If you’re anything like me, you’re trying to figure out what books you’ll be burying your head in over the end-of-year break. And given the year we’ve all just had – some worse than others, a book could be a great way to travel and escape from the present. So here are three 2020 releases I highly recommend for the booklover in you (or for the booklover you know). Don’t worry… no spoilers!

_{The First Woman by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi}

“Who is my mother?”

This is the question that has haunted our protagonist, Kirabo, since her childhood and continues to do so as she discovers what being a woman means in a family, community and country determined to silence her. I had been looking forward to this book the day it was announced because Makumbi’s first novel, Kintu, was an epic multi-generational family saga that quickly became one of the best books I’ve ever read.

No pressure! And I’m so glad that the author has done it again. The First Woman is so much more than a coming-of-age story. It follows a girl, surrounded by powerful women with conflicting ideas of womanhood, as she becomes a woman herself and tries to discover her place in a largely patriarchal society… Which is also going through its own set of changes. I also find it refreshing to read a book filled with familiar names, places and customs.

Other books by Makumbi: Kintu and Manchester Happened

_{The Girl with the Louding Voice}

_{by Abi Daré}

“All you have are your words.”

A powerful debut novel about the 14-year-old Adunni who is trapped in a life of servitude but longs to get an education and choose her own path. The Girl with the Louding Voice is quite the emotional roller-coaster! It’s a beautiful and important story that highlights the trauma of forced marriage and domestic slavery. Adunni’s journey to find her “louding voice” – the ability to speak for herself and decide her own future – is filled with so many heart-breaking, traumatic and bittersweet moments that will stay with you long after you finish this book.

_{The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi}

“What does it mean for a family to lose a child they never really knew?”

This is the story of a family’s struggle to understand their gentle and mysterious son after his mother finds his body, wrapped in colorful fabric, at her front door. I could not put this book down because I just couldn’t go to bed without knowing more about Vivek! Emezi writes beautifully and compels you to look past the “normal” by throwing you deep into the “otherness”. I was instantly drawn into Vivek’s world and the impact his life (and death) had on the people around him. We watch an “ordinary” family choose to see one of their own as who they want him to be and the emotional and physical toll this takes on him. The Death of Vivek Oji thoughtfully captures the power of identity and the masks we wear to make other people – family, friends and society – feel more comfortable.

Other books by Emezi: Freshwater and Pet

Yvonne Sewankambo is an emerging film maker and experienced public relations professional who’s always on the hunt for a good book. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.