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Reviews
Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions: A Novel in Interlocking Stories by Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi
bookaquarius's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
4.0
The last chapter of this interlocking short story collection had me googling “Kansas hospital debt jail” just to double check I didn’t miss a chapter in real life. 😮💨 I love a good speculative twist!
Anyway, per the synopsis: “Nigerian author Omolola ljeoma Ogunyemi makes her American debut with this dazzling novel which explores her homeland’s past, present, and possible future through the interconnected stories of four fearless globetrotting women. Moving between Nigeria and America, Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions is a window into the world of accomplished Nigerian women, illuminating the challenges they face and the risks they take to control their destinies.”
This was a quick read and very engaging! I was so caught off guard by the last chapter but in hindsight it made so much sense. I thought this part was risky and fun and bold.
The author and the main characters of this story are Nigerian, and whenever I read from non-American authors who write about America I always feel like I’m eavesdropping on a conversation happening in another room. But I just can’t move away because I’m so curious what they will say! Will it be fair? Will it be spiteful? Do they see the same problems I see? Do they love it or hate it more than me? It always makes me curious lol. I liked reading how the four main characters’ stories overlapped and diverged going from America to Nigeria to several other places and back. This short collection also jumped around in time mostly from the 80s/90s to modern day in a seamless way. Despite the short length, so much history was packed in to each character so there was so much material to unpack with each chapter. I was also surprised and intrigued by the short vignettes from side characters in and around the lives of the four main women.
If you’re looking for a short story collection definitely pick this up! I think this one gives a nice balance of contemporary fiction and speculative fiction so it will appeal to a broad range of readers.
pearsandmangoes's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Funny at times. Dark. All depending on family dynamics. Before reading, I didn't think the individual short stories/book chapters would link so well but they do. If anything it allows each character to have their own development before linking with the others. And having a bit of speculative future as well makes one reflect on the world we live in. Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi is a wonderful writer and if she writes another book I will be excited to read it!
violinbeth's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
thejadedhippy's review against another edition
5.0
Great series of loosely connected short stories. I don’t usually like short stories but the way these go together did a lot for me. Wonderful narrator witch made it a pleasure to listen to.
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
seeceeread's review against another edition
I've never met a policeman I liked on any continent.
We open with a wealthy woman who takes a wife in 1920s Nigeria because she desperately wants children. Her wife's lover does, too (and a cishet marriage) which complicates everything. To simplify things, she absconds with their son, leaving the lovebirds to freely couple and start a new chapter. We end with a reunion of three incredibly successful women in 2050, bonding over small things, then torn apart when one accepts a place in a US hospital's debtors' work prison to pay off her son's exorbitant healthcare. Between, there's a student riot at a boarding school where the wrong girl is taken by the police, a young Black man's reflections from the hood of a cop car, a trippy exchange between travelers in Poland, a wealthy woman's tense interaction with a youth gang, and a lot of ocean crossing between the northeast United States and Lagos.
Ogunyemi creatively steps into a mostly cosmopolitan bunch, dancing with their flaws, frustrations, and feats. She juxtaposes the central boarding school friends with the voices of their domestic staff and sons. I appreciate the overall continuity among Nonso, Remi, and Aisha's trajectories, but this felt more like short stories than novel; I found the "interlocking" aspects didn't necessarily add to my reading experience.
The last story is a gut punch and could stand alone beautifully.
readingafrica's review against another edition
3.0
liked this collection of short stories. it addressed a sore point i typically have with anthologies-just when you're getting into a story, it ends, leaving many questions unanswered. since the stories are interlocking, readers get little updates on characters from earlier stories in the later ones (all the characters have some sort of relationship with each other and in the paperback version there's a chart that depicts all the connections-there's a picture of the chart on the writer's instagram page). it felt like a catch-up sessions for beloved characters sprinkled throughout the collection.
my favourite stories were "Goody Goody" and "Area Boy Rescue"
my favourite stories were "Goody Goody" and "Area Boy Rescue"
cbmac's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0