Published June 2025
Seven years ago, I wrote a book I wasn’t quite ready to share with the world.
It was raw. Personal. Introspective. It was everything I wished I could have heard, read, or been told when I was 16.
When I published the first print of By the End of Your Teens on September 14th, 2018, I immediately pulled it from circulation. Not because it wasn’t good — but because I wasn’t yet at peace with how vulnerable it made me feel.
Now, I am.
This June, I reintroduced By the End of Your Teens — the first installment in what will be a growing series of reflections on growth, identity, and navigating life as a young person with ambition. It is a small book with a big heart, written from the lived experience of a Malawian girl trying to make sense of the world, and finding her voice along the way.
Why This Book?
At its core, By the End of Your Teens is a letter — a guide, a conversation, a gentle challenge — to teenagers and young adults who are navigating the exhilarating, terrifying, liberating moment when you realize: your life is your own.
This book is about:
- Choosing education over distraction
- Building purpose and discipline
- Honoring your vulnerability without letting it paralyze you
- Becoming the kind of person your younger self would be proud of
It’s short. Direct. Honest. And it’s the kind of book you give to someone who’s ready to take ownership of their life.
The Tens: A Series of Becoming
Releasing this book in 2025 means something more. I’m turning 30 this year — and I’m working on the follow-up, Traversing the Terrible Twenties, which will take a deeper look at adulthood, ambition, heartbreak, resilience, and the joy of self-discovery through the stormy years that follow your teens.
Together, these books form a growing body of work that documents my journey — but more importantly, offers a mirror to anyone walking their own.
How to Get the Book
By the End of Your Teens is now available globally in ebook, paperback, and hardcover via Amazon. You can order it here:
📘 Order Now
Proceeds support the work of the Ntha Foundation and the Kwathu Kollective — initiatives that empower youth across Africa with digital skills, creativity, and the tools to rewrite their own stories.
This is more than just a book. It’s a time capsule. A gift to my younger self. And now, to you.
I hope it finds you — or someone you love — at exactly the right time.
With heart,
Nthanda Manduwi
CONNECT WITH NTHANDA ONLINE:
About the Author
