Thirteen years after Amara buries her ogbanje daughter, she is forced to return to the village where it all began. She can explain away strange chills and nightmares, but not the tangible presence of a sinister entity intent on tormenting her.
… Happy stories do not start like this. They do not start with a woman, back ramrod, gaze empty, cradling her dead daughter in her arms.
They do not start with a woman knowing she has been marked by a mischievous sprite to birth the same child over and over, only to bury them the moment she begins to court hope.
Happy stories begin with a pregnancy carried to term and a healthy child with no links to the spirit world.
Amara drops the child into the earth and dusts her gown, ignoring the red of her daughter’s blood.
“You will be the last one I bury.”
Yamah –
This story completely captivated me from the first line. The opening is just so powerful, and that sense of grief and mystery is fascinating. I feel like Amara is such a complex character, I felt her pain, her resilience, everything. The Igbo language also adds so much Nigerian authenticity to it. And Chukwudi! He’s so smart and yet still so young, their relationship is really touching.
The story has so many layers, it’s not just about loss, it’s about motherhood, marriage, belief. And the ogbanje myth is spooky but it makes you think…
Overall, the book is so amazing. It has that special something, it really stays with you.
Sophia sule –
I read this book while in school and it was awesome… the storyline… the language used and everything blended perfectly… A must read 📚 👌