by Kaylie Seed
Content warning: traumatic birth
Ties That Tether, set in Toronto, Canada, is a unique love story that addresses immigration, race, and culture in a lighthearted manner. Author Jane Igharo immigrated to Canada from Nigeria when she was twelve and it’s evident that her own experience helped inspire the creation of her contemporary romance novel. Twenty-five-year-old Azere wants nothing more than to please her mother, who has a high regard for their Edo heritage and culture, but when Azere falls head over heels for Rafael, a white man her mother would never approve of, she begins to question all that she’s ever known. Told from Azere’s perspective (and occasionally Rafael’s), Ties That Tether pulls on the reader’s heartstrings as Azere and Rafael attempt to figure out what it is that seems to tie them together.
Igharo addresses so many important topics throughout Ties That Tether, including heritage, immigration, culture, traditions, race, interracial relationships, identity, the mother-daughter relationship, family dysfunction, unconditional love, and so much more. Ties That Tether is a love story at its core, but the layers and topics that are woven into the story make it so much more complex, which is more engaging for the reader. Igharo mixes in some of the Edo language throughout Ties That Tether and really immerses the reader into the culture, which also helps bring depth to this story. Igharo’s prose flows incredibly smoothly, making the reading experience enjoyable. Throughout the story, Igharo nods to various romantic movies, all of which Azere adores, and this brings in a lovely pop culture note to Ties That Tether. A contemporary romance that also identifies the struggles of the immigrant experience, Ties That Tether is a playful, easy read. Igharo’s story made its way into my heart and I know that Ties That Tether will stay with me for a very long time.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.