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A review by mezzano
Butter Honey Pig Bread by francesca ekwuyasi
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-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
4.0
Francesca Ekwuyasi has made literary strides in her debut, Butter Honey Pig Bread. A generational story featuring a mother and her twin daughters, this story is slow-paced but rewarding in its delivery. It's easy to feel empathetic for each of the characters, who all have their own traumas rooted in fear or abandonment. Kambirinachi is a Obangi, meant only to haunt a family and die. Instead, Kambirinachi decides to live her life as a human, after the birth of her twins, Kehinde and Taiye. Due to "The Bad Thing," which happed to Kehinde as a child, Kehinde estranges herself from Taiye and her mother. Taiye, now facing her own flavor of abandonment, also leaves home and grows up overcompensating her loss through lustful and casual encounters with women. When all three women finally come together and admit their feelings to each other, the sensation is deeply satisfying for the reader.
While reading the book, it was clear that Ekwuyasi's strength is in her absolutely gorgeous writing. The detail and style of the book certainly doesn't feel like a debut novelist wrote it, especially as different foods and cultural aspects of the story are highlighted. This is a book to be savored, as if were a favorite childhood meal. I would highly recommend reading this book in a group setting, where aspects of the characters' personalities, trauma, and purpose are contemplated fully. Kambirinachi's story can also be interpreted as a journey through mental illness. The whole novel speaks to the theme of food and culture. These concepts are appreciated more through a deeper and more meaningful consumption of the text, which is acquired mostly through slower and deliberate reading.
Before reading, be mindful that while the writing is decadent, there are quite a number of content warnings which a reader should consider before reading. Some of the content in this book can be deeply triggering, especially considering the detail which exists within the novel.
While reading the book, it was clear that Ekwuyasi's strength is in her absolutely gorgeous writing. The detail and style of the book certainly doesn't feel like a debut novelist wrote it, especially as different foods and cultural aspects of the story are highlighted. This is a book to be savored, as if were a favorite childhood meal. I would highly recommend reading this book in a group setting, where aspects of the characters' personalities, trauma, and purpose are contemplated fully. Kambirinachi's story can also be interpreted as a journey through mental illness. The whole novel speaks to the theme of food and culture. These concepts are appreciated more through a deeper and more meaningful consumption of the text, which is acquired mostly through slower and deliberate reading.
Before reading, be mindful that while the writing is decadent, there are quite a number of content warnings which a reader should consider before reading. Some of the content in this book can be deeply triggering, especially considering the detail which exists within the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Ableism, Abortion, and Bullying