When We Ruled

A beautiful retelling of the stories of African women long ignored, and attempted erasure. Paula Akpan looks at our collective ancestors and gathers their stories into one book as a hen would her precious eggs, with care and reverence. She explores, questions and offers the world a glimpse into the past. Establishing the grit of African women present, gifting a future bright.

Poetic and fierce, this volume is a compelling modern-day journey into past histories of impressive African queens and leaders.

A rich, sumptuous and beautifully written tapestry of the past that makes my heart soar and ache all at once; this is the history we should have learned in schools. I can't imagine the person I'd be today if I'd known that this is where we came from.

When We Ruled is an elevation of black women to a sky-high level. We're truly blessed to have a historian of her merit in our midst, particularly at a time like this.