Michael Donkor's novel Housegirl tells the story of Belinda, a young Ghanaian woman of 17 who must stop attending school when her father writes to say that he can no longer afford to pay her school fees. Belinda first finds a position as a housegirl with a wealthy family in Ghana, but soon she is asked by her employers to work instead for dear friends of theirs in London, as a companion and mentor of sorts for Amma, the couple's rebellious and bright teenage daughter. Over the course of the narrative, Housegirl deals with themes of loss, cultural divides, secrecy, and the role of motherhood.
