The Tiny Things Are Heavier

Zora Neale Hurston Legacy Debut Fiction Finalist
Shortlisted for the New Adult Book Prize
Longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize
A Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, and Forbes Best Book of the Year

A Nigerian immigrant tries to find her place in America and then back at home-"a profound, lasting debut" (Kaveh Akbar) about love, grief, and family.

Sommy comes from Lagos, Nigeria to the United States for graduate school two weeks after her brother attempts suicide. Plagued by the guilt of leaving him behind, Sommy struggles to fit into her new life until she meets Bryan, a biracial American estranged from his Nigerian father. The two develop a closeness that feels like romance.

During summer break, Sommy and Bryan visit Lagos, where Sommy hopes to reconcile with her brother and Bryan to connect with his father. But this city will have its way with them; a sudden catastrophe throws their plans into disarray, forcing Sommy to confront her true loyalties.

A daring and ambitious novel rendered in stirring, tender prose, The Tiny Things Are Heavier is a captivating coming of age as much as a glowing portrait of the triumphs and disappointments of immigration, self-determination, young love, and family devotion.