Previously published as Wrap me in Trees by T. Kenny.
A lyrical story of migration, loss, and the fragile threads of belonging.
Wrap Me in Trees is a sweeping story of love, loss, and resilience told through the fractured lives of the Alejo family. Separated by oceans and decades of hardship, each member carries the weight of migration—its silences, its sacrifices, its unspoken hopes.
Told through letters, fragments, and voices woven across two continents, Lola R. Opeyemi captures the ache of distance and the fragile threads that hold families together. This is a novel about forgiveness and survival, about the longing for home and the courage it takes to build one again.
Lyrical, intimate, and unforgettable, Wrap Me in Trees is both a portrait of the immigrant experience and a meditation on the enduring power of connection.
Lola R. Opeyemi was born in Nigeria and has lived in London, Amsterdam and Kampala. She is a keen travel and architectural enthusiast and will travel pretty much anywhere for food and pretty buildings.
I got to the end of this book and wanted to know more. About the family, the journey, their past, and their future. A real eye opening account of the sacrifices made by parents for their children. And the journey of the children, the pressure to be successful against the backdrop of their own dreams.
This book is sparse and beautiful. I could have done for a bit more in parts of the story, but was totally enmeshed in this story of immigration and assimilation from Nigeria -> UK. This is character-driven, slow, and reflective. Not your bouncing plot-fest that you normally see me rate highly.
A beautiful, insightful story of family, roots, leaving/making/rediscovering home. Life at its fullness. I really enjoyed the author spending time on each character, making me feel for each of them. Reflective, thought-provoking and real - thoroughly enjoyed it.
An intricate story delving into the lives of an immigrant family trying to assimilate into a new life in London. Keep your tissues handy folks, this one hits you in all the feels.