The Widow who died with Flowers in her Mouth

by Obinna Udenwe

Nobody mixes surrealism, sensuality, and sexuality like Obinna Udenwe. Nobody.

In the 2021 NLNG Prize finalist's new collection of stories, ordinary people find (and fashion) themselves in (and into) far-from-ordinary situations. A beautiful woman is discovered half-naked and dead but is the killer one of her wealthy suitors? A plumber is treated to an intense sexual experience by a woman with cash, curves, and killer moves—but is she who he thinks she is? A young doctor arrives at the brink of insanity after a forbidden entanglement with a married woman. A sexually promiscuous tailor's return to her father's house immediately sparks lust, jealousy, chaos, and violence.

In The Widow Who Died With Flowers in Her Mouth, Obinna Udenwe opens a window into Nigerian life and gives readers an unvarnished look at the country and its people in all of their thrilling, titillating, and terrible glory.

339 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Amaka Azie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first story was definitely captivating! I don’t think I’ve ever read anything so horrifying, yet so captivating.

Most of the stories were intriguing but there were some I didn’t understand. Especially the last story. Read it again but still didn’t have a clue what the ending was.

Short story collections are tricky. For them to pack a punch, greater than 80 percent of the stories have to be fantastic.

I’m not sure this was the case here. I enjoyed about half of the stories in this collection. The other half, I was a tad confused about the plot and the ending.

There was a lot of head hopping and switching between character POVs which made some stories even more confusing.

In my opinion, the first story was an amazing choice to start this book with because it was the most intriguing.

Special note: I can always tell when a book is written by a Nigerian man.
Women are usually seen as nothing but sex objects.

This book did nothing but buttress that fact. Most women were described with the size of their tits and ass and nothing else.

If I had a nickel for every time I saw, she had big buttocks and large breasts and thick thighs in this book, I may have been able to build a house with the silvery metals 🤣

All in all, read this.
It’s authentically African.
And you’ll like some stories.

[Malcolm Katta · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Widow who died with Flowers in Her Mouth”

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I can say it lived up to sort of my expectations.

Obinna Udenwe is an amazing writer and that could be seen through the various stories that were woven masterfully throughout this collection.

The first story…”John 101”, one about making a bold statement in the face of an oppressive state and the consequences of those decisions as seen in the story “The Redemption of Father McGettrick”
Had me hooked and excited for what was next.

The self titled story, “The Widow…..” was one of the best alongside “Obama Talorin Shop” “The Housekeeper”

Despite the writer developing his stories and characters well, a few stories felt cut short or wound up inappropriately like “The Tamarind” and “Everything is Not Enough”

Overall, The book is a solid collection.

[Fatima Abu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a brilliant book. The stories are actually long for short stories and each story has depth. You instantly like most of the characters. The first story has you wondering where this book is going, but then I just kept reading and enjoying all of the stories. Even the ones that were or seemed connected. The writing style is simple and easy to understand and just an enjoyable read all through.

[Uche Ezeudu · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I were to describe this book in one word, I'd choose *shocking* because whaaattt??!!! 😱😱 It is a collection of 11 short stories written in long form 😊
✨ It's a solid 5/5. I'm very serious 👏
Click on the YouTube link below to watch my full review of this beauty 😍

https://youtu.be/d4MZtI3LGi0?si=oKyXm...

[Eghe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obinna Udenwe’s The Widow who Died with Flowers in Her Mouth is a surreal, and provocative collection that explores the intersections of death, desire, madness, and mystery in contemporary African society. With bold, imaginative storytelling, Udenwe crafts stories that are unsettling yet captivating — featuring bizarre deaths, erotic entanglements, and characters caught in moments of psychological or cultural crisis. Each story stands alone, but together they form a haunting portrait of a world where reality constantly shifts and nothing is ever quite as it seems.

From the very first story, John 101 or The New Ridiculous Way to Commit Suicide and Become Famous, I was hooked. I laughed, I exclaimed “excuse me?!” out loud, and I kept imagining what would happen if this were to play out in real life. Would it spark a revolution here in Nigeria? Honestly, I doubt it — but the sheer absurdity and brilliance of it made it one of my favorites. And Doris? Baby girl, what made you think you could stop him? Lmaooo. That part was just too hilarious.

It Has to Do with Emilia was quietly heartbreaking — I loved it, especially because I didn’t see that ending coming. I was left asking the same questions Temitayo had. And the titular story, The Widow Who Died with Flowers in Her Mouth, left me gasping. So many beautiful, layered stories in this collection. I honestly can’t believe I had this book for over a year without reading it. I struggled to get past the first page initially, and now I’m wondering… how?! That opening story alone was gold.

There isn’t a single bad story here — well, maybe the last one, Everything is Not Enough. It’s not bad per se, but the way Udenwe chose to tell it didn’t sit well with me. The portrayal of the overly educated woman rubbed me the wrong way.

The characters across the collection are well-written and engaging, each pulling you deeper into their respective stories. Udenwe masterfully explores themes like:

Surrealism & Dark Humor — particularly evident in The Housekeeper.
Death as Spectacle & Mystery — where death isn’t just final; it’s symbolic, enigmatic, even theatrical.
Eroticism — seen through promiscuous tailors, aroused plumbers, and lovers teetering on the edge of madness.
Yet, the one theme that connects all these stories is death. Whether metaphorical, mysterious, or mundane, it looms over every story.

Structurally, Udenwe blends long-form short stories — some almost novella-like — with a style that’s cinematic, deliberate, and immersive. He doesn’t rely on shock factor. Instead, he lures you in with strong openings, vivid twists, and slow-burning tension. He doesn’t hand you the answers either — you’re left to piece things together, to interpret and reflect. The genre-bending nature of the book — mixing thriller, noir, speculative fiction, and literary elements — makes it even more exciting to read.

This collection is for everyone. Seriously. If you’re a lover of layered storytelling that balances mystery with meaning, pick this up. My only problem with this book? Trying to pick a favorite story. It’s just that good.

[Boakye Alpha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟⭐ (3.8)

This author has a voice. You can tell his writing apart from other authors. He has a gift for good titles. You can tell from the title of the collection. His openings are really good and specific too—it gets you hooked. And for most of your read, you will keep wondering how he comes up with such story ideas. I believe the “originality”—if I should say—of the individual stories is one of the things I like about this collection.

However, I did not enjoy all of the stories which is not news for a short story collection. You love some, you skip over some and you simply get lost in some.

I loved the first story, “John 101 or The New Ridiculous Way to Commit Su!c!de and Be Famous”. Making it the first story was a strategic move because that was quite an introduction to the book. I still wonder how Udenwe came up with an idea like that. I enjoyed every bit of the narrative.

“Obama Talorin Shop” was a weirdly interesting story. I enjoyed reading it.

Coming in a close third would be “The Housekeeper”. I didn't expect the twist in that one. Again, quite an interesting story idea.

“The Redemption of Father McGettrick” was also a good read. Personally, this is one of the stories in the collection that would have you wondering how the author got his ideas . Insanely weird stuff and I am a sucker for weird.


Generally, I don’t see why you shouldn't give this book a chance. I recommend.

[Micky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obviously what attracted me to this book was the title, I wanted to know more, so I had high expectations. Unfortunately the title of the book set this book up to fail. Only a couple of the stories really kept me engaged, later realised some of the characters are actually connected. Some stories just seemed pointless. I would have appreciated a mutual theme throughout the entire book, though it started like that it did not persist, and that’s what frustrated me. It was all dark but I needed more common themes.

I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style, or the vocab rather.. the fact that I read “this and that” at least 10 times was not okay!

The book was not all bad but these are the aspects that took it to a 3 for me. Maybe I missed something..

[Big Zee 💤💖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rate this a 4.2 🌟
First off I didn’t know this was a collection of short stories, based off the cover. My bad for not reading the blurb, I like to go in blind.

But when I tell u the 1st story threw me off guard?? I was like “wtf”. Honestly, many of the stories had me saying “wtf” at the end because I just couldn’t wrap my head around what had happened.

I didn’t like that the book left me with more questions than answers. More things to figure out on my own. I think that’s unfair

I enjoy book with cliffhangers but this was just too much.

Even the title story has a taste of unfinishedness.

Overall, it was a captivating & puzzling read. Well done to the author ✨

[Chimezie Chika · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started remarkably well. The first two stories were amazing. Another story that comes close is "The Redemption of Father McGettrick."

However, in my opinion, that is all there is to this book. Read my full review here: https://www.afrocritik.com/obinna-ude...

2.5 stars.

[Auggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone that doesn’t like short stories, I actually reading this collection of 11 short stories

[Bondi Bilala · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many people get it wrong with short stories but not Obinna, each one was captivating enough to have you turning the pages and leave you wanting more.

[Olúwatóbilọ́ba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good writing but I didn’t like some of the stories