Reviews with content warning for Murder - Under the Udala Trees

"Sitting in the taxi as it drove off, I thought once more about the way that life so often takes us the long way around. But perhaps it didn't matter, long or short, as long as we eventually found our way to where we needed to be."
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I was deeply moved by this book. It felt like a different version of a story I'm very familiar with, what life could have been like for people I love very much if they had made different choices.

Okparanta used nonverbal communication so well, like how people shift their gaze or the way our bodies/face/eyes can betray our true feelings despite our words. The scene in which Ijeoma and other women from the "church" hid in the bunker as their friend was being brutally murdered was so powerful because it was a very clear assertion that there was an ongoing war being waged against the freedom to love.

The description of Aminita as a shadow was so inspired because it conveyed how completely she was integral to Ijeoma's personhood. As was the moment when Ijeoma believed Aminita must have died when she didn't show up, because for Ijeoma, the only thing that would keep her apart from Aminita was death. It was interesting that Ijeoma then chose the same route, marrying a man, and enacted her own betrayal against Ndidi but still saw herself as the victim when she thought Ndidi wasn't writing her letters.

Okparanta shifted her descriptions of Chibundu from open and handsome with perfect teeth to "monster-like" as their relationship deteriorated. The description of him "writhing into" her invoked the imagery of a snake, correlating back to her refrain on Adam and Eve. I also loved her use of dreams as introspection/self-reflection for the characters.

I was really impressed by this book, especially how at the end Okparanta addressed that our own awakenings may be someone else's tragedy.

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nessi03's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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amyvl93's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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? Yes

3.75

This was another book club pick which I'm glad to have had come my way. Under the Udala Trees is the story of Ijeoma, who is growing up in Nigeria during and in the wake of the Civil War. After the loss of her father, she is sent by her mother to live with another couple for a period of time, where her path crosses with another young woman Amina, where she begins to realise that her feelings for Amina may be more than friendship.

This novel follows Ijeoma from her childhood and her loss of her father to her adulthood, where she attempts to balance her sexuality with what is expected of her by a society that sees homosexuality as an abomination. Okparanta has a really beautiful writing style, which make at times become overly lyrical, but does keep you hooked when you're reading the novel. The sense of place within the novel is also very powerful, from Ijeoma's childhood home to boarding school to her mother's shop that she sets up.

The experience of the LGBTQ population in Nigeria is something that I knew very little about, and this is a very good, if upsetting, light shone on their experience. I did feel that at times Okparanta's messaging was a little too on the nose, and we spend a lot of time looking at Bible passages. I'm also not sure if the non-linear timeline in the beginning of the novel quite worked, given we know from the blurb what the 'reveal' is.

On the whole, I'm glad that I got to read this novel.

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saintsaens's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

The story and its developments were interesting, tackling a rare subject (lesbianism in Nigeria, a very religious country). Following the span of the main character's life, it was both deeply beautiful at times and very very boring (unfortunately). I felt invested in the book only after a good third of the novel when the main character gets to the boarding school. Before that, the writing was bland, unsophisticated. It did not exactly pick up after, but as the story handled themes and approaches I found interesting, I felt drawn to know what happened. The end was bittersweet, but I can say it was a good read.

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loxeletters's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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hanreadin's review

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4.0

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toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.5

I was blown away by this book - in good ways and in devastating ways. I had to put this down for days at a time to recover from what I was reading. It was beautiful writing, but often too sad for me to read too much of it in one sitting. The story is told from Ijeoma's POV, and her voice is so strong throughout the book that it was almost like I could hear her voice in my head as clearly as if I were listening to someone tell me a story right in front of me. The themes found throughout were powerful, and the use of nigerian folktales within the narrative was such a wonderful touch.

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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

despite the good writing and dramatic premise, under the udala trees unfortunately proves to be an underwhelming read for me.

i def appreciate okparanta's goal in writing this novel. the horrible plight - both historical and present day - of lgbtq+ folks in nigeria depicted is emotional and harrowing, and i like how the unlikable characters are surprisingly multidimensional. however, i somehow cant quite connect to the characters, esp ijeoma, who always feels a distance removed despite being the narrative voice, thereby affecting my enjoyment of the book overall.

it also feels like many things happen while also not, particularly the novel's last 2/3, after the marriage. focus also seems to be misplaced on certain inconsequential things while important points can feel glossed over.

all in all, though i appreciate the sentiment behind writing this book, ultimately i dont find it to be an enjoyable one.

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