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Habila
Not yet published
Expected 12 Jan 27From the acclaimed author of She Would Be King, a dazzling and daring work of magical realism that weaves through the lives of a Liberian immigrant family and the water goddess who haunts them
In this ambitious new novel, the bestselling and prize-winning writer Wayétu Moore delivers us into the lives of a young girl, Melanctha, and her family amid the loss of their patriarch, Tokpa. In search of a fresh start, they relocate from Liberia to the backwater town of Hunt, Texas, a land that proves hostile to them—until one day, when a school bully pushes Melanctha into a lake, and she finds that she can breathe underwater. Melanctha discovers that her newfound power comes from Habila, a gorgeous, beguiling half woman half sea deity who bestows on her a gift: a comb that, if touched, can lure people into the water and make them disappear for good.
But Melanctha’s connection to Habila has not come without a price. Habila has languished alone for millennia, blaming men for her loneliness. She harbors a hatred so potent that she has committed her existence to ridding the world of them. As Melanctha’s ties to Habila deepen, a family mystery unravels, and she learns that the siren may have secrets, too.
Inspired by the African legend of Mami Wata, Habila is a kaleidoscopic tale tracing a family and a woman through the years as they navigate the supernatural forces and long-buried truths that shape their lives. In her signature lush, lyrical prose, Moore crafts an elegant story that probes the corners of womanhood and motherhood, immigrant identity, and the legacies wrought by men who take but never give back.
In this ambitious new novel, the bestselling and prize-winning writer Wayétu Moore delivers us into the lives of a young girl, Melanctha, and her family amid the loss of their patriarch, Tokpa. In search of a fresh start, they relocate from Liberia to the backwater town of Hunt, Texas, a land that proves hostile to them—until one day, when a school bully pushes Melanctha into a lake, and she finds that she can breathe underwater. Melanctha discovers that her newfound power comes from Habila, a gorgeous, beguiling half woman half sea deity who bestows on her a gift: a comb that, if touched, can lure people into the water and make them disappear for good.
But Melanctha’s connection to Habila has not come without a price. Habila has languished alone for millennia, blaming men for her loneliness. She harbors a hatred so potent that she has committed her existence to ridding the world of them. As Melanctha’s ties to Habila deepen, a family mystery unravels, and she learns that the siren may have secrets, too.
Inspired by the African legend of Mami Wata, Habila is a kaleidoscopic tale tracing a family and a woman through the years as they navigate the supernatural forces and long-buried truths that shape their lives. In her signature lush, lyrical prose, Moore crafts an elegant story that probes the corners of womanhood and motherhood, immigrant identity, and the legacies wrought by men who take but never give back.
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication January 12, 2027
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I started Habila with high hopes but also some doubts. As a child of Yemayá, I’m cautious about books that include water spirits/deities and orishas. I’m both suspicious and hopeful. Moore earned my trust with this one. Her use of Mami Wata feels genuine, not just for show. Habila fits naturally into the family story, as if the novel owes her something. The water isn’t just background here. It calls out and demands something in return.
What struck me most, aside from the beautiful prose, was the patient way the story unfolds. The chapters about the past don’t break up the present; they change it. As with any novel with a braided timeline, it's a must for past scenes not to be decorative, but to reclassify the present. Scenes become clearer as more family history is revealed. And Melanctha’s family history is very complicated, full of secrets and losses. Moore’s characters are not one-note, cliché archetypes; they grow more complex as the book goes on, which makes the story feel real to me. This is literary fiction at its core, with magic woven in. I read an advance copy from NetGalley, and this was my first book by Wayétu Moore. I’m now eager to read more of her work. A longer and more in-depth review of this lovely novel is to come.
What struck me most, aside from the beautiful prose, was the patient way the story unfolds. The chapters about the past don’t break up the present; they change it. As with any novel with a braided timeline, it's a must for past scenes not to be decorative, but to reclassify the present. Scenes become clearer as more family history is revealed. And Melanctha’s family history is very complicated, full of secrets and losses. Moore’s characters are not one-note, cliché archetypes; they grow more complex as the book goes on, which makes the story feel real to me. This is literary fiction at its core, with magic woven in. I read an advance copy from NetGalley, and this was my first book by Wayétu Moore. I’m now eager to read more of her work. A longer and more in-depth review of this lovely novel is to come.
May 27, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book. Overall, it was a good read and I truly enjoyed it. I’ll admit, the back-and-forth between the past and present threw me off a little at times—but in the end, it really helped connect the dots and explain so much.
What stood out to me most is how the story highlights a real truth: people often want things and assume there’s no cost attached once they get them. But reality doesn’t work that way—you can run, you can hide, but eventually, consequences have a way of catching up.
Melanctha and Cassius had no idea that bringing the truth to light would turn out the way it did, especially when it came to Tokpa. Papa Georgie, honestly I did not see that coming at all. I really thought he was innocent—the kind of character who steps in to save the day or change their lives for the better. Turns out, he had his own selfish motives, and that twist definitely caught me off guard.
It is a slower-paced read, but it’s absolutely worth finishing. Be patient—the story development takes time, but by the end, you’ll appreciate the journey. #NetGalley #Habila
What stood out to me most is how the story highlights a real truth: people often want things and assume there’s no cost attached once they get them. But reality doesn’t work that way—you can run, you can hide, but eventually, consequences have a way of catching up.
Melanctha and Cassius had no idea that bringing the truth to light would turn out the way it did, especially when it came to Tokpa. Papa Georgie, honestly I did not see that coming at all. I really thought he was innocent—the kind of character who steps in to save the day or change their lives for the better. Turns out, he had his own selfish motives, and that twist definitely caught me off guard.
It is a slower-paced read, but it’s absolutely worth finishing. Be patient—the story development takes time, but by the end, you’ll appreciate the journey. #NetGalley #Habila
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Hmmm. This time I was ready for the magical realism. In her previous book, SHE WOULD BE KING, it kind of caught me by surprise. But having that experience with Wayétu Moore previously prepared me for this present journey. Melanctha is a young girl who has immigrated to the US from Liberia.
On a school trip she is pushed into the lake and much to her surprise she discovers she can breathe underwater, so after being submerged underwater far longer than any witness knew was possible, Melanctha becomes consumed by this experience and so begins the life long quest to understand the water spirit, called Habila who she befriends and eventually learns Habila is indeed Mother Water, known in ancient West African spiritual systems as Mami Wata.
After this sublime experience the book takes off to great heights, as the reader is filled with questions. And because Melanctha is not very familiar with her Father, who disappeared during her youth, leaving his family to believe he was dead. However, through her own intuition and interactions with Habila she feels as though her father must figure in this Mami Wata power/magic somehow. And so a mystery mission novel breaks out and the magic realism(for me) kind of fades to the background and reduces my eye rolling.
As Melanchta begins the quest to learn as much as possible about her father, the reader is gifted with an unfolding story that Wayétu Moore brilliantly ties all together with an engaging prose to match her attractive storytelling, making this a first rate read. Big thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for an advanced DRC. Book drops Jan. 2027
On a school trip she is pushed into the lake and much to her surprise she discovers she can breathe underwater, so after being submerged underwater far longer than any witness knew was possible, Melanctha becomes consumed by this experience and so begins the life long quest to understand the water spirit, called Habila who she befriends and eventually learns Habila is indeed Mother Water, known in ancient West African spiritual systems as Mami Wata.
After this sublime experience the book takes off to great heights, as the reader is filled with questions. And because Melanctha is not very familiar with her Father, who disappeared during her youth, leaving his family to believe he was dead. However, through her own intuition and interactions with Habila she feels as though her father must figure in this Mami Wata power/magic somehow. And so a mystery mission novel breaks out and the magic realism(for me) kind of fades to the background and reduces my eye rolling.
As Melanchta begins the quest to learn as much as possible about her father, the reader is gifted with an unfolding story that Wayétu Moore brilliantly ties all together with an engaging prose to match her attractive storytelling, making this a first rate read. Big thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for an advanced DRC. Book drops Jan. 2027
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
May 30, 2026The premise of this book really intrigued me. At 400+ pages, I do think that its construction and execution hindered it a bit, particularly with the flashbacks, which were not notated and at time hard to follow. Similar to other readers reviews, I am wondering if that was done on purpose, but either way it made for a lesser reading experience, for me.
The themes of getting what a person wants and what that costs them were particularly interesting for me, and I did NOT see the twist coming!
My only other gripe is it felt as though these characters could have been explored on a deeper level. They were all very surface level.
Thanks NetGalley for the advance read!
The themes of getting what a person wants and what that costs them were particularly interesting for me, and I did NOT see the twist coming!
My only other gripe is it felt as though these characters could have been explored on a deeper level. They were all very surface level.
Thanks NetGalley for the advance read!
March 26, 2026
This is a review from receiving an advanced copy from NetGalley.
It was a very intriguing concept, but I found that that the constant switch of POV chapters and the sometimes significant time jumps without it being clear could easily cause confusion. The ending felt very unfinished and left me unsatisfied a bit.
It was a very intriguing concept, but I found that that the constant switch of POV chapters and the sometimes significant time jumps without it being clear could easily cause confusion. The ending felt very unfinished and left me unsatisfied a bit.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An interesting premise, but it didn’t hold my attention and I didn’t feel emotionally connected to the story. Like others, I had trouble with following the timeline without the chapters labeled with years. Unfortunately I cannot recommend this one. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy.
Such an interesting premise, blending history, culture, modern life, and magical realism, but it fell flat for me.
We follow Melanctha from her childhood in Texas to her high-powered corporate advertising adult life as she grapples with her family's history. An absent father, a rich cultural history from her family's roots in Liberia, and mythological creatures push Melanctha to seek answers about what family, the patriarchy, and injustices mean in daily life. We see addiction, depression, abuse, and violence on the search for meaning. Unfortunately, the structure of the book left me feeling lost more than I would have liked - flashbacks aren't marked with dates, and rather than give me a sense of mystery it left me confused (perhaps that was the point?) - and characters are surface level, not letting me get close enough to care. The ending was unsatisfying. Perhaps I missed something important that would have given me a revelation. Perhaps the ambiguity is part of the point. After all, it was a lyrical story. But ultimately I felt a bit unsatisfied by where the story took me.
Such an interesting premise, blending history, culture, modern life, and magical realism, but it fell flat for me.
We follow Melanctha from her childhood in Texas to her high-powered corporate advertising adult life as she grapples with her family's history. An absent father, a rich cultural history from her family's roots in Liberia, and mythological creatures push Melanctha to seek answers about what family, the patriarchy, and injustices mean in daily life. We see addiction, depression, abuse, and violence on the search for meaning. Unfortunately, the structure of the book left me feeling lost more than I would have liked - flashbacks aren't marked with dates, and rather than give me a sense of mystery it left me confused (perhaps that was the point?) - and characters are surface level, not letting me get close enough to care. The ending was unsatisfying. Perhaps I missed something important that would have given me a revelation. Perhaps the ambiguity is part of the point. After all, it was a lyrical story. But ultimately I felt a bit unsatisfied by where the story took me.
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June 3, 2026"A dazzling and daring work of magical realism that weaves through the lives of a Liberian immigrant family and the water goddess who haunts them"
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews