Recently, I realised that I’ve been focusing mostly on a specific genre—psychological books/thrillers, probably because it’s my favourite genre. So, I decided to pick up something entirely different: a different genre, a different writing style, and a short book as well.
I have seen one or two people talk about this book in the WhatsApp book club group I’m part of, and that nudged me to give it a try. Honestly, I never expected much of it. I generally don’t expect much from short books, I am also not a fan of playwriting or drama-style books. To be fair, I can’t remember the last time I read a play (probably during my secondary school days). But I kept an open mind, and the title alone was intriguing enough to pull me in.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Don’t Tell Daddy What Happened in Lagos by Yemi Odunfa is a Nigerian drama published in 2024. The play explores the depths of grief and loss, family secrets, faith, societal expectations, and identity.
The play revolves around the aftermath of the death of Mr. Oye, an archbishop. His widow, Mrs. Oye, who lives in Port Harcourt, while the book focuses on the lives of their three children in Lagos: Pastor Yomi (the first child), Oyin (the disciplined second child), and Kikelomo (the youngest and undergraduate).
A year has passed since Mr. Oye’s death, and a lot has happened in Lagos, the death of their father has set a rift between the children, each of them coping in their own way. As the one-year memorial approaches, tension rises among the children as things aren’t going well.
Pastor Yomi, expected to follow in his father’s footsteps, is now being blackmailed with compromising photos taken at a brothel. Kikelomo, on the other hand, is five months pregnant and refuses to reveal the identity of the father. Meanwhile, Oyin is trying her best to mend things.
Societal expectations weigh heavily on pastor Yomi, as the church and his mother long for him to get married, which leads to the idea of a fake marriage between Pastor Yomi and his assistant, Amy, to create a distraction and divert attention from the looming scandals.
With Mrs. Oye travelling from Port Harcourt to Lagos for the memorial, the tension builds even more, everything is chaotic! How will she react to her fractured family? What will happen to the reputation of the late Archbishop’s family? How will Yomi survive this turbulence? Who is the father of the Kike’s unborn child? How will Kike face reality?
MY THOUGHTS
If there is one thing I loved about this book it’s how it explores some themes like identity and reputation, societal expectations, grief, loss, trauma, and faith. It subtly highlights the importance of taking responsibility for your actions, something I found quite meaningful.
I also appreciate the perspective on faith, as the book portrays the struggles Pastor Yomi faces as the “archbishop’s son” and the pressure tied to religious responsibilities, which is quite relatable, especially in today’s world. Not every pastor’s child is prepared to walk in their parent’s footsteps.
Although I didn’t think I would enjoy the playwright style, I found myself quite mesmerised by every scene. The dialogue-driven format made it easy to imagine the scenes playing out on stage, embodying the characters, with their different voices and personalities. Also, the drama, humour, and slight anticipation throughout the story kept me engaged.
The plot, while not entirely unique, is fitting for a stage play. As someone who places a lot of weight on a book’s ending and loves an unpredictable ending, the ending came with a shocking and dark twist which I hadn’t even expected, still, I felt the ending could have been more fulfilling.
Yomi Odunfa’s writing is simple yet effective, giving the characters a distinct tone and drawing readers into their world.
Overall, ” Don’t Tell Daddy What Happened in Lagos” is a short play that explores the aftermath of a patriarch’s death, the complexities of family relationships, and societal norms and expectations.
While it isn’t something I would typically pick up, I enjoyed the experience and I would rate this book a 3.8 out of 5.
♡
𝑰𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔. 𝑻𝒉𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒏𝒂𝒊𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒂𝒏𝒗𝒂.
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