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Black Sunday
Simultaneously unique and universal (NPR), this fiercely original debut novel follows the fate of four siblings over the course of two decades in Nigeria as they search for agency, love, and meaning in a society rife with hypocrisy.
"I like the idea of a god who knows what it's like to be a twin. To have no memory of ever being alone."
Twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike are enjoying a relatively comfortable life in Lagos in 1996. Then their mother loses her job due to political strife, and the family, facing poverty, becomes drawn into the New Church, an institution led by a charismatic pastor who is not shy about worshipping earthly wealth.
Soon Bibike and Ariyike's father wagers the family home on a "sure bet" that evaporates like smoke. As their parents' marriage collapses in the aftermath of this gamble, the twin sisters and their two younger siblings, Andrew and Peter, are thrust into the reluctant care of their traditional Yoruba grandmother. Inseparable while they had their parents to care for them, the twins' paths diverge once the household shatters. Each girl is left to locate, guard, and hone her own fragile source of power.
Written with astonishing intimacy and wry attention to the fickleness of fate, Tola Rotimi Abraham's Black Sunday takes us into the chaotic heart of family life, tracing a line from the euphoria of kinship to the devastation of estrangement. In the process, it joyfully tells a tale of grace and connection in the midst of daily oppression and the constant incursions of an unremitting patriarchy. This is a novel about two young women slowly finding, over twenty years, in a place rife with hypocrisy but also endless life and love, their own distinct methods of resistance and paths to independence.
"I like the idea of a god who knows what it's like to be a twin. To have no memory of ever being alone."
Twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike are enjoying a relatively comfortable life in Lagos in 1996. Then their mother loses her job due to political strife, and the family, facing poverty, becomes drawn into the New Church, an institution led by a charismatic pastor who is not shy about worshipping earthly wealth.
Soon Bibike and Ariyike's father wagers the family home on a "sure bet" that evaporates like smoke. As their parents' marriage collapses in the aftermath of this gamble, the twin sisters and their two younger siblings, Andrew and Peter, are thrust into the reluctant care of their traditional Yoruba grandmother. Inseparable while they had their parents to care for them, the twins' paths diverge once the household shatters. Each girl is left to locate, guard, and hone her own fragile source of power.
Written with astonishing intimacy and wry attention to the fickleness of fate, Tola Rotimi Abraham's Black Sunday takes us into the chaotic heart of family life, tracing a line from the euphoria of kinship to the devastation of estrangement. In the process, it joyfully tells a tale of grace and connection in the midst of daily oppression and the constant incursions of an unremitting patriarchy. This is a novel about two young women slowly finding, over twenty years, in a place rife with hypocrisy but also endless life and love, their own distinct methods of resistance and paths to independence.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 363 reviews
February 27, 2020
I did not believe in love, in marital love, in righteous men or justice.
this book is cold and sharp, but it’s a little janky in its construction.
i’ve had a pretty good track record with nigerian fiction, so i was really looking forward to this debut, HOWEVER, while there are many positive aspects to applaud, like its compelling themes, strong writing about uncomfortable topics, and some admirably unflinching character work—rich and complex individuals with all of their flaws on display, the way the novel was structured kept pulling me out of the narrative and ultimately left me struggling to see it as a fully-realized novel rather than a series of occurrences that only occasionally communicated with each other.
the story is told in the alternating first-person POV experiences of four siblings; twin sisters and their two younger brothers, taking place over the course of 19 years as their family experiences financial hardships and they are abandoned first by their mother, and shortly thereafter by their father, leaving them in the care of their grandmother. the book depicts their individual struggles on their paths to adulthood, however, the time spent with the characters is uneven—the novel is broken up into four big chunks in which each sibling is given their own smaller chunk, until the fourth and final chunk, which is sisters-only, no boys allowed!! i’m not sure why the brothers were left out of the final part, but even when they were present, the sisters’ stories are more prominent (and more interesting), and the brothers’ voices weren’t really well-differentiated; they kind of blurred into one male blob for me, much more so than the sisters who were, you know, actually twins. i also had difficulty with the time jumps, they were a bit disorienting, and i found myself struggling with trying to pinpoint the characters’ ages and also struggling with how these stories fit together into one cohesive story. it reads very episodic, there’s very little interaction between the siblings, and not much overlap between their stories. there are some similarities between the sisters’ stories, centered around the specific difficulties females experience, but there’s no clear through-line here, it almost reads like an outline of a novel, missing all the transitional bits and narrative connectivity.
there’s a lot of meat here to chew on: poverty-based hardships, predatory men, transactional relationships, religion and hypocrisy, abuse of power, weakness and ruthlessness, but it felt discordant—a series of small meat-plates rather than a satisfying or focused meal.
however, there are some gut-punch moments that are absolutely worth your time:
so, not outta the park just yet, but definitely a writer to watch.
come to my blog!
this book is cold and sharp, but it’s a little janky in its construction.
i’ve had a pretty good track record with nigerian fiction, so i was really looking forward to this debut, HOWEVER, while there are many positive aspects to applaud, like its compelling themes, strong writing about uncomfortable topics, and some admirably unflinching character work—rich and complex individuals with all of their flaws on display, the way the novel was structured kept pulling me out of the narrative and ultimately left me struggling to see it as a fully-realized novel rather than a series of occurrences that only occasionally communicated with each other.
the story is told in the alternating first-person POV experiences of four siblings; twin sisters and their two younger brothers, taking place over the course of 19 years as their family experiences financial hardships and they are abandoned first by their mother, and shortly thereafter by their father, leaving them in the care of their grandmother. the book depicts their individual struggles on their paths to adulthood, however, the time spent with the characters is uneven—the novel is broken up into four big chunks in which each sibling is given their own smaller chunk, until the fourth and final chunk, which is sisters-only, no boys allowed!! i’m not sure why the brothers were left out of the final part, but even when they were present, the sisters’ stories are more prominent (and more interesting), and the brothers’ voices weren’t really well-differentiated; they kind of blurred into one male blob for me, much more so than the sisters who were, you know, actually twins. i also had difficulty with the time jumps, they were a bit disorienting, and i found myself struggling with trying to pinpoint the characters’ ages and also struggling with how these stories fit together into one cohesive story. it reads very episodic, there’s very little interaction between the siblings, and not much overlap between their stories. there are some similarities between the sisters’ stories, centered around the specific difficulties females experience, but there’s no clear through-line here, it almost reads like an outline of a novel, missing all the transitional bits and narrative connectivity.
there’s a lot of meat here to chew on: poverty-based hardships, predatory men, transactional relationships, religion and hypocrisy, abuse of power, weakness and ruthlessness, but it felt discordant—a series of small meat-plates rather than a satisfying or focused meal.
however, there are some gut-punch moments that are absolutely worth your time:
I was a parentless teenage girl living with my grandmother in the slums of Lagos. Beauty was a gift, but what was I to do with it? It was fortunate to be beautiful and desired. It made people smile at me. I was used to strangers wishing me well. But what is a girl’s beauty, but a man’s promise of reward? What was my beauty but a proclamation of potential, an illusion of choice?
All women are owned by someone, some are owned by many; a beautiful girl’s only advantage is that she may get to choose her owner. If beauty was a gift, it was not a gift to me, I could not eat my own beauty, I could not improve my life by beauty alone. I was born beautiful, I was a beautiful baby. It did not change my life. I was a beautiful girl. Still, my life was ordinary. But a beautiful woman was another type of thing. I had waited too long to choose my owner, dillydallying in my ignorance, and so someone chose me. What was I to do about that?
so, not outta the park just yet, but definitely a writer to watch.
come to my blog!
December 14, 2022
Black Sunday is Tola Rotimi Abraham's debut novel, set in Lagos, Nigeria. The book follows the fate of a Nigerian family as they go from enjoying a comfortable life to falling into poverty.
Set in the 90s we meet a family of 6- mother, father, twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike and their two younger brothers-Andrew and Peter. Life for them is comfortable, they don't have much to worry about as their mother is the secretary of a political figure in Nigeria. With a change in government their mother loses her job and is forced to do jobs below her standing. The father is a dreamer, of little help and is constantly thinking of get rich schemes. It is through one of these "business ventures" that the father uses the family home as collateral because a Charismatic Pastor says so.
In losing the family home, everything crashes including the family structure, the comfort of having a home and pursuing an education. The mother leaves for a new life in the US, the father leaves the four children with his mother as he goes off to "provide for them". Life comes at these four children fast, they now face a new reality that were not prepared for.
Black Sunday is told from the perspectives of the four children- twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike and their younger brothers Andrew and Peter. Over two decades we follow their lives through the different point of views. You get a somewhat unbiased look into each of their lives and how they are coping with their new reality.
I really wanted to love this book. It had all the makings of a great novel for me:
Set in Nigeria
Written by a black woman
Follows the fall of a family
We have different POVs involved
- it had all the right ingredients but it just did not come together as I would have liked. I felt like there was entirely too much going on and not enough time/pages spent to develop the plot and characters. I did not get a sharp voice from each POV- each character sort of blended into the other. There was too much time spent on minor plots and characters that in the end did not contribute to the overall plot of main character development.
It was a quick read and I wish the aforementioned items were taken care of. I did enjoy the read and I do recommend you give it a read yourself.
Set in the 90s we meet a family of 6- mother, father, twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike and their two younger brothers-Andrew and Peter. Life for them is comfortable, they don't have much to worry about as their mother is the secretary of a political figure in Nigeria. With a change in government their mother loses her job and is forced to do jobs below her standing. The father is a dreamer, of little help and is constantly thinking of get rich schemes. It is through one of these "business ventures" that the father uses the family home as collateral because a Charismatic Pastor says so.
In losing the family home, everything crashes including the family structure, the comfort of having a home and pursuing an education. The mother leaves for a new life in the US, the father leaves the four children with his mother as he goes off to "provide for them". Life comes at these four children fast, they now face a new reality that were not prepared for.
Black Sunday is told from the perspectives of the four children- twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike and their younger brothers Andrew and Peter. Over two decades we follow their lives through the different point of views. You get a somewhat unbiased look into each of their lives and how they are coping with their new reality.
I really wanted to love this book. It had all the makings of a great novel for me:
Set in Nigeria
Written by a black woman
Follows the fall of a family
We have different POVs involved
- it had all the right ingredients but it just did not come together as I would have liked. I felt like there was entirely too much going on and not enough time/pages spent to develop the plot and characters. I did not get a sharp voice from each POV- each character sort of blended into the other. There was too much time spent on minor plots and characters that in the end did not contribute to the overall plot of main character development.
It was a quick read and I wish the aforementioned items were taken care of. I did enjoy the read and I do recommend you give it a read yourself.
December 24, 2020
The novel opens in 1996, Lagos, with twin sisters, Bibike and Ariyike, somehow lost on their way home from school. They are ibeji twins, and in the Yoruba culture, considered magical, belonging to one soul. Although the story is told from the perspectives of the twins and their two brothers, it is the twins who dominate the narrative, providing the heart and soul of the novel.
For such a short novel the narrative spans almost two decades and time progresses with each chapter. In the first chapter the mother leaves with the father shortly following. The siblings are abandoned and left to fend for themselves under the care of their grandmother.
With each change of chapter there is a change in perspective between the four children. And this structure continues until the end, with time jumping randomly with progression. Broken into four parts, the story of the sibling’s lives makes for interesting reading, but it is part four that explodes like a hidden grenade.
A major theme of the narrative is the difference between halves. The difference between the twins’ lives, the difference between two cultures, the difference between rich and poor, the difference between male and female.
It is also about the use of religion as a power, and its abuse. Church leaders and politicians. Wealth dispersed amongst the favourites and powerful. Wealth used to procure two private jets for the church, but when a young woman from the congregation needs money for an operation to save her son’s life, the flow of wealth trickles to a stop. The Christian church in Lagos, in this time frame, has a hierarchy of power dominated by men. This baby is one of many that have come from the Pastor of the church, Ariyike’s husband, using the church to procure young women for himself and his politician friends.
It is about different cultures. When their mother returns from the States, she simply cannot believe that her youngest son does not want to travel back with her. She is baffled that somebody could prefer a “simpler”, less urbanized life.
The Yoruba cultural stories that are interspersed throughout the narrative, are a joy to read, with most in the form of a parable or proverb.
Abraham writes great characters. This along with the explosive fourth part, make this a wonderful debut and another Nigerian author to keep an eye on. 4 Stars!
For such a short novel the narrative spans almost two decades and time progresses with each chapter. In the first chapter the mother leaves with the father shortly following. The siblings are abandoned and left to fend for themselves under the care of their grandmother.
With each change of chapter there is a change in perspective between the four children. And this structure continues until the end, with time jumping randomly with progression. Broken into four parts, the story of the sibling’s lives makes for interesting reading, but it is part four that explodes like a hidden grenade.
A major theme of the narrative is the difference between halves. The difference between the twins’ lives, the difference between two cultures, the difference between rich and poor, the difference between male and female.
It is also about the use of religion as a power, and its abuse. Church leaders and politicians. Wealth dispersed amongst the favourites and powerful. Wealth used to procure two private jets for the church, but when a young woman from the congregation needs money for an operation to save her son’s life, the flow of wealth trickles to a stop. The Christian church in Lagos, in this time frame, has a hierarchy of power dominated by men. This baby is one of many that have come from the Pastor of the church, Ariyike’s husband, using the church to procure young women for himself and his politician friends.
It is about different cultures. When their mother returns from the States, she simply cannot believe that her youngest son does not want to travel back with her. She is baffled that somebody could prefer a “simpler”, less urbanized life.
The Yoruba cultural stories that are interspersed throughout the narrative, are a joy to read, with most in the form of a parable or proverb.
Abraham writes great characters. This along with the explosive fourth part, make this a wonderful debut and another Nigerian author to keep an eye on. 4 Stars!
May 16, 2021
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Listening to this on audio in the Nigerian accent just added more clout to its story.
A debut?
Really?
This author will go a long way, her talent in her debut just stands out just like any popular best selling author. I’m keeping an eye on this writer as I don’t want to miss out on further books she writes.
Based on twins.
The downfall of the family comes quickly and distinctively leaving a marriage in ruins, broken twins and no wealth or home.
Following this was so easy on audio book. The emotion and hauntingly spoken words impress the story like imprints upon your brain.
So glad this finally came up to listen to on my library app.
February 19, 2020
3.5⭐️ The story of four siblings in Lagos who are abandoned by their parents and live with their grandmother had some excellent voices from the four characters. Unfortunately, there didn’t seem to be any kind of plot.
March 29, 2020
Black Sunday started out really strong and I got the feeling that I was settling into a really good book. Sadly, I quickly lost interest. There were some absolutely brilliant nuggets in this book but on balance, everything seemed disjointed. I thought the book had too much going on. Many different topics were covered in a cursory manner- without the detail and depth required to present these topics in a meaningful and impactful way. I felt like every time something happened to a character, it was just checking off another box in a list of unfortunate events one could cover in such a novel. There were many times throughout the novel when I said ‘wow going through something like this would significantly affect someone’, and I wished the author leaned into that more, exploring how the parental abandonment coupled with the particular life altering events that happen to the characters or those around them further compound their sense of helplessness and hopelessness and hurt. Instead, sensitive topics of sexual and physical abuse, death, etc. were brought up and cast aside for quick shock value. However, I do think Ariyike’s experiences were much better narrated and we got a better sense of her personality and why she made the choices she made.
The story felt rushed and unfocused- the four different perspectives, although a laudable effort, proved too much to juggle and the siblings all sounded the same and to me all kinda blended together. I think this could have been stronger if focussed on one person’s perspective or only the twins.
I also felt like most supporting characters lacked continuity and were just brought up for convenience. The relationships were just to further a sub-plot point. I didn’t care about any of the main characters, and found the characters mentioned briefly much more interesting and nuanced. I think those relationships brought an interesting dynamic to the siblings’ experiences and could have been explored further.
I think the book had a lot of great potential to tell a unique story but I left underwhelmed. It was a quick read though, and I can genuinely see why others would rave about this. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me.
The story felt rushed and unfocused- the four different perspectives, although a laudable effort, proved too much to juggle and the siblings all sounded the same and to me all kinda blended together. I think this could have been stronger if focussed on one person’s perspective or only the twins.
I also felt like most supporting characters lacked continuity and were just brought up for convenience. The relationships were just to further a sub-plot point. I didn’t care about any of the main characters, and found the characters mentioned briefly much more interesting and nuanced. I think those relationships brought an interesting dynamic to the siblings’ experiences and could have been explored further.
I think the book had a lot of great potential to tell a unique story but I left underwhelmed. It was a quick read though, and I can genuinely see why others would rave about this. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me.
February 16, 2021
This book is a great debut!
An excellent drama!
The writing is simple but terrific, and there is no use of vernacular (I know it gives authenticity but I find it distracting).
Lately I have read some books written by Nigerian authors and I’ve been really impressed.
I loved the storyline and how it was structured.
The different POV by each sibling (there are 4), who were abandoned by their parents, is skillfully written. Some parts are heartbreaking but this book is far from being overly dramatic.
The flow is slow, but at the same time very engaging.
I would definitely keep an eye on this author.
Now, excuse me while I search for some recipes for an authentic moi moi (bean pudding) and jollof rice (it was mentioned in every Nigerian book, so it must be a staple dish - if we were not in a lockdown we would visit the nearest Nigerian restaurant).
An excellent drama!
The writing is simple but terrific, and there is no use of vernacular (I know it gives authenticity but I find it distracting).
Lately I have read some books written by Nigerian authors and I’ve been really impressed.
I loved the storyline and how it was structured.
The different POV by each sibling (there are 4), who were abandoned by their parents, is skillfully written. Some parts are heartbreaking but this book is far from being overly dramatic.
The flow is slow, but at the same time very engaging.
I would definitely keep an eye on this author.
Now, excuse me while I search for some recipes for an authentic moi moi (bean pudding) and jollof rice (it was mentioned in every Nigerian book, so it must be a staple dish - if we were not in a lockdown we would visit the nearest Nigerian restaurant).
August 2, 2020
Black Sunday is a powerhouse of postcolonial feminist literature and a devastatingly deft coming-of-age tale, set against the humid backdrop of Lagos, Nigeria, charting both the country and a family's evolution from 1996-2015. Tola Rotimi Abraham’s debut novel follows twin girls and their brothers through abject poverty, abandonment, and loss, as they lose everything but each other. Once their mother loses her job and their father makes a “bet” that leaves them penniless, all four siblings are sent to live with their Yoruba grandmother and must learn to navigate life without their parents. This novel explores kinship, patriarchy, misogyny, abuse, exploitation and making ends meet, love and loss, and what it means to be all alone even with siblings by your side.
Throughout the story, it becomes apparent that sometimes what is left unsaid is even more important than what is being discussed. Religion also plays a substantial part in the novel with each character having a different perspective on Christianity and Abraham discusses it in relation to feminism and postcolonialism and in particular in regard to African women. The interplay between all of these political, societal and personal issues the author addresses makes this a superb and deeply thought-provoking book with a well-constructed plot and characters that come alive on the pages as well as being nuanced and relatable yet have experienced unimaginable trauma. Many thanks to Canongate for an ARC.
Throughout the story, it becomes apparent that sometimes what is left unsaid is even more important than what is being discussed. Religion also plays a substantial part in the novel with each character having a different perspective on Christianity and Abraham discusses it in relation to feminism and postcolonialism and in particular in regard to African women. The interplay between all of these political, societal and personal issues the author addresses makes this a superb and deeply thought-provoking book with a well-constructed plot and characters that come alive on the pages as well as being nuanced and relatable yet have experienced unimaginable trauma. Many thanks to Canongate for an ARC.
May 20, 2021
This well-written novel revolves around the pain four children have to deal with when their parents abandon them to their grandmother’s care in Lagos, Nigeria. The mother loses her government job and the father loses all of the family’s savings in a get-rich-quick-scheme. Abraham’s inter-related chapters move the POV between each of the four siblings from childhood in 1996 through early adulthood in 2015. But no matter how many years pass, the pain of their parents’ desertion is always there. These children’s experiences are full of abuse, heartbreak and poverty.
Andrew and Peter’s chapters focus on their coming of age and the terrible boarding school they attended. The best chapters are narrated by the twins. One of the twins eventually marries the Pastor of a Pentecostal church. While the church preaches hope, there is an underbelly of corruption and sexual exploitation. Each chapter is written to capture the sense of the stresses of life in a community seemingly always on the edge of self-destruction. Lovely writing that is often painful, but includes love and hope in the end.
Andrew and Peter’s chapters focus on their coming of age and the terrible boarding school they attended. The best chapters are narrated by the twins. One of the twins eventually marries the Pastor of a Pentecostal church. While the church preaches hope, there is an underbelly of corruption and sexual exploitation. Each chapter is written to capture the sense of the stresses of life in a community seemingly always on the edge of self-destruction. Lovely writing that is often painful, but includes love and hope in the end.
May 25, 2020
It is a common mistake, to hear a story about tragedy and disbelieve it because the telling is off. We think to ourselves, how does the storyteller know this? We are asking the wrong question. The right question, is why is the storyteller telling me this story? Because I was a child, I heard this story about a village full of mothers and the great loss they suffered and assumed it was a story about the pain of a child. Now, as a woman, I know the story is not about lost children. Children move from this plane to the next every day. It is about a story about unquantifiable loss. It is a story about a lost goddess. What they lost was a god who looked like them. What they lost was the belief in an omniscient, omnipotent female spirit. Now look at this: all of us are condemned to serving these male gods and their rapacious servants.
There are many novels marketed as perfect for biblophiles, novels explicitly about libraries, readers, and the power of story. I have a read a couple and enjoyed them but I avoid such titles, for the most part. I much prefer when a book and reader are allowed to meet on their own terms and the former can unfold this theme itself without the hyped badge.
If you are a fan of such stories this book is perfect for you. Black Sunday presents the large and small stories captured in transatlantic and local histories, in global religions and local spirituality, in hills and animals, in a praise poem, in a name. I was mostly engrossed with this story about four Yoruba siblings, and how they grew up in the presence of much and the absence of much more. I am sorry the brothers' perspectives were left out at the end but otherwise this is both a measured and daunting debut work. Well done, Abraham. Full review forthcoming at The Book Slut.
TW: sexual violence, corporal punishment
Bookstagram | Twitter | The Book Slut
There are many novels marketed as perfect for biblophiles, novels explicitly about libraries, readers, and the power of story. I have a read a couple and enjoyed them but I avoid such titles, for the most part. I much prefer when a book and reader are allowed to meet on their own terms and the former can unfold this theme itself without the hyped badge.
If you are a fan of such stories this book is perfect for you. Black Sunday presents the large and small stories captured in transatlantic and local histories, in global religions and local spirituality, in hills and animals, in a praise poem, in a name. I was mostly engrossed with this story about four Yoruba siblings, and how they grew up in the presence of much and the absence of much more. I am sorry the brothers' perspectives were left out at the end but otherwise this is both a measured and daunting debut work. Well done, Abraham. Full review forthcoming at The Book Slut.
TW: sexual violence, corporal punishment
Bookstagram | Twitter | The Book Slut
August 25, 2019
Black Sunday by Tola Rotimi Abraham provided me a wide array of emotional experience including heartbreak, anger, frustration, shock, sorrow, and hope. Black Sunday is by no means an easy read, but it certainly is worthwhile.
Black Sunday depicts how family is influenced by the complexities of wealth and identity within urban Nigeria. I found myself deeply invested in the children in this book, and hoping that all of their complications would be resolved, but alas, that is not how this story goes. The depiction of twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike and their brothers Peter and Andrew, provide an opportunity for the reader to see different choices each sibling makes and how they attempt to process and survive abandonment. Both of the brothers are able to leave Nigeria and go to college within the United States to expand their opportunities. Bibike becomes a successful healer with a supportive partner and beloved daughter, while Ariyike chooses wealth and prestige, but lacks a loving marriage, and loses her relationship with her sister. All of the characters experience beauty and ugliness while finding their way in the world.This novel captivated me with such raw vulnerability and honestly about the painful realities of broken trust, gambling, and surviving. Black Sunday also highlights the realities of gendered violence toward female characters, and contains several explicit examples of sexual violence and assault. I would highly recommend this complex and thoughtful narrative. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Black Sunday depicts how family is influenced by the complexities of wealth and identity within urban Nigeria. I found myself deeply invested in the children in this book, and hoping that all of their complications would be resolved, but alas, that is not how this story goes. The depiction of twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike and their brothers Peter and Andrew, provide an opportunity for the reader to see different choices each sibling makes and how they attempt to process and survive abandonment. Both of the brothers are able to leave Nigeria and go to college within the United States to expand their opportunities. Bibike becomes a successful healer with a supportive partner and beloved daughter, while Ariyike chooses wealth and prestige, but lacks a loving marriage, and loses her relationship with her sister. All of the characters experience beauty and ugliness while finding their way in the world.This novel captivated me with such raw vulnerability and honestly about the painful realities of broken trust, gambling, and surviving. Black Sunday also highlights the realities of gendered violence toward female characters, and contains several explicit examples of sexual violence and assault. I would highly recommend this complex and thoughtful narrative. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2020
I'm still pondering what i think about this book. The book went into a very different direction than what I expected after reading the first few chapters. Because the chapters were told from the perspective of all four siblings at times it seemed like disjointed short stories that used sexual assault/physical abuse for shock value. For example, the chapter in which the brother witnessed a sexual assault and ran away. There was no further discussion as to his thoughts about it or how this event impacted him. I felt like I was to assume that due to being abandoned by both parents and growing up poor that he was so grateful to be in a boarding school where he was physically abused that he would not try to stop the assault of a girl he claimed to have liked. I kept wanting the author to tie that horrific scene to more about the character and how he navigated young adulthood.
I think i would have a better grasp of the characters if more development occurred in the earlier chapters and the chapters were woven together in a more intricate manner. Ariyike was the most developed and the chapters that presented her stories were the strongest yet I still don't think I know this character. I'm somewhat disappointed considering all of the hype this book has garnered.
I think i would have a better grasp of the characters if more development occurred in the earlier chapters and the chapters were woven together in a more intricate manner. Ariyike was the most developed and the chapters that presented her stories were the strongest yet I still don't think I know this character. I'm somewhat disappointed considering all of the hype this book has garnered.
March 9, 2021
A brilliantly layered story constructed using the perspectives of 4 siblings struggling to find a footing in an ever changing family environment in the Nigerian city of Lagos. The aspects of religion and its influence over the characters in this story is deeply disturbing and presents some unpleasant realities of how abuse hides in plain site.
October 20, 2021
the weird thing about this book is that it does hit differently a few days after finishing it.
Reading it I thought the author was trying to achieve too much on a very small number of pages. Come on... four different main characters, first person narrative for each one of them, a time span of 20 years and such a broad variety of themes. From twin dynamics, to religion, to politics, to sexual abuse, to the acccess to education, to culture difference, sex work, patriarchy, all the way to mysticism and supernaturalism.
It is all there!
While reading “Black Sunday” I kept thinking that even though it was a smooth and engaging read, the book would benefit from some reduction and editing.
However, it wasn’t until few days after I actually finished reading it that I truly realized how brilliant and focused the book actually was.
Echoing Jenny Holzer infamous quote “Abuse of power comes as no suprise”, Black Sunday lies out all the different areas in which abuse of power prevails everyday (and not only in the modern day Nigeria)
From the way parents abuse their position in regards to their children through their childhood, to how adult children abuse their position in regards to their elderly parents. From the way teachers abuse their position towards their pupils, to the way employers abuse their position towards employees, from the abuse of power in church, to the abuse of power in politics. All falling under the way men abuse their position towards women, rich towards poor, white towards bipoc.
Black Sunday holds a mirror to everyone.
Reading the one star reviews I don’t even wonder why people feel offended. It is tough seeing yourself as the villain, but it has to be done! If you feel offended then good, you have some work to do.
Including myself.
Keeping an eye on Abraham, this was an excellent debut.
p.s: if you are looking for historical fiction this isn’t your book.
Reading it I thought the author was trying to achieve too much on a very small number of pages. Come on... four different main characters, first person narrative for each one of them, a time span of 20 years and such a broad variety of themes. From twin dynamics, to religion, to politics, to sexual abuse, to the acccess to education, to culture difference, sex work, patriarchy, all the way to mysticism and supernaturalism.
It is all there!
While reading “Black Sunday” I kept thinking that even though it was a smooth and engaging read, the book would benefit from some reduction and editing.
However, it wasn’t until few days after I actually finished reading it that I truly realized how brilliant and focused the book actually was.
Echoing Jenny Holzer infamous quote “Abuse of power comes as no suprise”, Black Sunday lies out all the different areas in which abuse of power prevails everyday (and not only in the modern day Nigeria)
From the way parents abuse their position in regards to their children through their childhood, to how adult children abuse their position in regards to their elderly parents. From the way teachers abuse their position towards their pupils, to the way employers abuse their position towards employees, from the abuse of power in church, to the abuse of power in politics. All falling under the way men abuse their position towards women, rich towards poor, white towards bipoc.
Black Sunday holds a mirror to everyone.
Reading the one star reviews I don’t even wonder why people feel offended. It is tough seeing yourself as the villain, but it has to be done! If you feel offended then good, you have some work to do.
Including myself.
Keeping an eye on Abraham, this was an excellent debut.
p.s: if you are looking for historical fiction this isn’t your book.
February 6, 2024
Black Sunday’s originally episodic family saga makes Tola Rotini Abraham’s debut both stand out and detracts from a more powerfully hitting story. Set in Lagos, Nigeria, Black Sunday follows four siblings, two girls and two boys, from childhood to adulthood, as they grow up, overcome setbacks, and try to find their place in the world.
This is another great choice from the Aspen Words Literature prize that I would have otherwise not come across, and I appreciate Black Sunday introducing a new perspective on Nigeria. While family sagas have recently become more common in literature, Abraham sets her novel apart by providing snapshots into the lives of the characters, only to return years later. The characters are richly portrayed and powerful themes are featured in unflinching prose, such as unremitting patriarchy, the church’s hypocrisy, and poverty’s oppression. Because of the installments structure, however, it is difficult to form emotional connections with these characters experiencing heartbreaking ordeals. The tragedy in Black Sunday is unrelenting, and, eventually, I became numb to the characters’ pain, despite it being devastating when taken individually. Overall, while I was excited about Black Sunday’s short length, I wish it was longer, as the structure makes the book feel more like an outline.
This is another great choice from the Aspen Words Literature prize that I would have otherwise not come across, and I appreciate Black Sunday introducing a new perspective on Nigeria. While family sagas have recently become more common in literature, Abraham sets her novel apart by providing snapshots into the lives of the characters, only to return years later. The characters are richly portrayed and powerful themes are featured in unflinching prose, such as unremitting patriarchy, the church’s hypocrisy, and poverty’s oppression. Because of the installments structure, however, it is difficult to form emotional connections with these characters experiencing heartbreaking ordeals. The tragedy in Black Sunday is unrelenting, and, eventually, I became numb to the characters’ pain, despite it being devastating when taken individually. Overall, while I was excited about Black Sunday’s short length, I wish it was longer, as the structure makes the book feel more like an outline.
January 11, 2020
CW: sexual assault
I finished this book two days and I still can’t figure out how I feel about it. It’s a very depressing book: I can’t even tell you if there’s a happy ending in it or not. I honestly don’t even know. There’s also a lot of sexual assault aspects to it. Like, a lot. And that made me extremely uncomfortable because I wasn’t expecting it. Honestly, this book rocked me. The writer did an excellent job. Just read with caution.
I finished this book two days and I still can’t figure out how I feel about it. It’s a very depressing book: I can’t even tell you if there’s a happy ending in it or not. I honestly don’t even know. There’s also a lot of sexual assault aspects to it. Like, a lot. And that made me extremely uncomfortable because I wasn’t expecting it. Honestly, this book rocked me. The writer did an excellent job. Just read with caution.
August 5, 2020
3.5= This is the story of four Nigerian siblings growing up as they go from riches to rags and abandonment by their parents.
The story alternates between each sibling’s perspective as time progresses. This was a really good way to keep everyone involved in the story, but the chapters at time felt rushed, leaving unanswered questions. Overall it is a good story with beautiful prose.
The story alternates between each sibling’s perspective as time progresses. This was a really good way to keep everyone involved in the story, but the chapters at time felt rushed, leaving unanswered questions. Overall it is a good story with beautiful prose.
December 12, 2019
We meet Bibike and Ariyike as twin girls who've only recently entered their teenage years. While their family wouldn't be considered rich, they are comfortable--which is to say they have adequate shelter, consistent food on the table, and no real worries about their day-to-day lives.
However, when their mother is fired from an esteemed government job, and forced into taking a lower-paying one, their fortunes take a turn for the worse; eventually leading to their father taking a big gamble on what turns out to be a losing proposition and sure financial ruin.
With the family now broke and homeless, their mother flees for the states and, eventually, their father leaves as well; content to turn the raising of his four children over to his mother. A woman who can only be described as being full of old-school traditions and ancient ideas on child-rearing and building a proper support system.
As a result, both Ariyike and Bibike are forced to abandon any girlish notions they had in favor of entering a world where their biggest asset is the beauty each of them possess.
The format, at least for me, almost felt like a series of anecdotes.
Each of the four siblings, at varying moments in time, gives a brief update on how his/her life has transformed as a result of their family's splintering so suddenly.
Although we are treated most wholly to the lives of the twin sisters, we learn enough about Peter and Andrew to understand their fates are different. Regardless of the circumstances their lives began under, they are still young men of promise, and the world treats them as such.
This is never more clear than when Andrew falls for a young girl at University.
His actions towards her, as she is brutally assaulted by a group of opportunistic older boys, is another way in Abraham subtly speaks of how different the fortunes of women are in Nigeria. Particularly if they don't choose to live by the rules concocted by the male patriarchy.
This was a common theme throughout. Men and their needs juxtaposed against the ambition/ambivalence of whatever woman they chose to target.
In every situation--from the mother to the grandmother to the women who simply populated the landscape--it was clear the ability to succeed was tied to the fortune, or grace, of some man.
While Ariyike comes to view male-female relationships as, in a sense, an exchange of goods and services, Bibike longs for the safety and trappings of family life.
The implosion of her family, in a bizarre way, came to underscore the value of 1) not being financially beholden to anyone, but 2) still having people you can count on for emotional support when times get rough.
By the end, the motives and motivations--behind the actions of both women--is clear, but the journey each takes to find her own measure of peace is fraught with self-doubt, self-sabotage, painful truths, and plenty of reflection.
*Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Catapult Books for this Advanced Digital Copy.
However, when their mother is fired from an esteemed government job, and forced into taking a lower-paying one, their fortunes take a turn for the worse; eventually leading to their father taking a big gamble on what turns out to be a losing proposition and sure financial ruin.
With the family now broke and homeless, their mother flees for the states and, eventually, their father leaves as well; content to turn the raising of his four children over to his mother. A woman who can only be described as being full of old-school traditions and ancient ideas on child-rearing and building a proper support system.
As a result, both Ariyike and Bibike are forced to abandon any girlish notions they had in favor of entering a world where their biggest asset is the beauty each of them possess.
The format, at least for me, almost felt like a series of anecdotes.
Each of the four siblings, at varying moments in time, gives a brief update on how his/her life has transformed as a result of their family's splintering so suddenly.
Although we are treated most wholly to the lives of the twin sisters, we learn enough about Peter and Andrew to understand their fates are different. Regardless of the circumstances their lives began under, they are still young men of promise, and the world treats them as such.
This is never more clear than when Andrew falls for a young girl at University.
His actions towards her, as she is brutally assaulted by a group of opportunistic older boys, is another way in Abraham subtly speaks of how different the fortunes of women are in Nigeria. Particularly if they don't choose to live by the rules concocted by the male patriarchy.
This was a common theme throughout. Men and their needs juxtaposed against the ambition/ambivalence of whatever woman they chose to target.
In every situation--from the mother to the grandmother to the women who simply populated the landscape--it was clear the ability to succeed was tied to the fortune, or grace, of some man.
While Ariyike comes to view male-female relationships as, in a sense, an exchange of goods and services, Bibike longs for the safety and trappings of family life.
The implosion of her family, in a bizarre way, came to underscore the value of 1) not being financially beholden to anyone, but 2) still having people you can count on for emotional support when times get rough.
By the end, the motives and motivations--behind the actions of both women--is clear, but the journey each takes to find her own measure of peace is fraught with self-doubt, self-sabotage, painful truths, and plenty of reflection.
*Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Catapult Books for this Advanced Digital Copy.
January 27, 2020
Painful wisdom...a fierce debut...a coming-of-age novel set in 1990s Nigeria (thru early 2000s) encompasses the lives of four siblings, financial ruin, estrangement, more.
Twin sisters, Bibike and Ariyike (teens) are living a relatively comfortable life in Lagos, Nigeria with their mother, father, and two younger brothers, Andrew/Andy and Peter. It's 1996 and their mother loses her esteemed government job and is forced to take a lower-paying position as a teacher at a local school; the school closes. The family takes solace in the New Church, lead by charismatic pastor who is fascinated by material wealth.
But soon, the father makes a strange--and unfortunate--decision to give away the family home in hopes of reclaiming money. The marriage crumbles. The parents separate. The family moves in with the grandmother. And then the mother leaves. And shortly after, the father is gone, too, leaving four children in poverty with the grandmother. She is understandably reluctant to parent them, and yet very traditional in her Yoruba values and worldview.
Told mostly in first person POV from each of the siblings's POV , BLACK SUNDAY (Catapult, Feb 4 2020) is told with astonishing intimacy about chaotic family life, boarding school, kinship, devastation, estrangement. It encompasses many dark, heavy, and uncomfortable truths--including hypocrisy, sexual assault, pregnancy/abortion, patriarchy, religion , and more.
I felt the writing was good--but the narrative comes across as more anecdotes or vignettes , as if an adult looking back on her/his life and I might like to have seen it told in a more active manner, but this is all a matter of style and very subjective. BLACK SUNDAY is not a particularly happy to story , and I felt the grit and uncomfortable heat of Lagos , the yearning, the unanswered questions of these siblings. The end brings a muddled sense of justice, leaving the reader with a strange sense that these women finally found their agency, their own independence.
There were times I was reminded of the writing of Toni Morrison (BLUEST EYE comes to mind), but BLACK SUNDAY is perhaps a completely different kind of read for me that I am having difficulty finding suitable comps, which is not at all a bad thing; I enjoy inhabiting new (to me) worlds.
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com|Always with a Book.
Special thanks to Catapult Books for this review copy. All thoughts are my own.
Twin sisters, Bibike and Ariyike (teens) are living a relatively comfortable life in Lagos, Nigeria with their mother, father, and two younger brothers, Andrew/Andy and Peter. It's 1996 and their mother loses her esteemed government job and is forced to take a lower-paying position as a teacher at a local school; the school closes. The family takes solace in the New Church, lead by charismatic pastor who is fascinated by material wealth.
But soon, the father makes a strange--and unfortunate--decision to give away the family home in hopes of reclaiming money. The marriage crumbles. The parents separate. The family moves in with the grandmother. And then the mother leaves. And shortly after, the father is gone, too, leaving four children in poverty with the grandmother. She is understandably reluctant to parent them, and yet very traditional in her Yoruba values and worldview.
Told mostly in first person POV from each of the siblings's POV , BLACK SUNDAY (Catapult, Feb 4 2020) is told with astonishing intimacy about chaotic family life, boarding school, kinship, devastation, estrangement. It encompasses many dark, heavy, and uncomfortable truths--including hypocrisy, sexual assault, pregnancy/abortion, patriarchy, religion , and more.
I felt the writing was good--but the narrative comes across as more anecdotes or vignettes , as if an adult looking back on her/his life and I might like to have seen it told in a more active manner, but this is all a matter of style and very subjective. BLACK SUNDAY is not a particularly happy to story , and I felt the grit and uncomfortable heat of Lagos , the yearning, the unanswered questions of these siblings. The end brings a muddled sense of justice, leaving the reader with a strange sense that these women finally found their agency, their own independence.
There were times I was reminded of the writing of Toni Morrison (BLUEST EYE comes to mind), but BLACK SUNDAY is perhaps a completely different kind of read for me that I am having difficulty finding suitable comps, which is not at all a bad thing; I enjoy inhabiting new (to me) worlds.
For all my reviews, including author interviews, please see: www.leslielindsay.com|Always with a Book.
Special thanks to Catapult Books for this review copy. All thoughts are my own.
June 11, 2020
3.5 stars
I am a big fan of African fiction and I really enjoyed this book. It was unputdownable. I would have given it a four-star rating, but I couldn't ignore the fact that the narration, the time jump in between chapters, and some sentences were really disorienting. The story doesn't have a concrete and well-defined plot arc either. However, the characterization is powerful. I am still not sure about Bibike's character, but Ariyike was a brilliantly written character.
The story is narrated by four siblings, two twin-sisters and two brothers. They talk about being abandoned by their parents and being forced to live a poor life in a Lagos slum. One of the chapters narrated by Peter reminded me of a story The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie because it was told in a third person's narrative.
I was so disappointed with the fact that both the brothers' narration was not included in the last part. I loved Peter's narration and was eager to read a little bit more of his life. The readers definitely deserved a concluding chapter from the boys.
Here are a few quotes that I absolutely loved:
I was a parentless teenage girl living with my grandmother in the slums of Lagos. Beauty was a gift, but what was I to do with it? It was fortunate to be beautiful and desired. It made people smile at me. I was used to strangers wishing me well. But what is a girl’s beauty, but a man’s promise of reward? What was my beauty but a proclamation of potential, an illusion of choice?
All women are owned by someone, some are owned by many; a beautiful girl’s only advantage is that she may get to choose her owner. If beauty was a gift, it was not a gift to me, I could not eat my own beauty, I could not improve my life by beauty alone. I was born beautiful, I was a beautiful baby. It did not change my life. I was a beautiful girl. Still, my life was ordinary. But a beautiful woman was another type of thing. I had waited too long to choose my owner, dillydallying in my ignorance, and so someone chose me. What was I to do about that?
CW: Frequent sexual assaults and abuse
I am a big fan of African fiction and I really enjoyed this book. It was unputdownable. I would have given it a four-star rating, but I couldn't ignore the fact that the narration, the time jump in between chapters, and some sentences were really disorienting. The story doesn't have a concrete and well-defined plot arc either. However, the characterization is powerful. I am still not sure about Bibike's character, but Ariyike was a brilliantly written character.
The story is narrated by four siblings, two twin-sisters and two brothers. They talk about being abandoned by their parents and being forced to live a poor life in a Lagos slum. One of the chapters narrated by Peter reminded me of a story The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie because it was told in a third person's narrative.
I was so disappointed with the fact that both the brothers' narration was not included in the last part. I loved Peter's narration and was eager to read a little bit more of his life. The readers definitely deserved a concluding chapter from the boys.
Here are a few quotes that I absolutely loved:
I was a parentless teenage girl living with my grandmother in the slums of Lagos. Beauty was a gift, but what was I to do with it? It was fortunate to be beautiful and desired. It made people smile at me. I was used to strangers wishing me well. But what is a girl’s beauty, but a man’s promise of reward? What was my beauty but a proclamation of potential, an illusion of choice?
All women are owned by someone, some are owned by many; a beautiful girl’s only advantage is that she may get to choose her owner. If beauty was a gift, it was not a gift to me, I could not eat my own beauty, I could not improve my life by beauty alone. I was born beautiful, I was a beautiful baby. It did not change my life. I was a beautiful girl. Still, my life was ordinary. But a beautiful woman was another type of thing. I had waited too long to choose my owner, dillydallying in my ignorance, and so someone chose me. What was I to do about that?
CW: Frequent sexual assaults and abuse
November 15, 2020
Starting in 1996, Lagos, Nigeria, we follow the lives of twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike as their lives are turned upside down due to the family's financial situation changing. The sisters and their two younger brothers are eventually abandoned on the doorstep of their grandmother, and more or less have to fend for themselves.
There were parts of this book I really loved such as the general setting of Lagos, Nigeria, and a look into a culture that is so different and colourful to the one I grew up. I love books set in Nigeria and I feel with each one, I'm seeing different parts of a fascinating country that has so much to offer in literature.
However, the story didn't flow as well for me as I wanted to do and I felt the slice of life-type sections we got with each sibling left more to be desired for me. I felt like between each chapters, I was left with more I wanted to know and I was missing parts of the siblings' lives and what shaped them and spurred on their decisions. Poverty, and what people will do to keep themselves safe and lift themselves out of desperation is a theme within the story - particularly Ariyike as she also finds herself involved with religion and sexuality. There were many things the characters did to survive that left me feeling a bit troubled, and worried about them and other people in their life. There are scenes of sexual nature in this book that involves a lot of questionable consent, as well as one scene of sexual assault that is witnessed by one of the main characters.
There were parts of this book I really loved such as the general setting of Lagos, Nigeria, and a look into a culture that is so different and colourful to the one I grew up. I love books set in Nigeria and I feel with each one, I'm seeing different parts of a fascinating country that has so much to offer in literature.
However, the story didn't flow as well for me as I wanted to do and I felt the slice of life-type sections we got with each sibling left more to be desired for me. I felt like between each chapters, I was left with more I wanted to know and I was missing parts of the siblings' lives and what shaped them and spurred on their decisions. Poverty, and what people will do to keep themselves safe and lift themselves out of desperation is a theme within the story - particularly Ariyike as she also finds herself involved with religion and sexuality. There were many things the characters did to survive that left me feeling a bit troubled, and worried about them and other people in their life. There are scenes of sexual nature in this book that involves a lot of questionable consent, as well as one scene of sexual assault that is witnessed by one of the main characters.
February 19, 2020
A breezy beach read this is not. Bleak, bleak, bleak tragedy of the years-long unraveling of a family in Lagos. Abraham’s writing smarts like a sunburn, growing in intensity until its blistering conclusion. I can’t say this is a “satisfying” book; lots of loose ends go untied, and nobody ends up happy as far as the book says. Still, a confident first novel from a writer who surely has great things ahead for her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2022
Interesting story or should I say stories. The chapters are divided up and told by a set of African twin girls and their 2 younger brothers. The children talk about their lives, after being abandoned by their parents, as they themselves age. I found this book to be quite entertaining and will definitely be rereading it, at some point. I listened to the audiobook, while following along with the print version.
I’ve just reread the book after 2 years and I love it again
I’ve just reread the book after 2 years and I love it again
Read
May 9, 2021DNF
October 13, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and Canongate for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Black Sunday is an incredibly intimate work of literary fiction, it was such an enjoyable reading experience. The writing was so raw and moving, and the characters were so incredibly fleshed out and it all felt so real. I think that Tola Rotimi Abraham's writing style is incredible, and I can't wait to see more writing from them. The two covers for this book that I've seen are both equally gorgeous and I just feel incredibly lucky to have been able to read this book.
Black Sunday is an incredibly intimate work of literary fiction, it was such an enjoyable reading experience. The writing was so raw and moving, and the characters were so incredibly fleshed out and it all felt so real. I think that Tola Rotimi Abraham's writing style is incredible, and I can't wait to see more writing from them. The two covers for this book that I've seen are both equally gorgeous and I just feel incredibly lucky to have been able to read this book.
March 21, 2020
Well, I found this book very thought-provoking and haunting. The richness of this novel is not the storyline, but the circumstances and its implication on the characters.
But as set up... the story is based in Nigeria, mostly Lagos. A family of 6, mother, father, twin girls and two younger boys. Seemingly middle class when the story begins... the father loses their house and they are forced to go live with the parental grandmother. Shortly after the move, the mother and father abandon the children and the grandmother is left to raise them.
So the story is about how each child handles and experiences poverty and internalizes abandonment. The novel itself is written in a very disjointed way... like we are sitting on the shoulder of each sibling in a way that allows us to bounce between each of them to understand thoughts and feelings as they mature and make decisions.
What is compelling is how poverty, greed, religion, hope, and hopelessness intersect in their choices. And the real story is how the yearning of each sibling manifests in positive and negative ways as they mature into adulthood... choices good and bad create their trajectory. The girls stay in Lagos, while the boy immigrate to the US (because we learn that's where the mother went to find a better way for herself and hopefully her family).
What is heartbreaking is that the girls because of sexism and the Male-dominated culture are the ones who seem to be most adversely affected by their circumstances.
I found myself reflecting on how poverty, abandonment, religion -- and in the case of the girls -- sexism... created a feeling of "being less than" stayed with each of them in tangible and subtle ways. Poverty is so crushing and we who have some measure of priviledge cannot really understand how it influences circumstances, decisions and an individual's psyche.
Definitely not a novel that everyone will enjoy... but a good one if you focus on the story underlying the story.
But as set up... the story is based in Nigeria, mostly Lagos. A family of 6, mother, father, twin girls and two younger boys. Seemingly middle class when the story begins... the father loses their house and they are forced to go live with the parental grandmother. Shortly after the move, the mother and father abandon the children and the grandmother is left to raise them.
So the story is about how each child handles and experiences poverty and internalizes abandonment. The novel itself is written in a very disjointed way... like we are sitting on the shoulder of each sibling in a way that allows us to bounce between each of them to understand thoughts and feelings as they mature and make decisions.
What is compelling is how poverty, greed, religion, hope, and hopelessness intersect in their choices. And the real story is how the yearning of each sibling manifests in positive and negative ways as they mature into adulthood... choices good and bad create their trajectory. The girls stay in Lagos, while the boy immigrate to the US (because we learn that's where the mother went to find a better way for herself and hopefully her family).
What is heartbreaking is that the girls because of sexism and the Male-dominated culture are the ones who seem to be most adversely affected by their circumstances.
I found myself reflecting on how poverty, abandonment, religion -- and in the case of the girls -- sexism... created a feeling of "being less than" stayed with each of them in tangible and subtle ways. Poverty is so crushing and we who have some measure of priviledge cannot really understand how it influences circumstances, decisions and an individual's psyche.
Definitely not a novel that everyone will enjoy... but a good one if you focus on the story underlying the story.
April 20, 2021
Black Sunday is een mooi familieverhaal over de Nigeriaanse tweelingzusjes Bibike & Ariyike en hun broertjes Andrew & Peter van 1996 tot en met 2012. Dat de kinderen op jonge leeftijd door beide ouders verlaten werden, zal de rest van hun leven tekenen.
Je leest steeds per periode een stukje uit het perspectief van een van deze vier personages, de rest moet je er zelf bij verzinnen. Ieder hoofdstuk heeft bovendien een geniale titel (bijvoorbeeld: How to be a stupid girl in Lagos).
Ik hield van de schrijfstijl en de levensechte personages. Ook de Yoruba volksverhalen vond ik erg interessant om te lezen.
Helaas bevat het laatste deel enkel hoofdstukken vanuit het perspectief van de tweelingzusjes en komen hun broertjes niet meer aan het woord. En dat is jammer, want uit het perspectief van Bibike en Ariyike maak ik op dat er ook in de levens van de jongens veel veranderd is. Aan het einde bleef ik helaas met iets te veel vragen achter.
In Black Sunday wordt seks bovendien vaak ingezet als machtsmiddel en krijgt de lezer ook meerdere keren seksueel geweld voorgeschoteld. Dit maakte dat ik soms echt wel even diep moest ademhalen voordat ik verder las.
3.5*
Je leest steeds per periode een stukje uit het perspectief van een van deze vier personages, de rest moet je er zelf bij verzinnen. Ieder hoofdstuk heeft bovendien een geniale titel (bijvoorbeeld: How to be a stupid girl in Lagos).
Ik hield van de schrijfstijl en de levensechte personages. Ook de Yoruba volksverhalen vond ik erg interessant om te lezen.
Helaas bevat het laatste deel enkel hoofdstukken vanuit het perspectief van de tweelingzusjes en komen hun broertjes niet meer aan het woord. En dat is jammer, want uit het perspectief van Bibike en Ariyike maak ik op dat er ook in de levens van de jongens veel veranderd is. Aan het einde bleef ik helaas met iets te veel vragen achter.
In Black Sunday wordt seks bovendien vaak ingezet als machtsmiddel en krijgt de lezer ook meerdere keren seksueel geweld voorgeschoteld. Dit maakte dat ik soms echt wel even diep moest ademhalen voordat ik verder las.
3.5*
December 14, 2020
A growing up story told from the POV of 4 siblings after their mother leaves them, then their father leaves them, and then they are figuring out how to be adults.
January 7, 2021
“I think families who spend a lot of time arguing about the small stuff do it because they do not have the courage to talk about the big things.”
i don't really wanna talk about this at length because i obviously didn't like it and i feel really bad about it. i wish i wouldn't have had such a hard time reading this because the topics are extremely important and i like to be out of my western comfort zone with books. but while the general thoughts of Black Sunday were great, i really felt like the execution of those lacked. it's such a short book and while it still took me some time to read because of the complex writing, it just wasn't enough time to get into the characters. i also felt like the point of views of the brothers were quite unnecessary 'cause we never heard from them again. the amount of graphic rape scenes in such a short book were also unsettling and i didn't like that the misogny of almost every character was never challenged.
i really hate that i didn't like this book but i promised myself to rate a little more harsh this year. if you're interested in Nigerian literature, you should absolutely not listen to my review tho.
i don't really wanna talk about this at length because i obviously didn't like it and i feel really bad about it. i wish i wouldn't have had such a hard time reading this because the topics are extremely important and i like to be out of my western comfort zone with books. but while the general thoughts of Black Sunday were great, i really felt like the execution of those lacked. it's such a short book and while it still took me some time to read because of the complex writing, it just wasn't enough time to get into the characters. i also felt like the point of views of the brothers were quite unnecessary 'cause we never heard from them again. the amount of graphic rape scenes in such a short book were also unsettling and i didn't like that the misogny of almost every character was never challenged.
i really hate that i didn't like this book but i promised myself to rate a little more harsh this year. if you're interested in Nigerian literature, you should absolutely not listen to my review tho.
January 29, 2020
"If beauty was a gift, it was not a gift to me, I could not eat my own beauty, I could not improve my life by beauty alone."
A great debut novel by Tola Rotimi Abraham. Taking place in nearly present-day Nigeria, Black Sunday is moving, eye-opening, tough, and also somehow calming all at once. I truly love to read stories about places I have never been, immersing myself in a life I could never imagine before reading it in a book. The chapters alternate narrators between all siblings of the same family, but I related most to the sister Bibike. While her life, hometown, family, and upbringing are so different from my own, there are also so many similarities in the way we think and feel. This realization makes me feel very connected to all women around the world, no matter our circumstances.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Catapult in exchange for my honest review.
A great debut novel by Tola Rotimi Abraham. Taking place in nearly present-day Nigeria, Black Sunday is moving, eye-opening, tough, and also somehow calming all at once. I truly love to read stories about places I have never been, immersing myself in a life I could never imagine before reading it in a book. The chapters alternate narrators between all siblings of the same family, but I related most to the sister Bibike. While her life, hometown, family, and upbringing are so different from my own, there are also so many similarities in the way we think and feel. This realization makes me feel very connected to all women around the world, no matter our circumstances.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Catapult in exchange for my honest review.
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