Ogadinma
Or, Everything Will Be All Right
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4.4 • 16 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Ogadinma Or, Everything Will be All Right is a tale of departure, loss and adaptation; of mothers whose experience at the hands of controlling men leave them with burdens they find too much to bear. After an unwanted pregnancy leaves her exiled from her family in Kano, thwarting her plans to go to university, seventeen-year-old Ogadinma is sent to her aunt's in Lagos. When a whirlwind romance with an older man descends into indignity, she is forced to channel her strength and resourcefulness to escape a fate that appears all but inevitable.
A feminist classic in the making, Ukamaka Olisakwe's sophomore novel introduces a heroine for whom it is impossible not to root and announces the author as a gifted chronicler of the patriarchal experience.
Illuminates a fascinating time in Nigeria's recent past, as the novel's heroine struggles against the shackles of a Church-dominated patriarchal society amid rising political turmoil
· Written by a rising star of Nigeria's vibrant literature scene, a finalist for the 2019 Brittle Paper Award for Creative Nonfiction and established screenwriter
· An exquisitely written bildungsroman that will appeal equally to readers of literary fiction and a new adult audience
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Olisakwe (Eyes of a Goddess) delivers a powerful tale of a young Nigerian woman yearning for freedom. At 17, Ogadinma's resilience is tested by patriarchal violence, grief, and familial obligation. When Ogadinma's father discovers she's had an abortion, he sends her away from their home in Kano to stay with family in Lagos, all but ending her dreams of going to university. While in Lagos, she falls in love with Tobe, an older man, who turns violent after they are married and unjustly blames her for his business and legal troubles. After a series of misfortunes, abuse, and familial betrayals, Ogadinma must weigh the costs of forging her own path toward liberation. The twists and turns are fast-paced, creating a sequence of events that allows the reader to continue rooting for Ogadinma as she approaches insurmountable barriers. Olisakwe stunningly depicts how both Ogadinma's and Tobe's family members can be quick to protect and reject her with equal fervor. While Tobe is confronted by his uncle Ekene after a particularly brutal act of violence toward Ogadinma, Ekene remarks, "It is the family that bears the shame because the madman does not comprehend the concept of shame." This smart, unforgettable novel sings out with an earnest hope for an end to intergenerational abuse.
