You know books that end in a bittersweet way yet you still feel hollow in the end? Like the book had too many strong themes that drained you more than you thought it did? I don’t know. But this was an exciting read, and even though I nursed it for the better part of a week, I’ll tell you why I think so.
Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi
A book of 322 pages, Butter Honey Pig Bread tells the story of Kambirinachi who is an ogbanje: a child that keeps dying and coming back in order to torment their mother. In essence, a spirit. Kambirinachi, however, decides to defy her kin (ogbanje deities, I presume) this time around to stay, much to her kin's displeasure. Her mother makes a mark behind her ears, so she realizes that the ogbanje child has finally come to stay, but this doesn’t endear her to her daughter in the least.
Fast forward to the future. Kambirinachi is the mother of twin daughters, Taiye and Kehinde. An unfortunate incident causes Kehinde to withdraw from her entire family, while Taiye travels abroad, hoping for absolution and forgiveness from her sister. Ten years apart, and now the twins are back home to their mother. Will tension and resentment ensue till the end or is there room for forgiveness and perhaps, freedom?
My Thoughts and Rating
I liked this book. I can’t tell you how much, because it is quite an intense book that held onto themes I’m unfamiliar with, but I liked it regardless. From the beginning, I fell in love with Kambirinachi and her wit. I wish more of her ordeals growing up were explored. I think that would have been a blast, but I guess the author knew that there was bigger fish to fry, hence, why she switched to the present.
The story moves from the past to the present and back to the past, and tells the stories of Taiye, Kehinde and Kambirinachi in different chapters. Even the parts that are set in the past, still feel like the present. The author artfully crafted the story to flow seamlessly even though it spanned threw generations. A definite win for her. I will say, though, that of the three stories, it was Kambirinachi’s part that I looked forward to the most. It was her story that first drew me to the book, and it stayed till the end.
I had issues with the pacing and the overdose of descriptions. I love descriptions and as a writer, I think it’s something I need to work on in my craft. But at certain points, it felt overwhelming, you know. So much so that at certain points, I lost track of the initial subject matter. I know other readers would have varying opinions, but this in itself contributed to why I could not finish the book in a sitting. It all felt too much, perhaps?
I don’t think I’ve said this before, but I’m drawn to Igbo cosmology. The whole idea of chi and ogbanje, while I do not necessarily believe in them, I believe in the impact they had on pre-colonial eastern Nigeria and even some modern-day Easterners. There was this strong language control that the author maintained till the end, and at some point, I was like, “Let me breathe, please?” but in a good way because that’s what good books do to you. Immerse you till you nearly drown.
Above all, I love the themes visited. From how deeply trauma eats into the fabric of a person till it makes an indelible imprint in their lives, to equally strong themes like imposter syndrome and self sabotage, identity crisis and forgiveness, freedom and envy, rejection and unconditional love. It was everything all at once.vRaw, gritty and intense. I loved and hated how it made me feel, and I guess that sums up my emotions towards this book. A love-hate thing.
Family, abroad-life, art, music, travel, love, sexuality, and not to mention, food, these are just tips of the ice berg when it comes to Butter Honey Pig Bread. I enjoyed it, and I think it’s a read you will find most delightsome. A 4.1/5 stars from me. Onto the next brilliantly written Nigerian literature.
Jhymi🖤
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