"My fate as a woman followed me around like a solemn shadow, offering nothing but cooking, cleaning and other dreary tasks, but I was not yet ready to submit." Akani is the tale of a young girl's reluctant journey into adulthood. It is set around 100BC, in the mountains of North Africa, in what is now Morocco. Her story unfolds, revealing a world that is both reassuringly recognisable and exotically different. The challenges she has to overcome force her to re-examine the relationships she has with her emerging femininity, her family and her community. Akani's world is changing on many different levels, she is on the verge of becoming a woman in a patriarchal society, and views this prospect with a mixture of rage, confusion and a sense of betrayal. Her own inner turmoil is reflected in her country which is about to explode into civil war. These changes, bring upheaval, distress, but also offer unexpected choices for her, with each new beginning and ending, each new turn in the adventure, she has the chance to learn more about herself and how she relates to the people around her and her constantly changing environment. It is a journey that will change her forever. I believe any woman young or old will resonate with this story