She Who Knows follows Najeeba, a young girl who feels the call to go out on the salt roads to find and sell salt with her brothers and father – an adventure reserved for boys and men. With mixed reactions, she embarks on a journey that will change her, her family, and her community. 

I really enjoyed this. I suspect with the youthful protagonist that it might even have some YA crossover appeal, though it definitely reads adult to me. I’ve read quite a bit of Okorafor’s work, and there is much here that one would expect on this basis – a well-developed world, beautiful prose, and a protagonist to feel invested in. Okorafor’s Africanfuturism shines in this novella. 

I read She Who Knows without having read Who Fears Death or any other book previously written in the same universe, and it worked perfectly well as a standalone. I had, when it released, opted not to read Who Fears Death for ‘content warnings’ related reasons, but having appreciated this novella so much I do think I’ll plan to read that one too. 

Content warnings: sexual harassment, sexism, misogyny, racism, xenophobia, death 

Thank you DAW & NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to review.