"This book is a tribute to the Black women writers who paved the way, to the single mothers who brought us into the world, to the council estates that nurtured us, to the teachers who believed in us; and to Congo, my homeland, my heart." (Author's note)

In this more consciously literary novel, which treats harsher events than the previous book, we learn about the history of the Democratic Republic of Congo through the lives of Mira and Bijoux, women of two generations who have both ended up in a manky flat on a council estate in South London, Mira caring for (a bit) and controlling (a lot) Bijoux. We at first struggle to see how Mira, party girl who loves dancing, even woman with a drink problem in Paris who's saved by a man with a secret, turns into strict, ultra-religious Tantine Mireille, but it must happen and we find out how. Bijoux is gay and that's certainly not tolerated as being "unAfrican" and a religious abomination (later we find out that gay women's relationships were open, known and celebrated in Kinshasa for a good long while). Terrified of alienating her real mum, who has stayed in Congo, she undergoes conversion "therapy" and a marriage, but there is a glimmer of hope. Literary and assured details include two pair of women ending up on the same bench by a pond in Hampstead Heath a decade or so apart. I loved the found family Bijoux makes and re-finds and the sneaky feminism of the leader of the Women's Prayer Group, although her work is not enough to save one of the women. Interestingly, as I read a work of the social realist Ann Petry, I find parallels in the clear look at the struggles facing Black women of this and other African diasporas across Belgium, France and the UK.

Blog review published 07 May 2025: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/05/07/two-novels-of-diaspora-rebecca-fisseha-only-because-its-you-and-christina-fonthes-where-you-go-i-will-go/

Really enjoyed this beautiful novel by British-Congolese author Christina Fonthes. We follow two women, Mira in the 1980s in Kinshasa, a young woman, daughter of a local governor, who wants to have fun and fall in love; and her niece Bijoux, in London in the 2000s, who discovers a bit of freedom and falls in love with a woman but can't tell her family and her aunt with whom she lives. It was beautifully written and I learned a lot about Congo and the Congolese diaspora, and its politics after becoming independent. I loved the strong female characters and the relationships between them, although one of the characters evolution was a little hard to believe.

A great and insightful read about two women and what they have to endure just to be themselves. The dual time line worked well and telling the story through the places they live was clever/ Family relationships and those between women are complex as they are interesting the world over.

Actually can’t believe this is a debut! Fantastically written, great character development and a storyline that kept me swept up. I love a dual time line and this also has dual locations - between 80s Congo and OOs London, this book delves in to family relationships and expectations on women.

Where you Go, I will go tells the story of two generations of the same family Mira and Bijoux and follows their lives from Kinshasa , to Europe and back again.
Mira is a woman of extremes from teenage wild child to devout Baptist and for much of the book it is hard to marry these two very distinct sides of her personality. Bijoux on the other hand is a young girl far from home , trying to find peace with her identity, under the watchful eye of her strict but distant Tantine Mireille.

Christina Fonthes is beautifully descriptive, the scenes in Kinshasa, described a vibrant but troubled Zaire/DRC, Mira then moves to Belgium and you are transported to 90's Brussels and later Paris . When the story moves to London you are instantly taken to a traditional tower block in the noughties . Several social issues are touched on throughout the book , almost too many but the author takes such care and describes them perfectly. I don't really have a point of reference for much that is explored during the book but I was totally immersed in Mira and Bijoux's world
There are a few scenes that aren't fully explained, this is deliberate but it did leave me a little confused particularly at the start of the book. There are also a couple of loose ends I would have liked to have had explained a bit more. Solid 9 out of 10 for me .

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one by this author.