September 2021

Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström’s debut novel, IN EVERY MIRROR SHE'S BLACK, is told through the perspectives of three women. Kemi Adeyemi is a marketing executive living in the United States. She is hired by a major Swedish marketing company to help them with their diversity efforts with respect to branding; they are recovering from a brutal faux pas. Brittany-Rae Johnson is a former model now working as a flight attendant. She is charmed by the owner of the marketing company, Jonny von Lundin, who sweeps her off her feet. The third woman, Muna Saheed, is a refugee who is seeking residency in Sweden. She is working at a cleaning company, and one of their clients is the marketing company.

Each woman is Black, and that is what people see first. But from there, each is perceived differently according to her station in life. Still, they all face challenges. When I first picked up the book, I assumed that their lives would intertwine, but they never come together until page 339, and even then it’s a brief encounter.

Kemi, who thought she would be leading the charge with new brand campaigns, instead finds that she has been scripted into being the black face that can be shown in meetings --- the one that makes everyone feel that they are conquering diversity. She conceives of one campaign, but is quickly brushed to another side when Jonny sees that it is not in line with his personal image. Brittany is swept off her feet by Jonny, only to later realize that to him she is like a beautiful bird in a cage --- someone to watch and covet --- and when she becomes pregnant, her role with him is even more guarded. Oh, and his parents do not even want to speak to her. Muna faces one challenge after another. She is in constant peril of losing her job, her home and any stretch of security. She has no lifeline, so of the three women, her options are more limited.

With IN EVERY MIRROR SHE’S BLACK, Lolá looks at the subject of privilege. What gives someone privilege? Is it their own work, or another person? And what is it like when someone is only seen for the color of their skin? As the story unfolds in Sweden, readers can look at the subject of prejudice through a lens that they don’t normally think about. There is lots to mull as you read; in fact, it’s a book that would spark a great book group discussion.