There are other threads, or cracks in the earth of her life, that she weaves in and out of these narratives, so that at times there is a sense that we are wandering away from the main question a chapter opened with. Owusu always brings us back just on time, so that what seems at first like free association is revealed, instead, as potent context. The effect ties directly into another of Owusu’s main themes: Storytelling is how we understand ourselves, others, and the worlds we live in, and any story that is too plain or that holds no contradictions is suspect, for that means it lacks the nuance necessary for a deeper understanding. In her capable writing, stories become nearly physical objects she holds to the airy, turns over and over, eager to discover a never before glimpsed sparkle or a surprising divot in their familiar shapes.
