When your name means Trash

A powerful coming-of-age story

In a hidden weaving village in Ghana lives Sumina—a girl whose name means ‘trash.’ A name meant to protect her from evil, but one that seems instead to haunt her.

Sumina weaves beautiful kente cloths. No one has ever seen such colour combinations and extraordinary patterns. Yet despite her talent, her future is uncertain. In the village, people whisper that she is cursed.

Next door lives Daan, who shows her that her future can be bigger than the village she grew up in—bigger than the name she carries. Their love opens up a world where her dreams are allowed to exist. Until one reckless decision takes everything she loves away from her. Sumina is put on a bus alone and ends up in the overwhelming chaos of Accra, where she must find a way to survive—without money, without a safety net. She faces hunger, illness, and betrayal. Can she break the curse and rewrite her fate? When your name means Trash is a gripping and moving story about love, loss, and resilience.

Barbara van Rijn Tuwor is a filmmaker and journalist. She has lived and worked in Ghana for seventeen years. In this debut, she weaves together stories and experiences of Ghanaian women into a compelling fictional narrative about resilience, choices, and new beginnings.

From every book sold, ten percent of the author’s royalties will be donated.