Genre: Fiction
Pages: 296
Author: Francesca Ekwuyasi
Setting: Lagos, Canada, London
Themes: Loss, Death, Queer romance
Francesca delves into the lives of estranged identical twins, born in London and raised for the most part in Lagos in her debut book. The twins are drawn apart from each other after a ‘bad thing’ happens in their early childhood. Francesca unfolds this dilemma quite intricately and recounts this story using three main characters: Taiye and Kehinde who are the twins and their mom Kambirinachi, an ogbanje/spirit. Kambirinachi, is forced to settle into one body of flesh after her mother’s incessant pleas for her to stay. Kambi lives a rather peculiar life with the restless voices of her kin calling her back home.
Using both first and third person narratives, Francesca brings to life the realities and struggles of growing up as identical twins in the diaspora, with a deceased father and a mentally unsound mother. The first time I saw the title of the book I wondered what the signification of the title was but as I delved into it, I noticed that Francesca uses some of the delicacies that Taiye, one of the twins, loves to consume and prepare. Some of these delicacies have a foundation on the memories of growing up in Lagos while others were learned from her culinary school in Paris.
If you loved the style of writing adopted by Yaa Gyasi in Home Going; accounts from different perspectives that later intertwine into one wholesome narrative, then you’ll definitely love Francesca’s book.
Every story must have a happy ending, or not. But Francesca balances bits and pieces of a happy ending intertwined with rest for the weary.
I won’t say too much lest I pre-empt the ending of this book but if you’ve read it, do let me know what your thoughts are on it.