Three Black women are linked in unexpected ways to the same influential white man in Stockholm as they build their new lives in the most open society run by the most private people.

Successful marketing executive Kemi Adeyemi is lured from the U.S. to Sweden by Jonny von Lundin, CEO of the nation's largest marketing firm, to help fix a PR fiasco involving a racially tone-deaf campaign. A killer at work but a failure in love, Kemi's move is a last-ditch effort to reclaim her social life.

A chance meeting with Jonny in business class en route to the U.S. propels former model-turned-flight-attendant Brittany-Rae Johnson into a life of wealth, luxury, and privilege—a life she's not sure she wants—as the object of his unhealthy obsession.

And refugee Muna Saheed, who lost her entire family, finds a job cleaning the toilets at Jonny's office as she works to establish her residency in Sweden and, more importantly, seeks connection and a place she can call home.

Told through the perspectives of each of the three women, In Every Mirror She's Black is a fast-paced, richly nuanced yet accessible contemporary novel that touches on important social issues of racism, classism, fetishization, and tokenism, and what it means to be a Black woman navigating a white-dominated society.

Two women. Four decades. A lifetime of secrets.

1978: A scholarship draws Nancy from Gambia's warmth into Sweden's winter. When her friendship with charismatic scholar Lars blossoms into something more, she thinks she may have finally found her place. But there's more to Lars than his charming persona, and Nancy is about to discover the danger of being drawn into his world…

2006: Tina has had her taste of fame as the nation's Eurovision pop princess. But beneath her glittery façade, Tina is desperate to discover who she really is. Her mother, Nancy, seems desperate to keep the past under wraps, but will an unexpected figure help open the door?

Spanning four decades and three continents, Bitter Honey is a story of mothers, daughters, and the importance of carving your own path.

"A sexy, surprising, searing debut about love, loss, desire, and the many dimensions of Black womanhood."-Deesha Philyaw, 2020 National Book Award Finalist & award-winning author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies An arresting debut for anyone looking for insight into what it means to be a Black woman in the world. Three Black women are linked in unexpected ways to the same influential white man in Stockholm as they build their new lives in the most open society run by the most private people. Successful marketing executive Kemi Adeyemi is lured from the U.S. to Sweden by Jonny von Lundin, CEO of the nation's largest marketing firm, to help fix a PR fiasco involving a racially tone-deaf campaign. A killer at work but a failure in love, Kemi's move is a last-ditch effort to reclaim her social life. A chance meeting with Jonny in business class en route to the U.S. propels former model-turned-flight-attendant Brittany-Rae Johnson into a life of wealth, luxury, and privilege-a life she's not sure she wants-as the object of his unhealthy obsession. And refugee Muna Saheed, who lost her entire family, finds a job cleaning the toilets at Jonny's office as she works to establish her residency in Sweden and, more importantly, seeks connection and a place she can call home. Told through the perspectives of each of the three women, In Every Mirror She's Black is a fast-paced, richly nuanced yet accessible contemporary novel that touches on important social issues of racism, classism, fetishization, and tokenism, and what it means to be a Black woman navigating a white-dominated society. Praise for In Every Mirror She's Black: "In Every Mirror She's Black is a wise and complicated exploration of the lives of three Black women in America and Sweden. Lola Akinmade Akerstroem offers a sharply written story with messy, deeply moving characters, raising brutal questions and steering clear of easy answers. A book that will stick with you long after you've turned the last page." -Taylor Jenkins Reid, New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six and Malibu Rising "In Every Mirror She's Black highlights the struggles of three women fighting to assimilate into a society that ignores their worth. These characters will pull at your heartstrings. Lola writes with a contemporary flair, highlighting the layered subtleties of the Black woman's plight. In Every Mirror She's Black will stay with readers for a long time." -Nicole Dennis-Benn, author of bestselling novels Here Comes the Sun and Patsy "In her debut novel, Lola Akinmade Akerstrom has given us a story that is at once enjoyable and disturbing as it explores the painful price millions of women around the world pay for walking around with black skin." -Imbolo Mbue, New York Times bestselling author of Behold the Dreamers

The brilliant second novel from the acclaimed author of In Every Mirror She's Black follows three women as they try to navigate life, love, prejudice and privilege in Stockholm. Yasmiin cannot comprehend what the policeman is saying to her. Her friend in a coma? Attempted suicide? Discovering she’s listed as next of kin, Yasmiin looks to her friend’s past to try and understand her actions, uncovering fresh mysteries at every turn. All the while, her own life seems to be running off course… Kemi seems to have it all: a high-powered job, a beautiful flat, a loving boyfriend. So why doesn't she feel more settled? Unsure whether its homesickness, heartsickness or sick-and-tired-of-the-same-old-sickness, she embarks on a destructive path to try and change things up… Brittany-Rae doesn’t remember the woman she was before she met her husband Jonny. She knows she was an ambitious, confident go-getter, but now she’s faded into Jonny’s domineering shadow. And as she unearths disturbing secrets about her husband, she’s focused on only one thing: her daughter, Maya, and ensuring she is as far away from Jonny as possible… The three women’s lives begin to overlap in the most unexpected of circumstances. Is it possible that the answer to their problems – though it seems impossible – lie in one another’s hands?

The brilliant second novel from the acclaimed author of In Every Mirror She's Black follows three women as they try to navigate life, love, prejudice and privilege in Stockholm. Yasmiin cannot comprehend what the policeman is saying to her. Her friend in a coma? Attempted suicide? Discovering she’s listed as next of kin, Yasmiin looks to her friend’s past to try and understand her actions, uncovering fresh mysteries at every turn. All the while, her own life seems to be running off course… Kemi seems to have it all: a high-powered job, a beautiful flat, a loving boyfriend. So why doesn't she feel more settled? Unsure whether its homesickness, heartsickness or sick-and-tired-of-the-same-old-sickness, she embarks on a destructive path to try and change things up… Brittany-Rae doesn’t remember the woman she was before she met her husband Jonny. She knows she was an ambitious, confident go-getter, but now she’s faded into Jonny’s domineering shadow. And as she unearths disturbing secrets about her husband, she’s focused on only one thing: her daughter, Maya, and ensuring she is as far away from Jonny as possible… The three women’s lives begin to overlap in the most unexpected of circumstances. Is it possible that the answer to their problems – though it seems impossible – lie in one another’s hands?