night stand.
I can see now why Aguda's story collection received such praise and a finalist spot for the National Book Award. Her writing is stunning, and you walk away with her story as well as all that swirls underneath the story (a hallmark of the best short story writers, in my opinion).
In this novel, we're told the story of poor Yosoye, a girl that repeatedly describes herself as hollow, yearning for a person or a community to fill her up and make her "real." But we're also entering a story already in progress, a conflict as old as time between human greed masked as ingenuity and the Earth. As a city on the coast, the urbanity of Lagos is constantly at war with water. And it seems like we've won, to the point where we can literally reclaim land from the sea. But what happens if the sea fights back by reclaiming not just people, but also future generations?
Exploring urbanization, wealth inequality, displacement, depression, pregnancy, motherhood, and women's continued societal burden, Aguda's written a compact novel bursting with big things to say.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Yosoye is a woman who desires change and companionship more than anything. So when her college internship sends her to Lagos to work at an architectural firm, she decides to completely reinvent her life. However, after an impulsive one-night-stand, Yosoye finds that she is not only pregnant but possibly in danger.
The pregnant women of Lagos are seemingly all committing suicide by drowning, a phenomenon that quickly gathers the nations attention as more and more bodies are discovered. In canals, rivers, off bridges and into the ocean, these suicides are all connected by water. And as Yosoye tries to discover more about the cases, she too finds herself drawn by the ocean's pull, yearning for a community where she can feel less alone.
As she continues her research, her architectural company gears up for a revolutionary new project on the outskirts of Lagos, Omi City. The project aims to create a city from scratch, one that will be molded and controlled by Nigeria’s one percent. This sparks immediate protest from advocacy groups in Lagos who claim the project will only be beneficial to the rich and will leave the poor behind.
As turmoil increases between the two groups, Yosoye continues to battle with her own identity and the prospects of motherhood – if she can make it to her due date.
One Leg on Earth, is a story about identity, loneliness, community, and the dangers of progress. The novel mixes themes of class struggle and motherhood with horror elements to create an eerie yet lyrical prose. ‘Pemi Aguda throws you into the action from the very beginning and hooks you until the very end. This story is a fast-paced reflective thriller that will leave you thinking long after you have turned the final page.
The pregnant women of Lagos are seemingly all committing suicide by drowning, a phenomenon that quickly gathers the nations attention as more and more bodies are discovered. In canals, rivers, off bridges and into the ocean, these suicides are all connected by water. And as Yosoye tries to discover more about the cases, she too finds herself drawn by the ocean's pull, yearning for a community where she can feel less alone.
As she continues her research, her architectural company gears up for a revolutionary new project on the outskirts of Lagos, Omi City. The project aims to create a city from scratch, one that will be molded and controlled by Nigeria’s one percent. This sparks immediate protest from advocacy groups in Lagos who claim the project will only be beneficial to the rich and will leave the poor behind.
As turmoil increases between the two groups, Yosoye continues to battle with her own identity and the prospects of motherhood – if she can make it to her due date.
One Leg on Earth, is a story about identity, loneliness, community, and the dangers of progress. The novel mixes themes of class struggle and motherhood with horror elements to create an eerie yet lyrical prose. ‘Pemi Aguda throws you into the action from the very beginning and hooks you until the very end. This story is a fast-paced reflective thriller that will leave you thinking long after you have turned the final page.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.4 ⭐️ One Leg on Earth by Pemex Aguda is one of those novels that pulls you under while asking big questions about progress, motherhood, and the unseen forces that shape our lives.
The story follows Yosoye, a young woman who arrives in Lagos for an internship at an architectural firm, hoping the move will be a kind of rebirth. The firm is working on a luxury development built on land reclaimed from the sea, a project that promises “progress” but quickly reveals its darker edges especially for the people displaced by it or those who build it but could never afford to live there. Through Yosoye’s eyes, the novel becomes a sharp social critique of development and who it actually serves.
At the same time, something stranger is happening. Yosoye becomes pregnant during a disturbing wave of suicides among pregnant women- women who seem mysteriously called to the ocean. As she begins to feel the pull of their spirits, the novel shifts into something mythic and haunting, blending folklore with psychological tension.
Herein lies the question it asks about motherhood: what does it mean to live in the liminal space between the earthly and the spiritual while bringing new life into the world? Is motherhood meant to dissolve the self, or is there something dangerous about asking women to live only for their children? Aguda holds these tensions beautifully, and includes social critique and mythology in the story in a way that feels eerie, thoughtful, and deeply unsettling. I was here for it!
The story follows Yosoye, a young woman who arrives in Lagos for an internship at an architectural firm, hoping the move will be a kind of rebirth. The firm is working on a luxury development built on land reclaimed from the sea, a project that promises “progress” but quickly reveals its darker edges especially for the people displaced by it or those who build it but could never afford to live there. Through Yosoye’s eyes, the novel becomes a sharp social critique of development and who it actually serves.
At the same time, something stranger is happening. Yosoye becomes pregnant during a disturbing wave of suicides among pregnant women- women who seem mysteriously called to the ocean. As she begins to feel the pull of their spirits, the novel shifts into something mythic and haunting, blending folklore with psychological tension.
Herein lies the question it asks about motherhood: what does it mean to live in the liminal space between the earthly and the spiritual while bringing new life into the world? Is motherhood meant to dissolve the self, or is there something dangerous about asking women to live only for their children? Aguda holds these tensions beautifully, and includes social critique and mythology in the story in a way that feels eerie, thoughtful, and deeply unsettling. I was here for it!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
One Leg on Earth opens with a punch to the chest and never really lets up. Before we even get to Yosoye, we meet this 38 year old woman who has wanted a child for so long, finally gets pregnant, and then in a moment that feels both unreal and terrifyingly inevitable, she steps out of her car in traffic, laughing, and walks straight into the water. It is quiet, shocking, and deeply sad. Listening to it on audio makes it hit even harder. The narration is beautiful, almost gentle, which somehow makes the tragedy feel sharper.
When we do settle into Yosoye’s story, there is this glossy surface at first. Lagos feels alive with possibility. New job, new life, art, friends, ambition. The water is always there, pulling at the edges of everything. The pregnancies. The drownings.
Yosoye’s pregnancy turns everything inward and outward at the same time. There is a pull to it. Seductive, dangerous, almost dreamlike.
While it kind of traipses around the edge of body autonomy, the patriarchy and women’s rights you can feel it.
The audiobook is stunning. The writing is lyrical without losing its bite, and the narration carries that weight of grief, fear, and inevitability all the way through.
This is a heavy read. Tragic, eerie, and intimate in a way that gets under your skin. It is about motherhood, but not in any soft or comforting sense. It is about what it costs, what it takes, and what might already be waiting for you before you even know you are part of it.
When we do settle into Yosoye’s story, there is this glossy surface at first. Lagos feels alive with possibility. New job, new life, art, friends, ambition. The water is always there, pulling at the edges of everything. The pregnancies. The drownings.
Yosoye’s pregnancy turns everything inward and outward at the same time. There is a pull to it. Seductive, dangerous, almost dreamlike.
While it kind of traipses around the edge of body autonomy, the patriarchy and women’s rights you can feel it.
The audiobook is stunning. The writing is lyrical without losing its bite, and the narration carries that weight of grief, fear, and inevitability all the way through.
This is a heavy read. Tragic, eerie, and intimate in a way that gets under your skin. It is about motherhood, but not in any soft or comforting sense. It is about what it costs, what it takes, and what might already be waiting for you before you even know you are part of it.
April 23, 2026
Thanks to Dreamscape Media, RBmedia and Netgalley for a copy of the ALC
Délé Ogundiran does not exactly sound like the voice of our early 20’s protagonist but she really captures the sound of a woman who is battling isolation. Her calm narration makes the stalking terrors feel creeping and inspires a bit of dread.
I would personally describe this book as pretty lit fic forward and i think fans of lit fic horror would really enjoy this.
Its well written and you feel like you get to know Yosoye, and is a wonderful character study. You want to see her feel whole even as its pretty easy to see that what she wants can’t truly fulfill her desire.
Theres and interesting tension of who bares the weight of caring. Whos job is it to care about these dead women? To care about the intending greater class divide that Yosoye’s firm is developing.
Its a little slow and if you are looking for a book that focuses more one the “haunting” aspect you may be disappointed but i felt that the story we did get was worth it even if its not what I expected.
Not so much a why, or a how but a what if book
I think womb city is a very fun comp title for this, perhaps they are not the MOST similar but I’ve read two speculative fiction books were or the fmc works at an architectural firm and pregnancy is a main plot point.
Délé Ogundiran does not exactly sound like the voice of our early 20’s protagonist but she really captures the sound of a woman who is battling isolation. Her calm narration makes the stalking terrors feel creeping and inspires a bit of dread.
I would personally describe this book as pretty lit fic forward and i think fans of lit fic horror would really enjoy this.
Its well written and you feel like you get to know Yosoye, and is a wonderful character study. You want to see her feel whole even as its pretty easy to see that what she wants can’t truly fulfill her desire.
Theres and interesting tension of who bares the weight of caring. Whos job is it to care about these dead women? To care about the intending greater class divide that Yosoye’s firm is developing.
Its a little slow and if you are looking for a book that focuses more one the “haunting” aspect you may be disappointed but i felt that the story we did get was worth it even if its not what I expected.
Not so much a why, or a how but a what if book
I think womb city is a very fun comp title for this, perhaps they are not the MOST similar but I’ve read two speculative fiction books were or the fmc works at an architectural firm and pregnancy is a main plot point.
April 13, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and W.W Norton & Company for this e-ARC.
The beginning of this story had me very engaged! What do you mean a lady I just met jumped off Third Mainland bridge? WHAT??!
Some of the themes explored included loneliness, motherhood and the cost of progression.
What I liked the most about this book was the writing style - It set the tone for the book. Something just felt off…dread was looming. This was immersive, I could picture almost everything that was happening which a huge win for me. Sometimes I am unable to visualize what's happening in books and I didn't have that problem here at all.
This is set in Lagos so there were so many references I could relate to things like the food, spices, soap, Yoruba, Pidgin etc. Yosoye the main character just recently moved to Lagos for NYSC and wants to start a new life. She’s dealing with loneliness and we see how far she is willing to go to deal this. This is more character driven and it’s slow - medium paced. Certain scenes had me on edge.
What I didn't love? A times, some of the descriptions and Yosoye’s thought process loses me. The ending felt anti-climatic and left me with unanswered questions.
Overall, I kept me engaged for the most part and ended up rating this 3.5/5.
The beginning of this story had me very engaged! What do you mean a lady I just met jumped off Third Mainland bridge? WHAT??!
Some of the themes explored included loneliness, motherhood and the cost of progression.
What I liked the most about this book was the writing style - It set the tone for the book. Something just felt off…dread was looming. This was immersive, I could picture almost everything that was happening which a huge win for me. Sometimes I am unable to visualize what's happening in books and I didn't have that problem here at all.
This is set in Lagos so there were so many references I could relate to things like the food, spices, soap, Yoruba, Pidgin etc. Yosoye the main character just recently moved to Lagos for NYSC and wants to start a new life. She’s dealing with loneliness and we see how far she is willing to go to deal this. This is more character driven and it’s slow - medium paced. Certain scenes had me on edge.
What I didn't love? A times, some of the descriptions and Yosoye’s thought process loses me. The ending felt anti-climatic and left me with unanswered questions.
Overall, I kept me engaged for the most part and ended up rating this 3.5/5.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Yosoye arrives in Lagos for her internship determined to take advantage of the opportunity to reinvent herself and create the persona that she would like to be -- sort of a rebirth of her identity. Her internship is at a architectural firm that is working on an ultra-luxury development being built on land reclaimed from the sea. While she is working, she understands more about the development and what progress might really mean, especially for those who are displaced or who work on it but could never afford the cost of living there. There is a dark undercurrent to the project and what it means. Simultaneously, Yosoye becomes pregnant at a time when there is a rash of suicides by pregnant women - all seemingly called to the water in one form or another. It's another type of dark undercurrent and you see Yosoye pulled at by both her understanding of the true meaning of the "progress" of the development and by the mysterious force leading so many pregnant women to end their lives. This was an intriguing mix of social critique and mythology/folklore pulled together by a very skilled writer. Looking forward to the release of this novel in May of 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A haunting story of an African country’s capital city, Lagos, where pregnant women are walking into water and drowning. Why is this happening?
Twenty-three year old, Yosoye, has come from the country to Lagos as part of a government-supported internship for students graduating from college. She’s assigned to a “slick” architectural firm and is drawn into the glamorous world that it offers - parties, gallery openings, pompous acquaintances. The firm is engaged in creating an exciting new ultra-luxury waterfront development, Omi City. But soon Yosoye finds herself pregnant and realizes this bright new world is really dark. The drowning of pregnant women bothers Yosoye especially as no one really seems to care as the project is more important than the people. Yosoye is then faced with a personal dilemma.
This is a well written coming of age story and a story about the dark side of modernization. I liked Yosoye as she struggles to understand what is happening in her world and how motherhood will affect her. However, it wasn’t clear to me about the reasons for all the women walking into the water and drowning. In her afterward, the author mentions that the government had taken over the waterfront which had been the home of fishermen and common people to modernize it. This explained a bit. Nonetheless it’s a fascinating story.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and W.W. Morton and Co for allowing me to read this ARC.
Twenty-three year old, Yosoye, has come from the country to Lagos as part of a government-supported internship for students graduating from college. She’s assigned to a “slick” architectural firm and is drawn into the glamorous world that it offers - parties, gallery openings, pompous acquaintances. The firm is engaged in creating an exciting new ultra-luxury waterfront development, Omi City. But soon Yosoye finds herself pregnant and realizes this bright new world is really dark. The drowning of pregnant women bothers Yosoye especially as no one really seems to care as the project is more important than the people. Yosoye is then faced with a personal dilemma.
This is a well written coming of age story and a story about the dark side of modernization. I liked Yosoye as she struggles to understand what is happening in her world and how motherhood will affect her. However, it wasn’t clear to me about the reasons for all the women walking into the water and drowning. In her afterward, the author mentions that the government had taken over the waterfront which had been the home of fishermen and common people to modernize it. This explained a bit. Nonetheless it’s a fascinating story.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and W.W. Morton and Co for allowing me to read this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I received a free advance copy of this book from a Goodreads Giveaway and did not research this book before reading it. However, I am glad that I did read it.
This book was part coming-of-age, part social commentary, and part horror. The themes of death, birth, class, history, the material and inmaterial, injustice, love, and emptiness wove together very well.
This book also has a lot of non-English/Nigerian words and phrases woven in such a way that you do not need to know the language to understand what is going on. I am not from Nigeria, so it was neat to learn the names of many things I recognize but did not previously know the name of.
The author was very good at describing things in such a way that I could imagine the setting with all my senses, despite never having been anywhere quite like the massive city of Lagos.
I am glad I had the opportunity to give this book a read! It is not very long and goes by quickly, so I recommend giving it a shot. I would consider other books by this author.
This book was part coming-of-age, part social commentary, and part horror. The themes of death, birth, class, history, the material and inmaterial, injustice, love, and emptiness wove together very well.
This book also has a lot of non-English/Nigerian words and phrases woven in such a way that you do not need to know the language to understand what is going on. I am not from Nigeria, so it was neat to learn the names of many things I recognize but did not previously know the name of.
The author was very good at describing things in such a way that I could imagine the setting with all my senses, despite never having been anywhere quite like the massive city of Lagos.
I am glad I had the opportunity to give this book a read! It is not very long and goes by quickly, so I recommend giving it a shot. I would consider other books by this author.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I am an enormous fan of ‘Pemi Aguda’s short stories so I knew I had to read her debut novel. And it was everything I could have hoped for.
The novel follows Yosoye, a 23-year-old arriving in Lagos for her year of service corps work. She is paired with an architectural firm that is designing a new city on reclaimed land dredged up from the ocean. At the same time, pregnant women start walking into water and drowning themselves…. and Yosoye finds herself pregnant.
Aguda is a master of atmosphere. There is something haunting lurking in Lagos, something dark following Osoye, and the novel keeps us waiting with bated breath for the reveal. It’s subtle horror, and it made me think of how little needs to be done to embellish a world that already has so many horrors to offer.
Ultimately, I was absolutely spellbound by this novel about motherhood, belonging, loneliness, and the consequences of “progress” when it comes at the cost of lives. What an incredible debut novel.
The novel follows Yosoye, a 23-year-old arriving in Lagos for her year of service corps work. She is paired with an architectural firm that is designing a new city on reclaimed land dredged up from the ocean. At the same time, pregnant women start walking into water and drowning themselves…. and Yosoye finds herself pregnant.
Aguda is a master of atmosphere. There is something haunting lurking in Lagos, something dark following Osoye, and the novel keeps us waiting with bated breath for the reveal. It’s subtle horror, and it made me think of how little needs to be done to embellish a world that already has so many horrors to offer.
Ultimately, I was absolutely spellbound by this novel about motherhood, belonging, loneliness, and the consequences of “progress” when it comes at the cost of lives. What an incredible debut novel.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
One Leg On Earth begins grimly as a pregnant woman jumps off a bridge to her death. We soon learn that this is just one of several mysterious suicides by pregnant women all over Lagos. Meanwhile, Yosoye, a recent graduate, is about to begin a year-long service to the National Youth Service Corps. She is assigned to work at an architectural firm that is building a new city from scratch — a city with no history, one that is pure and will bring luxury to the impoverished area. When Yosoye finds herself pregnant from a one-night stand, the hopes for her own future become uncertain, while the voices of the dead pregnant women occupy her thoughts and her dreams.
The novel goes on to explore the costs of development, governance of women’s bodies, and the need for belonging. 'Pemi Aguda writes with a unique voice, a gift for metaphor, and knows how to create a strong sense of place. An intelligently written and well crafted debut novel.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
The novel goes on to explore the costs of development, governance of women’s bodies, and the need for belonging. 'Pemi Aguda writes with a unique voice, a gift for metaphor, and knows how to create a strong sense of place. An intelligently written and well crafted debut novel.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC review
I received a early copy from netgalley and their publisher , thank you so much.
The narration was superb and truly immersed me in Lagos and made this story so tragic and beautiful. Aguda wrote a great book with so many themes packed in a small story and she aced it. THe interconnections woven between capitalism and colonialism in the erasure of land and people, Aguda delicately wrote Yosoye and added multi-dimensional character that not only did i find relatable but also curious in how Yosoye character progression was going to go as the story went on. THe full time the mystery is builiding and I was curious every chapter on what was happening to the Pregnant women , as well Yosoye pregnancy and mental health and if she would end up like the other women. Completely captivating read and worth reading. I will be reading more of this author and can't wait for more of her writing.
I received a early copy from netgalley and their publisher , thank you so much.
The narration was superb and truly immersed me in Lagos and made this story so tragic and beautiful. Aguda wrote a great book with so many themes packed in a small story and she aced it. THe interconnections woven between capitalism and colonialism in the erasure of land and people, Aguda delicately wrote Yosoye and added multi-dimensional character that not only did i find relatable but also curious in how Yosoye character progression was going to go as the story went on. THe full time the mystery is builiding and I was curious every chapter on what was happening to the Pregnant women , as well Yosoye pregnancy and mental health and if she would end up like the other women. Completely captivating read and worth reading. I will be reading more of this author and can't wait for more of her writing.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The writing style in this is exquisitely beautiful. Absolutely delicious. It's the kind of writing that shows 'pemi is a short story writer, but she brought that talent to this novel. I loved it so much!
I really felt for our main character as we move through the story.
This distinctly spotlighted the experience of loneliness while simultaneously being surrounded by people in a bustling city.
I appreciated how it tackled motherhood and womanhood alongside the big topic of government corruption, occupying land, displacing people for the sake of economic growth. Big big topics, all well balanced and woven into the story.
Check your content warnings before diving in friends, and enjoy. I do wish the ending gave us a few more answers on certain things... but otherwise, a great read.
I really felt for our main character as we move through the story.
This distinctly spotlighted the experience of loneliness while simultaneously being surrounded by people in a bustling city.
I appreciated how it tackled motherhood and womanhood alongside the big topic of government corruption, occupying land, displacing people for the sake of economic growth. Big big topics, all well balanced and woven into the story.
Check your content warnings before diving in friends, and enjoy. I do wish the ending gave us a few more answers on certain things... but otherwise, a great read.
April 26, 2026
3.25/5 ⭐️ - This book was very abstract, the prose was beautiful most of the time and I was very intrigued by the premise but overall not sure I completely understood it.
(Thank you W.W. Norton for the ARC, all thoughts are my own)
I felt this would have really shined as a short story, it felt a bit drawn out with uneven pacing that made me feel like this concept could’ve benefitted with some trimming down.
The biggest aspect I enjoyed was being immersed in Lagos environmentally and culturally. I valued the family dynamics and inclusion of current events going on in Lagos.
In the end I’m slightly confused and not sure what to take from this novel. The impact intended feels ineffective and not much occurred to help me find clarity. I would be open to reading more from this author though!
(Thank you W.W. Norton for the ARC, all thoughts are my own)
I felt this would have really shined as a short story, it felt a bit drawn out with uneven pacing that made me feel like this concept could’ve benefitted with some trimming down.
The biggest aspect I enjoyed was being immersed in Lagos environmentally and culturally. I valued the family dynamics and inclusion of current events going on in Lagos.
In the end I’m slightly confused and not sure what to take from this novel. The impact intended feels ineffective and not much occurred to help me find clarity. I would be open to reading more from this author though!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Yosoye is ready to start her life. When she gets a year long internship for an architectural firm in Lagos, she goes. After an impulsive one night stand, she finds herself pregnant. However, there are strange things happening to the pregnant women of Lagos.
There are many different and interesting takes on motherhood in this story. It definitely makes you think about what motherhood can mean, isolation, life itself, and bodily autonomy. The story also tackles themes of colonization, class struggles, and it is all tied together with an uneasiness that is constantly in the background.
I think I would have rated this higher if I had read it first instead of listen. The narrator did a wonderful job, but I personally feel like this is a story you should read not listen to.
Thank you Net Galley for the ALC.
There are many different and interesting takes on motherhood in this story. It definitely makes you think about what motherhood can mean, isolation, life itself, and bodily autonomy. The story also tackles themes of colonization, class struggles, and it is all tied together with an uneasiness that is constantly in the background.
I think I would have rated this higher if I had read it first instead of listen. The narrator did a wonderful job, but I personally feel like this is a story you should read not listen to.
Thank you Net Galley for the ALC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Last year I read and enjoyed 'Pemi Aguda's collection of short stories, Ghostroots, so I was very eager to read her debut novel. In this novel the main character, Yosoye, moves to Lagos for an internship during a time of turmoil. Pregnant women in Lagos are drowning themselves at an alarming rate. When she finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, will she also succumb to the pull of the ocean?
One Leg on Earth is a quiet yet haunting novel; a story of loss and the desire to belong. There is a wave of tension and unsettling atmosphere that gradually builds throughout the story until it comes to a peak near the end. I very much look forward to reading more by Aguda in the future.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, for early access.
One Leg on Earth is a quiet yet haunting novel; a story of loss and the desire to belong. There is a wave of tension and unsettling atmosphere that gradually builds throughout the story until it comes to a peak near the end. I very much look forward to reading more by Aguda in the future.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher, W.W. Norton & Company, for early access.
May 8, 2026
This was a profound and beautifully written novel. It touched on deep and difficult topics in a meaningful way. I know there is a definition for “literature,” but this is exactly what I would describe as literature. It is the type of novel you would dissect in your high school/college English course. Unfortunately, I never enjoyed the books we read in English class. I found them too slow and dense. This is objectively a great novel, and I will rate it as such. But it requires deep thought and evaluation. If you are not prepared for that, it can be difficult. None of the characters are particularly captivating, and the subject is tough. Great novel, not my speed. And that’s okay!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My first ‘Pemi Aguda, but not my last. I have been meaning to read Ghostroots for a while now, so when I saw this audiobook on NetGalley, I got on it.
This was a very good short novel and the audiobook was excellent as well. The narration fit the story perfectly and I think elevated the overall feel of the characters. The story itself was very good with some minor hiccups and was a wee choppy here and there, but honestly some of that could have just been me.
3-1/2 - 4 Stars. I look forward to more from this author.
This was a very good short novel and the audiobook was excellent as well. The narration fit the story perfectly and I think elevated the overall feel of the characters. The story itself was very good with some minor hiccups and was a wee choppy here and there, but honestly some of that could have just been me.
3-1/2 - 4 Stars. I look forward to more from this author.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you to W.W. Norton for the Advanced Reader Copy.
I loved the 1st half of this book and was thinking it would be 5 stars, but the last half seemed jumbled to me. We never got to find out the "why," but maybe that was the author's choice.
I really loved the day to day life in Lagos. I loved getting into the head of the main character. I thought the spiraling was written very well.
I would recommend this book for people who enjoy unstable main characters.
I loved the 1st half of this book and was thinking it would be 5 stars, but the last half seemed jumbled to me. We never got to find out the "why," but maybe that was the author's choice.
I really loved the day to day life in Lagos. I loved getting into the head of the main character. I thought the spiraling was written very well.
I would recommend this book for people who enjoy unstable main characters.
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