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Saro
On a visit to the coast of Marina, Lagos, Siwoolu and his young family are lured by a traitor to a grand merchant ship where they are captured by slaveholders masquerading as traders. On the way to the new world, they are rescued by abolitionists on a British naval ship and sent to Freetown, a haven for freed slaves.
They settle in their new home, grow their family, and become successful merchants, trading goods between Freetown and Eko. Dotunu, Siwoolu’s wife, falls in love with another man and is caught in a love triangle. But their lives are upended again when they hear that the kingdom has selected the traitor as king. Siwoolu, content with his new life, yet fearful of a curse that lurks in the shadows, refuses to return, but Dotunu is determined to keep the traitor from the throne. She turns to their son, Oșolu, who is running from his own demons, to seize the throne that is rightfully theirs.
Saro is a multigenerational tale of betrayal and restitution, love and war, inspired by true events that will take the reader from the rocky terrain of Abeokuta and the burgeoning city of Lagos to the lion mountains of Freetown and Hastings of Sierra Leone from the 183os to the 1850s.
They settle in their new home, grow their family, and become successful merchants, trading goods between Freetown and Eko. Dotunu, Siwoolu’s wife, falls in love with another man and is caught in a love triangle. But their lives are upended again when they hear that the kingdom has selected the traitor as king. Siwoolu, content with his new life, yet fearful of a curse that lurks in the shadows, refuses to return, but Dotunu is determined to keep the traitor from the throne. She turns to their son, Oșolu, who is running from his own demons, to seize the throne that is rightfully theirs.
Saro is a multigenerational tale of betrayal and restitution, love and war, inspired by true events that will take the reader from the rocky terrain of Abeokuta and the burgeoning city of Lagos to the lion mountains of Freetown and Hastings of Sierra Leone from the 183os to the 1850s.
376 pages, Paperback
Published September 12, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 19, 2022
Whoosh!, what a book!😍. It felt bittersweet when I turned the last page of this book. I didn’t want to end my sojourn with Dotunu and Siwoolu because they are already more than fictional characters to me. It feels like they’re my real friends 🥺.
Thank you @narrativelscape for my review copy of Saro and also, shout out to you guys for this cover 👏🏾. It’s really beautiful and perfectly captured the essence of this book❤️.
Saro is a book that tells the story of a people’s resilience and solidly affirms the fact that as long as there’s life, there’s hope. You can break a person’s body but you cannot break their soul.
Through this book, Nikę takes her readers to so many places. From Aké
to Éko to Marina and Sierra Leone. We see how people allowed greed to consume their souls. How much is enough to sacrifice the people you love? What will you gain if you attain the power you have schemed so long for without the people who love you because you have sold them to the white man?
Saro is a heartbreaking novel that forces its readers to go back in time and feel the suffering and pain of people who were sold into slavery. The beatings they had to endure, the poor living conditions, women who had to watch while their children who sometimes, were still suckling were taken away from them, men that were forced to do so many menial jobs, and families that never got to see their loved ones again. This is a story that acknowledges the roles that locals played in this horrible trade.
My heart broke so many times while reading this book because I was reminded that they’re so many people that don’t know where they’re originally from because they were very young when they were sold into slavery. My heart breaks for people who are still searching for their relatives to this day because losing hope means coming to the terms with the fact that they’re most likely dead. It’s just so sad😔.
I really enjoyed the historical aspect of this book. I got to learn a lot about Yoruba history and I loved the Yoruba folktales, myths, and legends 😍. Making Samuel Ajayi Crowther a character in this novel
and also documenting part of his history through this book is so genius of the author!
While this was a sad and difficult read. I really love the communal relationships in this book❤️. The freed slaves in Hastings, Freetown came together as a community and helped each other through hard times. They took care of each other’s children and fed the hungry ones amongst them. It truly takes a village to raise a child ❤️.
Saro is not just a tale of pain and sorrow, it’s also a tale of triumph and resilience☺️. It explores heavy themes such as love, loss, slavery, oppression, family, culture and traditions, betrayal, rape, and suicide. Nikę’s writing is lucid, poignant and brilliant and I’ll certainly be looking out for her other works. If you want to learn about the history of slavery in Western Nigeria, the migration of slaves to Sierra Leone, and Yoruba history then this is the book for you 🤗.
Thank you @narrativelscape for my review copy of Saro and also, shout out to you guys for this cover 👏🏾. It’s really beautiful and perfectly captured the essence of this book❤️.
Saro is a book that tells the story of a people’s resilience and solidly affirms the fact that as long as there’s life, there’s hope. You can break a person’s body but you cannot break their soul.
Through this book, Nikę takes her readers to so many places. From Aké
to Éko to Marina and Sierra Leone. We see how people allowed greed to consume their souls. How much is enough to sacrifice the people you love? What will you gain if you attain the power you have schemed so long for without the people who love you because you have sold them to the white man?
Saro is a heartbreaking novel that forces its readers to go back in time and feel the suffering and pain of people who were sold into slavery. The beatings they had to endure, the poor living conditions, women who had to watch while their children who sometimes, were still suckling were taken away from them, men that were forced to do so many menial jobs, and families that never got to see their loved ones again. This is a story that acknowledges the roles that locals played in this horrible trade.
My heart broke so many times while reading this book because I was reminded that they’re so many people that don’t know where they’re originally from because they were very young when they were sold into slavery. My heart breaks for people who are still searching for their relatives to this day because losing hope means coming to the terms with the fact that they’re most likely dead. It’s just so sad😔.
I really enjoyed the historical aspect of this book. I got to learn a lot about Yoruba history and I loved the Yoruba folktales, myths, and legends 😍. Making Samuel Ajayi Crowther a character in this novel
and also documenting part of his history through this book is so genius of the author!
While this was a sad and difficult read. I really love the communal relationships in this book❤️. The freed slaves in Hastings, Freetown came together as a community and helped each other through hard times. They took care of each other’s children and fed the hungry ones amongst them. It truly takes a village to raise a child ❤️.
Saro is not just a tale of pain and sorrow, it’s also a tale of triumph and resilience☺️. It explores heavy themes such as love, loss, slavery, oppression, family, culture and traditions, betrayal, rape, and suicide. Nikę’s writing is lucid, poignant and brilliant and I’ll certainly be looking out for her other works. If you want to learn about the history of slavery in Western Nigeria, the migration of slaves to Sierra Leone, and Yoruba history then this is the book for you 🤗.
December 5, 2023
Thank you to Nike Campbell for writing this book. I think it’s a very important book because most of us do not know our history intimately.
This book could have easily been about my family. My paternal grandmother’s family is also from Abeokuta, her dad or grandfather was also one of the freed slaves that returned from Sierra Leone, went back to Abeokuta and eventually settled in Ebute meta.
Although I don’t know much about my grandmother’s family as I would like, this book gave me an insight into what their lives would have looked like.
This book could have easily been about my family. My paternal grandmother’s family is also from Abeokuta, her dad or grandfather was also one of the freed slaves that returned from Sierra Leone, went back to Abeokuta and eventually settled in Ebute meta.
Although I don’t know much about my grandmother’s family as I would like, this book gave me an insight into what their lives would have looked like.
December 10, 2023
This book broke my heart so many times as I was reminded of the countless people who don't know their true origins because they were too young when they were sold into slavery. My heart aches for those still searching for their relatives, knowing that losing hope often means accepting that their loved ones are likely gone. It's just so heartbreaking.
I really enjoyed the historical aspect of this book. I learned so much about Yoruba history, and I loved the folktales, myths, and legends told into the story.
Saro isn't just a story of pain and sorrow-it's also a story of triumph and resilience. It explores deep and heavy themes like love, loss, slavery, oppression, family, culture, traditions, betrayal, rape, and suicide.
I really enjoyed the historical aspect of this book. I learned so much about Yoruba history, and I loved the folktales, myths, and legends told into the story.
Saro isn't just a story of pain and sorrow-it's also a story of triumph and resilience. It explores deep and heavy themes like love, loss, slavery, oppression, family, culture, traditions, betrayal, rape, and suicide.
February 12, 2025
Beautifully told historical fiction on slave trade in West Africa. There were so many heart wrenching moments in this book but nonetheless an amazing read.
I wanted more of dotunu and waltz’s romance!
I wanted more of dotunu and waltz’s romance!
September 12, 2026
This isn’t my usual genre, but I’m genuinely glad I picked it up because it was worth every page.
One thing I absolutely loved was how richly the book portrayed Yoruba culture and history. Learning about Abeokuta and the story behind Olumo Rock was fascinating, especially because these were things I barely knew before reading the book. The little historical hints scattered through the story even pushed me to read more about the history of Abeokuta, the Egba people, and the Oyo Empire. I loved that the book could spark that level of curiosity while still telling such an engaging story.
I also loved how the story journeyed from Abeokuta to another country and then back home again, while subtly touching on the realities of the slave trade and the experiences of the Saro people. It gave the story so much depth and emotion.
What stood out most to me was how naturally the book carried deep moral lessons without feeling forced. Themes like betrayal, envy, forgiveness, love, resilience, and communal living were woven so beautifully into the story. The character development was also impressive you could clearly see the growth in many of the characters as the story progressed, and it made them feel real and relatable.
Nike Campbell truly did an amazing job with this book. Her writing was engaging, immersive, and emotionally rich. I honestly enjoyed almost every character, so it’s hard to pick a favourite, but I can definitely say that Sunmonu was my least favourite character.
Overall, SARO was a refreshing and meaningful read for me, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories rooted in culture, history, family, and life lessons.
One thing I absolutely loved was how richly the book portrayed Yoruba culture and history. Learning about Abeokuta and the story behind Olumo Rock was fascinating, especially because these were things I barely knew before reading the book. The little historical hints scattered through the story even pushed me to read more about the history of Abeokuta, the Egba people, and the Oyo Empire. I loved that the book could spark that level of curiosity while still telling such an engaging story.
I also loved how the story journeyed from Abeokuta to another country and then back home again, while subtly touching on the realities of the slave trade and the experiences of the Saro people. It gave the story so much depth and emotion.
What stood out most to me was how naturally the book carried deep moral lessons without feeling forced. Themes like betrayal, envy, forgiveness, love, resilience, and communal living were woven so beautifully into the story. The character development was also impressive you could clearly see the growth in many of the characters as the story progressed, and it made them feel real and relatable.
Nike Campbell truly did an amazing job with this book. Her writing was engaging, immersive, and emotionally rich. I honestly enjoyed almost every character, so it’s hard to pick a favourite, but I can definitely say that Sunmonu was my least favourite character.
Overall, SARO was a refreshing and meaningful read for me, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories rooted in culture, history, family, and life lessons.
December 16, 2023
Saro is a beautifully crafted African Historical fiction that takes you on a time travel with a Yoruba royal family that was captured, freed and relocated to Sierra Leone. It follows them from Abeokuta to Lagos to Sierra Leone and back.
The book was well crafted, easy to read and and uses enjoyable story telling to narrate important Yoruba and Sierra Leonian history that had not really been widely told. An excellent book.
The book was well crafted, easy to read and and uses enjoyable story telling to narrate important Yoruba and Sierra Leonian history that had not really been widely told. An excellent book.
September 17, 2023
I literally laughed, cried,felt the pain,the love, the sting of betrayal in SARO. The captivating storyline makes the difficult to put down.I spent 2½days reading the book and I was lost in the world of SARO. It's a must read.
January 25, 2023
Saro is a 5/5 book. The story is captivating, and you just can’t put the book down until you finish it. It’s about love, slavery, freedom. It’s a book you will love to reread .
January 19, 2024
The story telling is top notch, now I understand the hype around it
March 6, 2026
The chapters on the return were too short. A king and Queen deceived?? A great indepth into the Freetown settlers.
August 30, 2026
Fear, displacement, making due, creating a life, longing for home.
Immersive and filled with culture and history, this was sad, enraging, and ultimately beautiful.
Immersive and filled with culture and history, this was sad, enraging, and ultimately beautiful.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews