Ghana Must Go

Taiye Selasi's Ghana Must Go is the poignant story of the Sai's, a Nigerian-Ghanaian family living in a wealthy neighborhood in Boston, US. Kweku Sai is a well respected "General Surgeon without equal, a knife-wielding artist."All was well until Kweku was unfairly laid off at the hospital. Unable to bear the shame, he abandons his wife and four children and moves to Ghana where he dies barefoot in his own garden.
Tackling questions of loss, regret, survival, the book goes on to tell the story of the Sai's family, how they cope and grapple with life in the absence of their father.

I wanted to love this book but I couldn't. While Selasi's writing was colorful and poetic, the plot left me wanting more. The book was a drag for me and I was desperate for it to end.

Rating: 2 bows

London Life Lagos Living

I first came across this book on Bellanaija  and was immediately charmed by the short documentary. In London Life Lagos Living Bobo Omotayo compiles several short stories, or private musings as he calls it, about life in Lagos. The author talks about love, politics, religion, fashion, music, lifestyle, domestic violence, tradition and more. I like how he gave voice to some of the questions I have wondered about..In one chapter, he questions Lagosians for their overuse of "Hello darling." I'm no Lagosian but I have a lot of Lagosian friends who suddenly started to darling (or darl or dear or honey) me in recent years.  No judgement but I too, wondered where this all came from. The jury is still out on this one. To make matters worse, I have also found myself "dearing" people in response. It was awkward at first but I think I'm beginning to get a hang of it. What is a girl to do?

Some chapters, though funny, seemed a little far-fetched for me. For instance, one chapter on dating chastises Lagos girls for their "behavioral patters" and he raises the following questions:

"Why do ladies play the high maintenance card yet don't want to be seen as a gold-digger? Why would you ask a man what's his seat number on a plane that you are not even on? Why would you suggest going shopping with him to see the type of stores he enters? Why would you struggle to get a table at the Nobu although you are unfamiliar with its cuisine?"

Maybe I just have yet to encounter these scenarios/human beings because when I did a little poll of friends I was told that these things do happen :O.
Overall, I enjoyed his writing--it was light hearted and quite entertaining. The photographs and pop-art illustrations were eclectic and added flavor to the stories. It would certainly make for a great coffee table book once I get that coffee table.

This book isn't available yet on Amazon but let's hope it pops up soon enough.

Rating: 3.5 bows

The Secret lives of Baba Segi’s Wives

Oh dear me. It has been a while, uh? I thought long and hard about how to describe the over-a-year silence. I'll just sum it up as life, laziness and wanderlust in no particular order. Nothing you aren't familiar with, I'm sure. Haha. The good news is that I am back (again) and I am excited to continue doing something I love! Looking forward to reading and sharing more reviews this summer! Here goes the first of this new bust…:)

Lola Shoneyin’s The Secret lives of Baba Segi’s Wives tells the story of Baba Segi and his four wives-- Iya Segi, Iya Femi, Iya Tope and Bolanle.  Baba Segi is a wealthy business man whose manhood is defined by his many wives and children. So when his most recent conquest, his beautiful and educated Bolanle, can’t conceive after two years of marriage, he is devastated. Something must be wrong with her womb-- after all, his three other wives have had no trouble conceiving. Determined to solve this problem, they consult a doctor. Little did they know that their quest to unravel one mystery would uncover many secrets and as Bolanle aptly put it "upturn the tranquility of their home."

It really is true what they say, those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

Shoneyin is a talented writer weaving in complex issues of family, love, polygamy and psychological and emotional distress of infertility in an African community. She goes to unexpected places with her complex and compelling characters while carrying the reader along. I really enjoyed her writing, especially her offbeat sense of humour and will be checking out her other works for sure!

This was one of the many books I picked up from Terra Kulture during my visit to Nigeria (a must visit if you are ever in Lagos, Nigeria).

Lucky for you, it is now available on Amazon. Click here

Rating: 4 bows