"[T]his captivating debut finally captures the catastrophe on a scale that is at once human and global....Despite its grave subject matter, The Edge of Water lingers on moments of hope and beauty ultimately telling a powerful story of mother-daughter love."​​

"Debut novelist Olufunke Grace Bankole has written a powerful, beautifully rendered portrait of a family....This is a story told in sensitive, careful detail with a cast of characters whose deeply personal desires always have the ring of truth, even when they go unsaid. It's a story of love and survival, richly colored with the beliefs of Yoruba spirituality and myth."

"Beautiful."

"Reckons with the collision of tradition, free will, and the devastation of a historic storm."

"The Edge of Water is an important book for transporting New Orleans...to the shores of West Africa, for giving readers an insight into the lives of Yoruba women living here and for demonstrating that there will always be more stories to tell about Hurricane Katrina."

"[The Edge of Water] shares a unique perspective on the Nigerian immigrant experience in America and tackles questions around reputation and belonging; around what one deserves and what one has the right to pursue."

"Bankole's writing is both intimate and expansive, drawing readers into the personal lives of her characters while addressing larger societal issues, particularly the systemic prejudice against women in Nigeria and American contexts. The Edge of Water is a gripping, heartfelt novel that showcases the promise of an emerging author and leaves readers eagerly awaiting her next work." ​

--Booklist, Starred Review​ 

"A beautiful narrative about two Nigerian women who seek independence from their patriarchal culture...this is one to savor."

"A global, multigenerational novel suffused with heart, feeling, devastation, and hope.

--Kirkus Reviews

"An aching novel about lost connections and misunderstandings in which Nigerian women attempt to reconcile with each other and their experiences."

"Gorgeously written. Every word is like silk."

[T]his ambitious debut novel follows the fate of a young family who arrive in America just as a historic hurricane threatens to destroy their new city. Author Olufunke Grace Bankole doubles back to explore mother-daughter relationships, Nigerian folklore, Yoruba Christianity, and the almost unbelievable courage at the core of the immigrant experience.

​"An artfully constructed, beautifully told, and utterly moving book. A thrilling debut."​​

"In exploring what happens when we reject our given paths, The Edge of Water asks the deepest questions of us. Olufunke Grace Bankole's marginalized characters navigate heartbreak and hardship within communities that dehumanize them, but Bankole restores their humanity on the page in ways that reshaped me. Despite seeming trapped by adversity, they refuse to passively accept their fates; in this story, survival is not merely a physical question but also a spiritual one. I was gripped by this brilliant and fascinating take on Greek tragedy, employing Yoruba mythology, find it both humbling and elegiac and inspiriting. Bankole moves from truth to shattering truth giving her characters the empathy and attention we all deserve. I savored every line of the arresting prose and ended this book yearning for more from this incredibly talented writer."

​"The Edge of Water is a beautifully realized epic tale following the lives of three generations of women across two continents. Bankole expertly explores tenderness and heartache without sentimentality. This is a stunning addition to the canon of diasporic tales."