‘A Love Song For Ricki Wilde’ by Tia Williams: Love should never hurt

Is the world more than we see with our bare eyes, or is something hidden beyond our perception? Do unseen beings move among us, unnoticed by our distracted minds? And more importantly—do we truly observe the world around us?

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams invites us into a world that often remains invisible—unless we know where to look. The story follows Ricki Wilde and Ezra Walker, two souls born generations apart yet mysteriously bound together. But when death comes knocking for Ricki, she isn’t ready to let go.

Ricki, a 28-year-old woman and the youngest of the four Wilde children, is an ambitious woman with her heart on her sleeve and big dreams to create a life different from the one that her family expects her to follow.

One day, she meets Ms Della, a 96-year-old woman, while following up on her late husband’s burial with Wilde Funeral Home, Ricki’s family franchise that she does not want to be part of. After a brief conversation with Ms Della, she decides to move to a new city where she can start fresh without her family name haunting her or judging her for everything she does.

One night in a Harlem garden, Ricki and Ezra cross paths, drawn together by an inexplicable force. They barely speak, yet Ricki feels she has known him forever.

Later, at an art exhibition, she meets a woman who wants to buy a portrait of her for a ridiculous amount. The buyer’s connection? Ezra, the mysterious man from the garden.

Ricki tells Tuesday, the only friend she has in adult life. Apart from Ricki being "too much", according to her family, she is introverted and has difficulty making friends. She met Tuesday in her flower shop—Wilde Things—one day when Tuesday needed help escaping men chasing her. Tuesday was a famous actress who got cancelled for exposing her manager for sexual harassment, and, as is often the case, nobody believed her. Their friendship was instant—they both needed each other.

“Whenever Tuesday heard people say, "well-behaved women rarely make history,” she wondered who they were talking about. But when she met Ricki, it was platonic love at first sight. They were kindred spirits, each requiring the other to be nothing but exactly herself.”

Intrigued and wary, Ricki and Tuesday set out to uncover Ezra’s secret, even waiting outside his house for hours, waiting for him to come out. When he eventually does, he tells Ricki to leave Harlem because she is not supposed to be there. They agree to try to avoid each other, but this does not work.

"Whatever it was, their connection soothed her darkest fears, made her feel more herself and at home than anywhere."

They decide to talk about whatever is happening between them. Ezra admits that he has something important to tell her. But before Ezra reveals the secret, they decide to spend one day without worrying about anything other than experiencing each other.

For the first time, they feel truly seen and understood. But it is a leap year, and their love—and one life—are at stake. A sacrifice must be made for them to survive. So, they prepare to die in each other’s arms. But something miraculous happens that night…

Ms Della represents the non-blood families we make in life. Some would call her a guardian angel in human form. She accepts Ricki as her own. She becomes the kind of proud family that anyone would want in life. Grappling with her grief—losing seven pregnancies, a husband she gave her whole life to, and a mother who was never there—she never became a bitter person. She lived her life well. And the only legacy she wanted to leave behind was that she was happy and kind.

“She had no regrets. She loved hard and well and had been loved in return.”

Williams beautifully connects the many plots of this book with a touch of magic that you either love or hate. However, one thing you cannot hate about this author is her brilliant writing. The worlds and characters she creates are livable and lovable.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde is about our sacrifices for love and our loved ones. It is about self-recovery and unapologetically staying true to who you are. It is about forgiveness, loss and grief.

It is a reminder that, even in life’s most significant moments, the small ones matter most—they make life interesting, even worth living. Appreciate the people in your brief time here because it will be gone soon. Because if there’s one truth, it’s this: life is but a passing moment.

Jane Shussa is passionate about books, coffee, nature, and travel. She serves as a Senior Digital Communications Officer for Twaweza East Africa.