Stories have the power to reshape the way we understand history, myth, and identity—especially when they’re told from voices that were once ignored or erased. We asked Saara El-Arifi to share the books she loves as she gets ready to release her novel, Cleopatra. These books highlight bold, thought-provoking stories that reclaim silenced perspectives, challenge dominant historical narratives, and center characters who refuse to be forgotten. From ancient legends to postcolonial reckonings, these reads offer fresh ways to see the past and its lasting impact.

Cleopatra by Saara El-Arifi (2/24)

Cleopatra reclaims her own story in this lush historical epic, rewriting the myths that painted her as a seductress, a villain, or a legend shaped by others. Told in her own voice, the novel reveals a powerful, strategic ruler determined to protect her children and her kingdom. This is not the story of her death—it’s the story of how she lived.

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Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Two half sisters are born in eighteenth-century Ghana, separated by fate before they ever know each other—one raised in privilege, the other sold into slavery from the very same castle walls. Across generations and continents, their descendants carry the weight of this division, moving from the Gold Coast to the American South, through war, migration, and survival.

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Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih

When a young man returns to his Sudanese village after studying in Europe, he becomes drawn to a mysterious stranger whose past is full of secrets and scandal. After the man suddenly disappears, the narrator is left caught between two cultures, forced to wrestle with identity, power, and the lingering effects of colonialism. What unfolds is a haunting, thought-provoking story about belonging, desire, and the lines between home and elsewhere.

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James by Percival Everett

When Jim learns he’s about to be sold and separated from his family, he escapes and joins Huck, who is also on the run from his abusive father. Together, they set off on a dangerous journey down the Mississippi River in search of freedom and a future they can claim as their own. This reimagined classic centers Jim’s voice, highlighting his strength, intelligence, and humanity in a powerful new way.

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Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Okonkwo was a respected Igbo warrior, when his village was transformed by the arrival of British colonial and religious forces in the late 1800s. As his community begins to bend under this new power, Okonkwo fights to hold onto tradition, identity, and control. The novel powerfully captures both the richness of pre-colonial life and the devastating cost of its disruption.

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I, Medusa by Ayana Gray

In an NRP Best Book of the Year, Meddy dreams of escaping her quiet island life, and when Athena invites her to train as a priestess, she finally gets a chance to discover purpose and power. But after being punished for a crime she didn’t commit, she’s transformed into Medusa and forced to rebuild herself in a world that has turned against her. Refusing to remain a victim, she reclaims her story and rises as a figure of strength, rage, and resilience.

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