The Attic Child: A Novel

Written by Lola Jaye

Narrated by Lola Jaye, Lucian Msamati and Nneka Okoye

A hauntingly powerful and emotionally charged novel about family secrets, love and loss, identity and belonging.

Two children trapped in the same attic, almost a century apart, bound by a shared secret.

Early 1900s London: Taken from his homeland, twelve-year-old Celestine spends most of the time locked away in the attic of a large house by the sea. The only time Celestine isn’t bound by confines of the small space is when he is acting as an unpaid servant to English explorer Sir Richard Babbington, As the years pass, he desperately clings on to memories of his family in Africa, even as he struggles to remember his mother’s face, and sometimes his real name . . .

1974: Lowra, a young orphan girl born into wealth and privilege whose fortunes have now changed, finds herself trapped in the same attic. Searching for a ray of light in the darkness of the attic, Lowra finds under the floorboards an old-fashioned pen, a porcelain doll, a beaded necklace, and a message carved on the wall, written in an unidentifiable language. Providing comfort for her when all hope is lost, these clues will lead her to uncover the secrets of the attic. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Sep 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063260399

Lola Jaye

Lola Jaye is an author and registered psychotherapist. She was born and raised in London and has lived in Nigeria and the United States. She has a degree in Psychology and a Masters in Psychotherapy and Counselling. She has contributed to the sequel to the bestseller Lean In, penned by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, and has also written for the Huffington Post, CNN, Essence, HuffPost and the BBC. She is a member of the Black Writers’ Guild and the author of five previous novels. The Attic Child is her first epic historical novel.

Reviews for The Attic Child

[Christine Cantu · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It took me from being angry to crying over the love that is found and shared. I have never written a review for a book but this book moved me so much that I had to tell everyone this is a must read!

[Shaquita Wilson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Exceptional book! I thoroughly enjoyed! I had so many emotions throughout reading it but such happiness in the end.

[Jackie Fielding · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was wonderful. It is one that will stay with you long after its finished.

[Tereacy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was an absolutely phenomenal and beautiful read. So heartfelt and touching....just really left with a "wow". There are no adequate words to describe the deep rooted feelings that this book caused. The story of colonization and its lingering impact never gets old to me. 5 Stars ? all the way!!!!

[Yomaira Reyes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I experienced so many emotions throughout this read. This book went far beyond my expectations and is by far one of the best books I’ve read to date. A quick summary could not do it justice, so I’ll bypass highlighting specific details and sit with this emotion for a bit.

[finedoc · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! The lion needs to narrate more. The neocolonialism is upon africa and China is the new rapist. Thanks for this worthy representation of our history.

[Trish · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such a heart wrenching and heart warming story. I smiled, got angry, felt anxious and cried. This story will pull at your heartstrings and leave you smiling.
The narrators were phenomenal and made the words of the author come to life. There will be no unanswered questions when you finish this book. Read it.

[Cindy Agbonifo · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Reading this book I felt so many emotions joy, loss but most importantly perseverance. It was very well written and a book I would recommend to all. The author takes you on a journey with Dekembe. I wanted to get to the end of this book yet I didn’t want the story to ever end.

[Joyce Krizman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is truly amazing, captivating and extremely well written! I enjoyed every page,! I will never forget this treasure!

[V Shep · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved how the book was written in 2 time periods and connected at the end

[Rebekah Chighali · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Impeccable narrating done of an amazing historical fiction tale. Celestine (Dkembe) is a formidable character who is determined to be successful, Lara is as impactful, but she floats through life only able to be determined to make it through each day.
This journey of becoming for two characters, decades apart, is a beautiful tale of triumph, dedication, and resilience.
The crossing of paths and human connection makes for an amazing read.
I’d love to see this as a movie.

[Topeka · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a powerful story! I fought tears so many times (and actually did get teary a few times) . The book took me through so many emotions - a sign of an exceptional and well-written book. And I loved the way the stories were told and the way they unfolded. There are so many pertinent messages in the book.

Dikembe’s ACTUAL story was interrupted by those terrible years. Powerful! The fact that the focus was more on Dikembe than the “authorities” in the story was powerful as well. The Attic Child is an excellent example of the reason these stories should be told, and it held my interest from beginning to end.

Favorite quote from the book: Until the lions have their own historians, the history of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.