Olive Witch Lib/E: A Memoir

by Abeer Y. Hoque (Reader)

In the 1970s, Nigeria is flush with oil money, building new universities, and hanging on to old colonial habits. Abeer Hoque is a Bangladeshi girl growing up in a small sunlit town, where the red clay earth, corporal punishment and running games are facts of life. At thirteen she moves with her family to suburban Pittsburgh and finds herself surrounded by clouded skies and high schoolers who speak in movie quotes and pop culture slang. Finding her place as a young woman in America proves more difficult than she can imagine. Disassociated from her parents, and laid low by academic pressure and spiralling depression, she is committed to a psychiatric ward in Philadelphia. When she moves to Bangladesh on her own, it proves to be yet another beginning for someone who is only just getting used to being an outsider - wherever she is. Arresting and beautifully written, with poems and weather conditions framing each chapter, Olive Witch is an intimate memoir about taking the long way home.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Race, Nigeria, Audiobook, Biography

Audio CD

First published January 26, 2016

Reviews

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Born in Bangladesh, but raised in Nigeria until she was 13, she is uprooted when her parents move to Pittsburgh. Trying to adjust, not fitting in, so many things she does not know, cultural differences abound. A family that stresses education, the pressure of school, pursuing a degree to please her father, not knowing what to do with her life, becomes unbearable and she finds herself unmoored. Commits an act that will cost her dearly but may also become her salvation.

A very good and poetically written memoir. Reading about Nigeria, my goodness but their schooling was harsh, the games they played, her relationship with others, her family, she seems to have always been adjusting to something. This is not written emotionally, though her struggles are at times unbearable. Each chapter is headed by the temperature and a poem, thought this added a nice touch. A good, honest, and well written memoir.

[Sezin Koehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exquisite. I've never read a memoir by a fellow Third Culture Kid and this experience changed my life. I cannot recommend this book enough, and not just for TCKs. Link to my full review to follow once I've placed it.

[Waverly Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating format for a memoir with short, lyrical essays, each one preceded by a song or poem and a temperature. The author writes about her attempts to find a place where she belongs: her parents are both from Bangladesh but Abeer was born and raised in Nigeria until her parents moved to Pittsburgh when she was a teenager. She had a breakdown which culminated in a suicide attempt while she was in graduate school at Wharton. The memoir opens with her account of waking up after this attempt and the story of her subsequent stay in a psychiatric ward is braided through the other longer sections of the memoir which recount her childhood, the dislocation caused by moving to America, and her return to Bangladesh for a year-long residency as a Fulbright scholar. I enjoy the way the essays start out appearing to be about one thing and then end someplace else.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Courageous. Haunting. Tremendous. I’ve just finished reading Abeer Hoque’s ballsy, lyrical memoir which takes us through her Nigeria, her America, her Bangladesh in search of something which has no name. Even if you’re not a Third Culture Kid, like I am, her use of language to portray her life journey up to this point is so engaging that you’ll find yourself eager to turn the page but just as eager to not have it end. Her use of structure creates a haunting shadow of her experience in a psychiatric ward in Philly for attempted suicide. It’s obvious that she’s taken years and agonies to shape and craft what is, en fin, an exquisite memoir and a breath of fresh air to this humble reader who has finally found a memoir worth reading after two failed attempts earlier this year reading other memoirists appalling publications. In contrast Hoque has done the work to plumb depths to make sense or give meaning to the world she inhabits and has portrayed that with such precision and lyricality that you’re left feeling grateful to her for allowing you to be a part of her journey. It takes a special kind of person to write with such simplicity and honesty.

[Abha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writer's prose is poetic. This novel of poems and prose shows the inner thoughts of a sensitive soul, tormented with ideas of trying to fit in, in societies to which she does not belong, for her origins are elsewhere, and that origin is also lost to her since she has not lived there. So a Bangladeshi Muslim born in Africa, transported to America when young, forced to be diligent, religious, and to follow the path of knowledge as laid down by her strict parents, finds herself working very very hard to fit in. Read the novel to find out more. It is written from the heart and i found it a quick read, but also was taken up by the idea of how rootless a person may feel when she has no sense of belonging to any place. Ameer Hoque displays her talent for language and visual imagery. I would recommend this book. we all try to find ourselves in myriad ways, and this is a chronicle of one such search.

[Tayo Oviosu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written with such candor

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Olive Witch. I usually don't like reading non-fiction but decided to read this after enjoying "The Lovers and the Leavers" by the same author.

In Olive Witch, Abeer takes us on an adventure through three countries. Navigating her life experiences as a Bangladeshi born and raised in Nigeria then moving to America as a teenager then eventually getting to live in Bangladesh. Along the way she is candid about her struggles and coming of age. The struggle and eventual understanding with her immigrant parents is one many would relate with.

This book left me wanting to know more of what happened after...it should be turned into a movie. Well worth the read. Thank you Abeer for sharing with us all!

[Rodney Smith]

For anyone that's ever felt like an outsider, this book is brilliantly written, heartbreakingly honest, and completely engaging. Abeer Hoque's storytelling is exquisite, and she captures each situation with the eye of a keen observer. From her childhood in Nigeria to adjusting to the social vagaries of Pittsburgh public schools, and then as a travelling photographer/writer searching for her roots in Bangla Desh, her stories pull at your imagination and twist your emotions. Highly recommended.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a journey to be taken on while reading this memoir. I enjoyed imagining the different countries Abeer lived in and the struggles that went along with them. It took me back to times in my life I didn't feel at home, even at my home. Wonderfully, uniquely written.

[Esther Bradley-detally · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating journey from childhood in Nigeria, and time in Bangladesh, and Philadelphia. She is a gutsy lady, strong young girl to face such immense changes and emerge with this can't-put-down-this memoir! I will look for future books from this wonderful author.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So luminous, in spite of the threads of blank dark that run through every chapter.

[Iknoor Kaur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love her writing style!

[NZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this diaspora/third culture kid memoir (author is born to Bengali parents, raised in Nigeria, moved to the US as a minor)—every time the author had a sexy prose moment I jumped in my chair like a frog ribbit-ing. Love a bit of purple prose. I did find the last third when she goes to Bangladesh as an adult on a scholarship the weakest, a bit lost & voyeuristic. I am also a Bangali diaspora kid so I won't go on and on about this but I found the recounting of the author's brief glimpses into the lives of the working class/social underclasses as well as the description of baqara Eid a bit... self-centering, if you will. Knocked off a star for that.

Anyway. Quotes that made me Think:

-My mother turned to me, "You know what the Igbos told us when we moved to Nsukka? Because their civil war, the Biafran war, was still so fresh, like an open wound... When they found out we were from Bangladesh, they said, 'you did what we could not.' I never forgot that lament."

-"Where are you going?" I ask Amma, afraid of being left alone, of being alone. / It's ludicrous because one can't be alone in Bangladesh, not with 140 million people crowded into such a small space.

-There's a fence around the flowers. I lean down over it and the taller blooms brush against my face. Would anyone notice if I ate one? If I opened my mouth and bit the velvet bitter petals? As my lips part, I hear a sound. It's so far away that I mistake it for a memory. The it clarifies into something present, unfamiliar.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

a memoir, not a novel. I first thought is was part of the other olive kitterridge series. a nigerian, but born in another african country, not sure which one. Her father an academic, and her mother, a teacher. politics of Nigeria meant her father needed to go to the USA to work/get a position. So the family immigates. Immigration is not easy on olive. Culture clash of traditions, rituals, morality, school settings, etc. Interwovern thoughout are scenes of Olive in a psyhciattic institution which happens after she has a suciide attempt.

Good book, gave me added sensitivities to the challenges of immigration for families, for parents, for kids brown elsewhere and growing uo in the US.

Issues of race. In Nigeria Olive wants to be dark, in the US it's better to be light.

Identity - though she is born in Nigeria her family are citizens of another african country. Her brother is born in the US. Her sister is born .....

She is encouraged to go to business/engineering school but she ultimately wants to be a writer. Turns out that her father was also an avid reader like she was.

Lots in this book and it was good.

[Chi Melvina Nwanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nostalgic book for me because I also moved from West Africa to North America around the same age that the author did. I relate to the descriptions and dialogues about language and cultural barriers in all three countries she lived in. I share the experiences of forgetting my first year in a new country as a defence mechanism, having no friends, being picked on etc. However, I gave this book a lower rating because of the brief exploration of the sexual exploitation of Elly by Pep (Elly is not brought up again) and instances of overt prejudice against other people of colour in the book that is not outwardly shunned (sometimes only inwardly shunned) by the author when she was a younger woman. Yet, I thought they were honest depictions of real things that happen with POC communities with people who can talk badly about other people with darker skin or who look like them. I just wish it was critically explained in the memoir.

[Emilia Fiallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Abeer Hoque crafts a memoir that resonates deeply with the complexities of home, belonging, and the power of being present in each one.

The exploration of home and belonging strikes a chord with many, as Hoque navigates through different cultures and landscapes, each leaving an indelible mark on her identity. Her candid reflections on belonging echo the sentiments of those grappling with the duality of their existence. Through the author's lens, readers are reminded that home is not static but rather a fluid concept that evolves alongside us.

Read this memoir to affirm that home exists not only in physical spaces but also in our ability to preserve memories. It reminds us that the experience of belonging can be bittersweet, as the nostalgia for the people who shaped our sense of home persists across distances and time.

[Daniel Koch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written, but felt very dry throughout. A coming of age story across three continents, where the author is trying to find her place in the world. Her parents are education snobs, and very traditional which leads to a lot of unintended anxiety and pain. We meet characters with lots of academic degrees, but not as much personality. I appreciated the journey and the honesty for which Abeer wrote her memoir. The prose is very good, but I didn't find some of the chapters terribly engaging. Three stars!

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vivid images of a childhood in Nigeria brought back memories of my own childhood there. This is an engaging memoir written with a love for words, imagery and poetry. I related frequently with her grief and losses as she traveled between worlds. This is a haunting book that will stay with me for a while.

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for Battle of the Books
A young lady’s account of growing up in a strict Bangladeshi family, but never actually living in Bangladesh. This memoir starts in her early childhood and follows her through her 20s. During that time she rebels, finds love, attempts suicide, and, finally, seems to embrace who she’s meant to be. Overall a good read.

[Jordan Wolken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captivating memoir about growing up as a third culture kid. Sweeping across time and space, Hoque is able to weave in poetry into the prose effortlessly.

Picked up this (signed) book while in Dhaka and I’m glad I did! Helped gain a better insight into Bangladeshi culture, especially from the perspective of a (semi) outsider.

[Juhi Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book mainly because it appeared at the right time, while my mind was gasping for an island which might resemble 'home'. Also the fact that i could understand this book because i met Abeer at the jaipur literature fest and got a signed copy from her :)

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautiful memoir about self-discovery and realization, and the conflict of identity for a Nigerian-raised Pennsylvania-teened Bangladeshi Muslim teen.

[Neena Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

beautiful beginning awful ending.

[Riya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raw, real, heart-wrenching when I read it. Left me with a lot of questions that I found myself wishing for answers to, and even more as time passed after I put the book down.

[Surabhi Chatrapathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olive Witch is a memoir stitched across three continents. Asia, Africa and America. Born to Bangladeshi parents in Nigeria, the first section of the books describes the experience of being a brown kid in Africa, under the British education system. It's equal parts relatable and painful.

Her parents are teachers in Nigeria. Having grown up in British India, then East Pakistan and then Bangladesh. Moved to Iran, Libiya and then Nigeria.

The language barrier, the experience of otherness, the skin that one cannot hide are themes that dominate this and every other section of the book.

Abeer's family then moves to America, where she goes to a public school, a whole new world and whole different kind of discrimination. When asked where are you from? Why do you have an African accent? The inability to explain why she says Nigeria, though she looks South Asian is hard. She feels little affiliation to Bangladesh, which is visits rarely and for short durations.

Trying to balance her immigrant Muslim family culture and the almost opposite American culture is a hard battle she endures. Aspects that become fault lines in her life. Relationships, failing mental health propelled by various factors bring her to pause and try and rebuild herself.

I enjoyed the last part of the book the most, where she is living and writing in Bangladesh. The writing seems the most effortless at this point.

The struggle to call one place home is a chord that connects millions of immigrants and their children. Truly enjoyed reading this one.

#TW for themes of suicide, depression.
.

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really lovely and layered—belonging and family and depression and cross-cultural identity. How do you fit in when you do not look like the people around you; when you do look like the people around you but you don't sound like them or share basic experiences; when no matter where you are you feel the ties to somewhere else? I had a tough time finding this one, but it was worth the wait.

Bits and pieces:

Amma says she went to America to have Maher because the hospitals in America are better than in Nigeria or Bangladesh. But I think it's because she wanted us to have three different homes. Then we wouldn't fight about where we were from. We could each have a place to call our own, or all three if we shared. (18–19)

The sand is almost too hot to bear and the mosquitoes are starting to attack, but I can't leave now. If I can just memorize this sky, by standing here every day, at the end of the jungle, then it won't matter where I go. Maybe it won't even matter if I never come back. I slap at my arms and legs, and I keep watching. (56)

I have never been connected with Bangladesh. In my family, I am the Nigerian child, born in Igbo-land. I had even called myself an Igbo name, Ngozi, as soon as I knew what names were. This is one of the reasons I can't quite relate to my father when he talks about roots. His nation is vivid in his voice, despite decades spent living elsewhere. My nationality, my accent, changes with the landscape, with the very weather. (180)

I've been a foreigner my entire life, but I've never felt as out of place as I feel in a country where everyone looks like me. (189)

I trace his [her father's] path in my head, from British Raj India to East Pakistan to West Pakistan to the States to Iraq to Libya to Nigeria back to America—and now in Bangladesh. Seven emigrations, four citizenships, two careers, over seventy years. My mother's path is almost as twisted. In sixty-odd years, she's emigrated five times, changed citizenships three times, borne children on three continents, and taught in two. (203)

[Vijetha · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Yellow door, emerald field
Fetch water from the well
Fissured door, wet field
Don't say the rooti fell
Black Burqa, white sky,
The tilapia trash in the net
Burqa billowing, wide sky
There's work for you yet."

Abeer Hoque is an author I cherish discovering this year. Olive Witch is her memoir. Her journey as a Nigerian born, American educated Bangladeshi girl, a Chameleon girl!

Each chapter of the book begins with a poem and the climate condition of the location. The poems are interwoven and raw but you really have to see through it to understand. Like the one I quoted here, makes no sense unless the alternate lines are read.

"Yellow door, emerald field
Fissured door, wet field
Black Burqa, white sky,
Burqa billowing, wide sky

Fetch water from the well
Don't say the rooti fell
The tilapia trash in the net
There's work for you yet."

It could be my admiration for her, or my interest in the way she writes, I loved reading this book!

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olive Witch was an insightful and poetic autobiography. As another person who grew up at the nexus of multiple cultures, Hoque perfectly captured that sense of the search for home. The author finds a way to take her very unique path of finding herself and make it relatable. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is trying to piece together their own multicultural puzzle or enjoys beautiful first-person prose or anyone who can read.

[Laura Valentine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting seeing an Indian girl's sense of displacement both in Africa and America. Her breakdown is less interesting and as much of it is interspersed in her memories of her younger days without explanation, confusing.