In Dependence by Sarah Ladipo Manyika is a compelling novel that explores themes of love, race and identity across decades and continents. Set in the early 1960s, the story follows Tayo Ajayi, a Nigerian student who travels to England on a scholarship to Oxford University. There, he meets Vanessa Richardson, the daughter of a British ex-colonial officer, and they embark on a brave yet bittersweet interracial love affair.

The novel spans four turbulent decades, capturing the challenges of navigating cultural differences, political upheavals, and personal betrayals. It beautifully intertwines the characters' struggles with broader historical events, such as Nigeria's independence and the Civil Rights movement. Ultimately, In Dependence is a story of passion, idealism, and the universal quest for belonging