Scandi-minimalism, meatballs, Ikea – just a few stereotypes that may spring to mind when you envisage Sweden. On the flipside, however, are the themes of racism, classism, fetishization and tokenism that Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström’s debut novel delves into. On shelves tomorrow, In Every Mirror She’s Black (Head Of Zeus) follows the lives of three Black women as they build new lives in Stockholm, offering a multifaceted and often uncomfortable look into a culture that celebrates sameness. Each of the characters – a successful marketing executive, a model-turned-flight attendant and a refugee – is in search of a fresh start, but soon face all-too familiar issues of prejudice and acceptance as they navigate their new city. Telling a story of love, loss, lust and identity, it offers a valuable insight into what it means to be a Black woman in a globalised world today.

“What hit me almost immediately was the humanity which Ákínmádé Åkerström gives her three protagonists,” says Stylist Loves deputy editor Annie Simpson. “Just one chapter in and the three women are fully formed, complex individuals, with a rich narrative that had me captivated from the first page. Although the trio are from vastly different socio-economic backgrounds, it soon becomes clear that they’re inextricably connected, with the same powerful white man playing an instrumental role in their lives. To be so invested in characters is a rarity, but I was right there with these women, deeply feeling both their elations and their heartbreak, their triumphs and their mistakes. These three characters and their stories will stay with you for some time after the book is finished.” £12.99, Bookshop.org