It was like a dream becoming real out of the mist, I thought. But yet, I couldn’t help thinking, here we were, entering Chicago the dangerous way, the stealthy way—as fugitives, not holiday-makers as I’d always hoped.
Chapter 10 excerpt:
The thing was, I knew that our past had not necessarily been left behind. Could this be real for long? I found myself wondering: No one here knows … what we’re running from, or maybe they’d see us nothing but harbingers of Trouble coming to their doorstep.
As we passed by, I could see an older factory technician climbing up on a fire-escape, opening the vents of a brick factory. He cast a glance toward us, without a clue what we had just come through, or that we were fugitives from Owens’ Law.
The quiet town, I decided, wasn’t exactly welcoming—just unsuspecting, unwitting.
About
I was pretty unsuspecting.
“Come on — there’s a documentary playing that you might like,” my Mum called across the house. At least, that’s probably what she said — it’s hard to remember, that was all the way back in 2010/11. I had no idea that sitting down to that PBS documentary on Chicago’s fascinating history would spur a multi-decade labor of love: a Jazz-Era suspense duology. I hope it opens up a whole new world for you, as it did me.
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Book Reviews
“Rising author Abena Sankofa’s writing style varies from light to downright nail-biting.
…a story of perseverance and strength amid a burgeoning romance… Up North will touch a nerve and claim a place in today’s world. In short, Abena Sankofa’s debut novel is nothing short of brilliant and a novel we can highly recommend.”
“Winner of a Finalist Placement, and among the top 16% of all projects submitted to us, and the top 2% 60,898 book manuscripts submitted to us (as of July 2025).”
“A heartwarming, suspense-driven adventure”
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“I never set out to start trouble—I just wasn’t opposed to it.
Which turned out to be a good thing, because, when trouble started around here, it didn’t stop for wishing. …”
About the Author
Since getting that first inkling of inspiration for Up North, Abena Sankofa hasn’t looked back. Her books have achieved a finalist placement in the international Cinematic Book Competition by Coverfly, and even trended on Coverfly’s “Red List” of 2020. In addition, a sequel to Up North is already in the making.
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