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It Comes in Waves
Not yet published
Expected 25 Jun 26Grief, that ungovernable pet – it comes and goes as it pleases, never straying far.
Death sneaks up on Onome Odafe. She has little experience of what it means to lose someone she truly loves. So when her sister calls to tell her that their father didn’t survive a stroke, she isn’t sure how to act, what grieving is meant to look or feel like. She passes the days until she returns to Nigeria for the funeral in a haze of performance and distraction, holding together what little of herself is left.
Reunited with her siblings and mother in Nigeria, Onome is thrown into the depths of various funeral events, uncomfortable customs, meddling religious figures and both unfamiliar and familiar faces. One of which, is Aunty Eguono, her father’s sister. A woman who has never shied away from making a scene, and whose careless words one afternoon upend the only image of her father Onome has ever known. As she struggles to accept the reality of her father’s death, she finds herself on a path of discovery leading towards an unsettling a man can be more than one thing, and the man in question may be her father.
An unforgettable debut, IT COMES IN WAVES is both an honest exploration of grief and a captivating story of the lives we lead and leave behind.
Death sneaks up on Onome Odafe. She has little experience of what it means to lose someone she truly loves. So when her sister calls to tell her that their father didn’t survive a stroke, she isn’t sure how to act, what grieving is meant to look or feel like. She passes the days until she returns to Nigeria for the funeral in a haze of performance and distraction, holding together what little of herself is left.
Reunited with her siblings and mother in Nigeria, Onome is thrown into the depths of various funeral events, uncomfortable customs, meddling religious figures and both unfamiliar and familiar faces. One of which, is Aunty Eguono, her father’s sister. A woman who has never shied away from making a scene, and whose careless words one afternoon upend the only image of her father Onome has ever known. As she struggles to accept the reality of her father’s death, she finds herself on a path of discovery leading towards an unsettling a man can be more than one thing, and the man in question may be her father.
An unforgettable debut, IT COMES IN WAVES is both an honest exploration of grief and a captivating story of the lives we lead and leave behind.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 25, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A tender and culturally rich exploration of grief that captures the quiet, persistent shadow of loss—and the heavy weight of family secrets.
It Comes in Waves follows Oneme Odafe, a Nigerian student in London whose world is upended by the sudden death of her father, Peter. As she returns to Nigeria for his funeral, the grief she carries is compounded by a shocking discovery that threatens to dismantle her father’s legacy and her own understanding of home.
This is a slow burn for readers who appreciate meditative, character-driven stories about family dynamics and the complexity of legacy.
One of the standout elements of this debut is its portrayal of Nigerian funeral customs and cultural attitudes toward death. It provides a fascinating, nuanced look at how heritage shapes the way we mourn. The novel beautifully highlights the differences between Oneme’s life in London and the traditional expectations awaiting her in Nigeria.
(Honest Opinion)
What I Loved:
The author captures the "everydayness" of grief perfectly. It isn’t always a crushing weight; sometimes it’s just a shadow that reframes the ordinary.
The final act, where Oneme must reckon with the uncomfortable truths about the man she once idealized, was particularly thought-provoking.
What Didn’t Quite Click:
For my personal reading style, the narrative felt a bit sluggish in places. There was a high level of detail in certain scenes that I felt distracted from the core emotional journey.
I also found it a challenge to connect with Oneme’s character outside of her mourning; I would have loved to see more of who she was before the loss.
Thank you to Merky Books and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
It Comes in Waves follows Oneme Odafe, a Nigerian student in London whose world is upended by the sudden death of her father, Peter. As she returns to Nigeria for his funeral, the grief she carries is compounded by a shocking discovery that threatens to dismantle her father’s legacy and her own understanding of home.
This is a slow burn for readers who appreciate meditative, character-driven stories about family dynamics and the complexity of legacy.
One of the standout elements of this debut is its portrayal of Nigerian funeral customs and cultural attitudes toward death. It provides a fascinating, nuanced look at how heritage shapes the way we mourn. The novel beautifully highlights the differences between Oneme’s life in London and the traditional expectations awaiting her in Nigeria.
(Honest Opinion)
What I Loved:
The author captures the "everydayness" of grief perfectly. It isn’t always a crushing weight; sometimes it’s just a shadow that reframes the ordinary.
The final act, where Oneme must reckon with the uncomfortable truths about the man she once idealized, was particularly thought-provoking.
What Didn’t Quite Click:
For my personal reading style, the narrative felt a bit sluggish in places. There was a high level of detail in certain scenes that I felt distracted from the core emotional journey.
I also found it a challenge to connect with Oneme’s character outside of her mourning; I would have loved to see more of who she was before the loss.
Thank you to Merky Books and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The death of the head of a family often precipitates a raft of revelations as family secrets emerge from the woodwork totally upending the status quo.
This happened to Onome Odafe. Her happy existence as a student in England is abruptly terminated when she is summoned back to Nigeria after the sudden death of her father. As she discovers the truths previously hidden from her she is forced to reconsider the father she thought she knew.
Along side these shifting family dynamics Onome also had to negotiate the complex funeral rituals in her native Nigeria.
There are some interesting twists in this low-key family drama.
I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This happened to Onome Odafe. Her happy existence as a student in England is abruptly terminated when she is summoned back to Nigeria after the sudden death of her father. As she discovers the truths previously hidden from her she is forced to reconsider the father she thought she knew.
Along side these shifting family dynamics Onome also had to negotiate the complex funeral rituals in her native Nigeria.
There are some interesting twists in this low-key family drama.
I received a free copy of this novel from NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews