A review by jayisreading
Butter Honey Pig Bread by francesca ekwuyasi

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This was a stunning story following three women—a mother (Kambirinachi) and her twin daughters (Kehinde and Taiye)—and the complex grief and trauma  they each carried. The story switches between past and present, between locations, with everything coming together in Lagos, the three of them reunited years later and having to confront the traumatic event that broke them apart.

This book is a deep dive into family relationships—particularly between the sisters—but it is also a beautiful reflection on motherhood, platonic and romantic love (particularly queer love), and reconciliation. Ekwuyasi crafted her characters beautifully and poignantly, giving the reader time to pause and reflect with them on these themes. Significantly, another running theme in this book is the power of food. Cooking and eating become intimate moments of introspection and conversation that peel the layers of each character and lay them bare. It really emphasizes how food is more than just food; it's a moment to commune and share a moment that becomes engraved as memory.

Ekwuyasi is an incredible writer, on top of that. Her lyrical prose will draw you in, and her food descriptions in particular will leave you hungry. Seriously, try not to read this book on an empty stomach.

This book isn’t a lighthearted read by any means. There are a lot of dark moments that may be triggering (e.g., rape, miscarriage, suicide, etc.) that come up, but I felt they were handled with sensitivity.
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