Before We Hit the Ground

'A moving exploration of family, migration, class, queerness and belonging... beautifully rendered' JESSICA ANDREWS

'A deeply observant, perceptive writer' JOANNA CANNON

'Evocative, layered and emotionally resonant... deserves to be on your reading list' GLAMOUR

'Masterful... It will stay with you long after you finish it' JJ BOLA

'Love was a tightrope between freedom and control. He didn't know how others seemed to walk it with ease'
Elom can't make sense of love. It's like a language he can't speak, though he's heard the words before.

He wants to feel understood - by his well-meaning yet misapprehending family, his self-assured partner Ben, and his boisterous friends - but he never knows the right thing to say.

How can you know yourself, in a world that's constantly changing?

Set across Ghana and Scotland, this is an intimate portrait of one man's search for belonging, a family's attempt to love, and the choices that make a life.

GLOWING READER REVIEWS

'Fiamanya's writing is just gorgeous - it's tender, it's unflinching, and it's totally immersive'

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'This is one of the best books I've read this year, and I truly hope more people discover it'

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'All in all this was an absolutely stunning debut novel, I cannot wait to read more of Fiamanya's work in the future'

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'Hauntingly beautiful and heartbreaking, this took my breath away. Wow, what a gorgeous novel. I can't recommend this enough'

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In Before We Hit The Ground, Selali Fiamanya delves into the complexities of love and identity. Set in the bustling cities of Ghana and Scotland, the story is a rich tapestry of cultural heritage and lgbtq+ themes, making it a must-read for fiction lovers.

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HarperCollins 2025