The Scent of Burnt Flowers A Novel by Blitz Bazawule

 Book Excerpt:

"Fleeing persecution in 1960s America, a Black couple seeks asylum in Ghana, but fresh dangers and old secrets threaten their newfound freedom in this hypnotic debut novel.

“I am truly blown away by this novel.”—Jacqueline Woodson, New York Times bestselling author of Red at the Bone

When the windshield of his Chevy Impala shatters in a dark diner parking lot in Alabama, Melvin moves without thinking. A split-second reaction marrows in his bones from the days of the war, but this time it is the safety of his fiancé, Bernadette, at stake. Impulse keeps them alive, and yet they flee with blood on their hands. What is life like now that they are fugitives? Pack passports. Empty bank accounts. Set their old life on fire. The couple disguises themselves as a pastor and a reluctant pastor’s wife who’s hiding a secret from her fiancé. With a persistent FBI agent on their trail, they travel to Ghana to seek the help of Melvin’s old college friend who happens to be the country’s embattled president, Kwame Nkrumah.

The couple’s chance encounter with Ghana’s most beloved highlife musician, Kwesi Kwayson, who’s on his way to perform for the president, sparks a journey full of suspense, lust, magic, and danger as Nkrumah’s regime crumbles around them. What was meant to be a fresh start quickly spirals into chaos, threatening both their relationship and their lives. Kwesi and Bernadette’s undeniable attraction and otherworldly bond cascade during their three-day trek, and so does Melvin’s intense jealousy. All three must confront one another and their secrets, setting off a series of cataclysmic events.

Steeped in the history and mythology of postcolonial West Africa at the intersection of the civil rights movement in America, this gripping and ambitious debut merges political intrigue, magical encounters, and forbidden romance in an epic collision of morality and power."

Title: The Scent of Burnt Flowers
Author: Blitz Bazawule
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:
"The Scent of Burnt Flowers" by Blitz Bazawule

My Assessment:

'The Scent of Burnt Flowers' was an exciting story that one must keep up with because it goes back and forth in many of its scenes. The story is presented with mythical creatures and events that will leave one thinking a lot about what is going on in the story. We find the story is combined with a triangle love story [Melvin, Bernadette, and Kwesi], chasing fugitives by an agent [FBI Agent Huges] that didn't obey what he was told to do by his authorities, and by the end of the story terrible things happened to them through devastation. I will stop here and say this author puts together quite a read that you will have to pick up 'The Scent of Burnt Flowers' to see how this played so well in how this story will come together. Somewhat by the end.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.