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Zikora
The emotional storms weathered by a mother and daughter yield a profound new understanding in a moving short story by the bestselling, award-winning author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists
When Zikora, a DC lawyer from Nigeria, tells her equally high-powered lover that she's pregnant, he abandons her. But it's Zikora's demanding, self-possessed mother, in town for the birth, who makes Zikora feel like a lonely little girl all over again. Shunned by the speed with which her ideal life fell apart, Zikora turns to reflecting on her mother's painful past and struggle for dignity. Preparing for motherhood, Zikora begins to see more clearly what her own mother wants for her, for her new baby, and for herself.
©2020 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc, all rights reserved.
When Zikora, a DC lawyer from Nigeria, tells her equally high-powered lover that she's pregnant, he abandons her. But it's Zikora's demanding, self-possessed mother, in town for the birth, who makes Zikora feel like a lonely little girl all over again. Shunned by the speed with which her ideal life fell apart, Zikora turns to reflecting on her mother's painful past and struggle for dignity. Preparing for motherhood, Zikora begins to see more clearly what her own mother wants for her, for her new baby, and for herself.
©2020 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc, all rights reserved.
39 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 27, 2020
2094 people are currently reading
20946 people want to read
About the author
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
133 books48.4k followersCHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHIE grew up in Nigeria. Her work has been translated into more than fifty-five languages. She is the author of the novels Purple Hibiscus, which won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize; Half of a Yellow Sun, which was the recipient of the Women’s Prize for Fiction “Best of the Best” award; Americanah, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award; the story collection The Thing Around Your Neck and the essays We Should All Be Feminists and Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions. Her most recent work is an essay about losing her father, Notes on Grief, and Mama’s Sleeping Scarf, a children’s book written as Nwa Grace-James. A recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship, she divides her time between the United States and Nigeria.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,285 reviews
February 4, 2021
I read somewhere that love was about this, the nuggets of knowledge about our beloved that we so fluently hold.
Whilst in the middle of giving birth, Zikora, a thirty-nine year old lawyer originally from Nigeria now living in the United States, reflects on significant moments and relationships in her life in the US and in Nigeria – questioning her own views on love, enduring relationships and gender (in)equality while musing on the mutual support she and her married cousin have been lending each other to cope with unwanted pregnancies, the tense relationship between her parents since her father moved out of the house to live with another spouse and Zikora’s own (delusive) happiness when she meets a man who she imagines her natural life-long companion with whom she could live together as equals.
Abandoned by the father of the child when she casually announces she is pregnant, Zikora goes through a vortex of thoughts and emotions as it is not the father of the child who is by her side when she is giving birth, but her mother who came over from Nigeria– a highly successful, poised woman who seems aloof and strict, judgemental and insensitive, even condescending towards Zikora’s pain and woes, clearly in charge while Zikora isn’t. Zikora feels falling short in endurance in her mother’s eyes and acts accordingly as a rebellious, sulky child.
(Odilon Redon)
The mutual frictions and criticizing however gradually make place for a deeper understanding of each other. Zikora, seeing her mother taking care of the new born now becomes aware of her mother’s own wounds as a woman and the tenderness her mother has been burrowing for long. Zikora realises that her mother’s usual attitude of self-possession and dignity might not as much be coldness but a veil to hide self-sacrifice. That some things remain different for men and women, whether living in Nigeria or in the United States, is an experience both mother and daughter unexpectedly come to share, bringing them closer wordlessly, as that difference becomes most tangible and obvious in what they are now holding in their arms, Zikora’s child.
Zikora is a beautifully told, intense story on the multiplicity of feelings in a mother-daughter relationship stirred up by the birth of a child. It is often said that one only begins to understand and truly appreciate one ‘s own mother from the moment one becomes a mother oneself. This story in which a fragile hope on a new beginning in that mother-daughter relationship shines through like emerging snowdrops from the frozen soil seems a fine illustration of that wisdom, even if this particular mother-daughter relationship (perhaps like many of the kind) might in the end more resemble a rose – the inevitable thorns not in the least diminishing the beauty of the rose.
(Odilon Redon)
Hope is like a harebell trembling from its birth,
Love is like a rose the joy of all the earth;
Faith is like a lily lifted high and white,
Love is like a lovely rose the world's delight;
Harebells and sweet lilies show a thornless growth,
But the rose with all its thorns excels them both.
(Christina Rossetti)
The story can be read here.
Whilst in the middle of giving birth, Zikora, a thirty-nine year old lawyer originally from Nigeria now living in the United States, reflects on significant moments and relationships in her life in the US and in Nigeria – questioning her own views on love, enduring relationships and gender (in)equality while musing on the mutual support she and her married cousin have been lending each other to cope with unwanted pregnancies, the tense relationship between her parents since her father moved out of the house to live with another spouse and Zikora’s own (delusive) happiness when she meets a man who she imagines her natural life-long companion with whom she could live together as equals.
Abandoned by the father of the child when she casually announces she is pregnant, Zikora goes through a vortex of thoughts and emotions as it is not the father of the child who is by her side when she is giving birth, but her mother who came over from Nigeria– a highly successful, poised woman who seems aloof and strict, judgemental and insensitive, even condescending towards Zikora’s pain and woes, clearly in charge while Zikora isn’t. Zikora feels falling short in endurance in her mother’s eyes and acts accordingly as a rebellious, sulky child.
(Odilon Redon)
The mutual frictions and criticizing however gradually make place for a deeper understanding of each other. Zikora, seeing her mother taking care of the new born now becomes aware of her mother’s own wounds as a woman and the tenderness her mother has been burrowing for long. Zikora realises that her mother’s usual attitude of self-possession and dignity might not as much be coldness but a veil to hide self-sacrifice. That some things remain different for men and women, whether living in Nigeria or in the United States, is an experience both mother and daughter unexpectedly come to share, bringing them closer wordlessly, as that difference becomes most tangible and obvious in what they are now holding in their arms, Zikora’s child.
Zikora is a beautifully told, intense story on the multiplicity of feelings in a mother-daughter relationship stirred up by the birth of a child. It is often said that one only begins to understand and truly appreciate one ‘s own mother from the moment one becomes a mother oneself. This story in which a fragile hope on a new beginning in that mother-daughter relationship shines through like emerging snowdrops from the frozen soil seems a fine illustration of that wisdom, even if this particular mother-daughter relationship (perhaps like many of the kind) might in the end more resemble a rose – the inevitable thorns not in the least diminishing the beauty of the rose.
(Odilon Redon)
Hope is like a harebell trembling from its birth,
Love is like a rose the joy of all the earth;
Faith is like a lily lifted high and white,
Love is like a lovely rose the world's delight;
Harebells and sweet lilies show a thornless growth,
But the rose with all its thorns excels them both.
(Christina Rossetti)
The story can be read here.
November 24, 2020
4.5 rounded up
I haven’t always enjoyed short stories, but over the last few years I’ve discovered that if well written, as this one is, I could enjoy them as much as full length novels . Well, almost as much, because while this is a near perfect short story and I wasn’t left at the end wondering what just happened, I still wanted more . These two characters beg to have more of their story told or I should say I’d beg to hear more of their story . Having said that, in 35 short pages, without a wasted word, we get a view of Zikora, a Nigerian born attorney living in the US, in the middle of of giving birth. Her mother has traveled from Nigeria to be with her daughter for the birth. Adichie’s brilliant story telling reveals the pasts lives of these women, their relationship with each other, with the men in their lives and just like that in these short thirty five pages, I knew who they were. I knew the burdens they carry. I could clearly imagine where they will go from here after Zikora’s baby is born. This is a stunning feat in these few pages of beautiful and clear prose. I have to admit that I didn’t love Americanah as much as so many others did, but this story definitely makes me want to read Adichie’s other books. Thanks to Debbie who almost jumped on her pogo stick and convinced me in her enthusiastic review to give Adichie another try. Here’s Debbie’s review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I haven’t always enjoyed short stories, but over the last few years I’ve discovered that if well written, as this one is, I could enjoy them as much as full length novels . Well, almost as much, because while this is a near perfect short story and I wasn’t left at the end wondering what just happened, I still wanted more . These two characters beg to have more of their story told or I should say I’d beg to hear more of their story . Having said that, in 35 short pages, without a wasted word, we get a view of Zikora, a Nigerian born attorney living in the US, in the middle of of giving birth. Her mother has traveled from Nigeria to be with her daughter for the birth. Adichie’s brilliant story telling reveals the pasts lives of these women, their relationship with each other, with the men in their lives and just like that in these short thirty five pages, I knew who they were. I knew the burdens they carry. I could clearly imagine where they will go from here after Zikora’s baby is born. This is a stunning feat in these few pages of beautiful and clear prose. I have to admit that I didn’t love Americanah as much as so many others did, but this story definitely makes me want to read Adichie’s other books. Thanks to Debbie who almost jumped on her pogo stick and convinced me in her enthusiastic review to give Adichie another try. Here’s Debbie’s review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
November 6, 2020
I really enjoyed Zikora. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is back. I feel like this could become a full length novel. Zikora is about to have her baby and she recounts all that has happened with family friends , and boyfriends. It's through these stories that she tries to understand people's choices and her own. The ending is abrupt but I so hope she continues it as a full length novel. It was great listening to it on audiobook. Adepero Oduye does an excellent job reading the story. I recommend it to those die hard Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie lovers who have been missing her writing and are itching to read something new from her.
July 8, 2021
"Zikora" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a short read I wanted to continue reading...
Zikora is a prominent Washington, D.C attorney who tells her equally respected attorney boyfriend, Kwame, she's pregnant. He's confused! He's shocked! He shrugs! He leaves...
Zikora, now alone, attempts to be strong but falters through her pregnancy. She can't believe this amazing man no longer wants to be part of her life. Every decision in their relationship they made together, as a couple. Now Kwame has blocked her calls. He doesn't want to discuss this further. He simply wants out!
At the hospital in labor, Zikora waits for her baby to be born with her mother by her side. Why can't it be Kwame? Was it the way she told him of her pregnancy? If she had used a different voice or different words, would everything be different? Would he be here now?
In this short read, I love listening to Zikora's reflections on her closest relationships. The ending of her relationship with Kwame, the beginning of her relationship with her son, the changing relationship with her mother as she becomes a mother to her own child and the relationship with her father who never keeps his word.
I enjoyed the beautiful writing from this author and I wanted to continue to read. After Zikora's baby was born it felt like the story ended abruptly and left me hanging. BOOM! I definitely wanted to spend more time with these characters and learn more about them!
3.5 stars rounded down.
Zikora is a prominent Washington, D.C attorney who tells her equally respected attorney boyfriend, Kwame, she's pregnant. He's confused! He's shocked! He shrugs! He leaves...
Zikora, now alone, attempts to be strong but falters through her pregnancy. She can't believe this amazing man no longer wants to be part of her life. Every decision in their relationship they made together, as a couple. Now Kwame has blocked her calls. He doesn't want to discuss this further. He simply wants out!
At the hospital in labor, Zikora waits for her baby to be born with her mother by her side. Why can't it be Kwame? Was it the way she told him of her pregnancy? If she had used a different voice or different words, would everything be different? Would he be here now?
In this short read, I love listening to Zikora's reflections on her closest relationships. The ending of her relationship with Kwame, the beginning of her relationship with her son, the changing relationship with her mother as she becomes a mother to her own child and the relationship with her father who never keeps his word.
I enjoyed the beautiful writing from this author and I wanted to continue to read. After Zikora's baby was born it felt like the story ended abruptly and left me hanging. BOOM! I definitely wanted to spend more time with these characters and learn more about them!
3.5 stars rounded down.
September 26, 2021
Almost pogo-stick time! (4.5, rounded up)
Now this is what I’m talkin’ about! What a fantastic short story!
Several years ago, this Nigerian author published the (way too long) novel Americanah, and I was just about the only one who hated it (too preachy and slow for me). So, yep, it’s weird that I’d read anything else by her. Sometimes it seems like I can’t control what book my hand grabs next, LOL.
At just 35 pages, this story has the intensity and depth of a novel. I immediately got drawn in. The narrator, Zikora, is in the middle of labor, and her mother is in the room with her. I guarantee you, if you’ve ever been in labor, you’ll relate. The scene is vivid and realistic. After the wild beginning, the story settles down as Zikora thinks about her boyfriend (a lot), her mother, her father, her friend, Nigerian traditions, and her new role as a mother. Zikora is likable, and it’s cool the way the author shows her as strong yet vulnerable.
I love the way the author writes. She’s a master storyteller who eloquently beckons you into her world. With sophisticated, sharp language, and tons of introspection, the author makes you feel for the characters.
What a cool surprise that I ended up loving this story! After Americanah, I didn’t see a future with Adichie. But now she’s a bud and I’ll follow her anywhere. Another book, please! (Meanwhile, I plan to read her earlier work.)
My only complaint is that I wanted more. The story sort of felt like Chapter 1. Don’t worry—there’s no cliffhanger and there is some closure. It’s just that I’m ready for Chapter 2. Anytime, now, anytime.
This is only available as an ebook, I’m afraid, but it’s just $1.99 through Amazon. And of course it’s short, so it’s not a big time hit. Highly recommended.
Now this is what I’m talkin’ about! What a fantastic short story!
Several years ago, this Nigerian author published the (way too long) novel Americanah, and I was just about the only one who hated it (too preachy and slow for me). So, yep, it’s weird that I’d read anything else by her. Sometimes it seems like I can’t control what book my hand grabs next, LOL.
At just 35 pages, this story has the intensity and depth of a novel. I immediately got drawn in. The narrator, Zikora, is in the middle of labor, and her mother is in the room with her. I guarantee you, if you’ve ever been in labor, you’ll relate. The scene is vivid and realistic. After the wild beginning, the story settles down as Zikora thinks about her boyfriend (a lot), her mother, her father, her friend, Nigerian traditions, and her new role as a mother. Zikora is likable, and it’s cool the way the author shows her as strong yet vulnerable.
I love the way the author writes. She’s a master storyteller who eloquently beckons you into her world. With sophisticated, sharp language, and tons of introspection, the author makes you feel for the characters.
What a cool surprise that I ended up loving this story! After Americanah, I didn’t see a future with Adichie. But now she’s a bud and I’ll follow her anywhere. Another book, please! (Meanwhile, I plan to read her earlier work.)
My only complaint is that I wanted more. The story sort of felt like Chapter 1. Don’t worry—there’s no cliffhanger and there is some closure. It’s just that I’m ready for Chapter 2. Anytime, now, anytime.
This is only available as an ebook, I’m afraid, but it’s just $1.99 through Amazon. And of course it’s short, so it’s not a big time hit. Highly recommended.
October 30, 2020
“Zikora” is a short story...
.....at 35 pages.
Zikora, originally from Nigeria, was practicing law in DC.
Her high-powered professional, scumbag, boyfriend, Kwame, bolts when he learns Zikora is pregnant.
Poor guy can’t face his responsibility and doesn’t.
Zikora has no choice to face her pregnancy- and does.
Lots of self reflection
about her own mother —
Mother/daughter themes have been in my space often this year. I did some reflecting, too.
At only 35 pages - it wouldn’t be fair to say much more — other than what’s not to love about Chimamanada?
She writes from truth, and heart.
The language is poetic...
The story taunting.
A Kindle unlimited/ read/ or audible format.
I enjoyed both.
.....at 35 pages.
Zikora, originally from Nigeria, was practicing law in DC.
Her high-powered professional, scumbag, boyfriend, Kwame, bolts when he learns Zikora is pregnant.
Poor guy can’t face his responsibility and doesn’t.
Zikora has no choice to face her pregnancy- and does.
Lots of self reflection
about her own mother —
Mother/daughter themes have been in my space often this year. I did some reflecting, too.
At only 35 pages - it wouldn’t be fair to say much more — other than what’s not to love about Chimamanada?
She writes from truth, and heart.
The language is poetic...
The story taunting.
A Kindle unlimited/ read/ or audible format.
I enjoyed both.
January 21, 2021
“Zikora” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is an absorbing short story that is free with Audible Plus. It’s narrated by Adepero Oduye who possesses an incredible voice. I loved listening to her performance. Oduye is perfect for Adichie’s lyrical prose.
It’s a fast story, only a bit over one hour. Yet it’s rich with emotion. An accomplished lawyer from Nigeria finds herself pregnant. She’s in her late 30’s and is surprised and happy to be expecting. Sadly, her man is not as excited. This is a woman’s journey as a pregnant woman without a man, and then a new mother, all alone. She wrestles with how her man who was so thoughtful and considerate could just turn on her once she’s with child. And childbirth…. well, Adichie must be speaking from experience. Adichie writes a realistic story of a woman’s thoughts and feelings about becoming a mother. It is amazing all the contemplation that can fit into less than 90 minutes. I loved it.
It’s a fast story, only a bit over one hour. Yet it’s rich with emotion. An accomplished lawyer from Nigeria finds herself pregnant. She’s in her late 30’s and is surprised and happy to be expecting. Sadly, her man is not as excited. This is a woman’s journey as a pregnant woman without a man, and then a new mother, all alone. She wrestles with how her man who was so thoughtful and considerate could just turn on her once she’s with child. And childbirth…. well, Adichie must be speaking from experience. Adichie writes a realistic story of a woman’s thoughts and feelings about becoming a mother. It is amazing all the contemplation that can fit into less than 90 minutes. I loved it.
December 10, 2020
This was a really good short story, just 35 pages.
A pregnant woman, boyfriend leaves upon learning this.
Her mother is in town to be with her In the hospital for the birth.
During labor and the days following her baby’s birth.. she ruminates about her relationship with her ex and about her mother’s own painful past.
I loved everything about the writing and story except the ending! I so needed more!
A pregnant woman, boyfriend leaves upon learning this.
Her mother is in town to be with her In the hospital for the birth.
During labor and the days following her baby’s birth.. she ruminates about her relationship with her ex and about her mother’s own painful past.
I loved everything about the writing and story except the ending! I so needed more!
November 11, 2020
Zikora is everywoman. Like an overflowing grocery bag, she drops bits along the way that resonate with most of our sisterhood. Slightly over an hour, Adichie’s construction of her short story flows from present to past through cultures and countries. It delivers a powerful and skillful punch and the beautiful narration by Adepero Oduye is a perfect match.
June 10, 2023
How many times have you struggled to understand your mother? We ladies are always our daddy’s little girls, and more often than not, our relationship with our moms is more multi-faceted. But we truly understand our mothers when we ourselves reach that stage in our lives. All of a sudden, her thinking, her scolding, her anxieties, her overprotectiveness… everything starts making sense.
Zikora is one such woman. A very successful Nigerian-origin lawyer in America, she finds herself pregnant at thirty-nine, an unexpected development that leads to her boyfriend abandoning her. While in labour, she starts mulling over her choices and her mother’s role in her life to distract herself from the pain. Slowly, she realises that her mother and she are not that far apart in thinking, though they are very different in lifestyle.
Zikora (the short story) comprises the musings of Zikora (the character) throughout its 34 pages. Yet, the flow doesn’t seem boring or repetitive.
Chimamanda proves that she is one of the best at transcribing human emotions in all its nuances accurately on paper (errr…. digital paper, I mean.) Her writing is as crisp and stark as always, and you can’t help but flip through this little short story as fast as you can. I really admire how she captures feelings through her words.
This ebook is part of the Amazon Original Stories collection and is free for Prime members.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
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Zikora is one such woman. A very successful Nigerian-origin lawyer in America, she finds herself pregnant at thirty-nine, an unexpected development that leads to her boyfriend abandoning her. While in labour, she starts mulling over her choices and her mother’s role in her life to distract herself from the pain. Slowly, she realises that her mother and she are not that far apart in thinking, though they are very different in lifestyle.
Zikora (the short story) comprises the musings of Zikora (the character) throughout its 34 pages. Yet, the flow doesn’t seem boring or repetitive.
Chimamanda proves that she is one of the best at transcribing human emotions in all its nuances accurately on paper (errr…. digital paper, I mean.) Her writing is as crisp and stark as always, and you can’t help but flip through this little short story as fast as you can. I really admire how she captures feelings through her words.
This ebook is part of the Amazon Original Stories collection and is free for Prime members.
***********************
Join me on the Facebook group, Readers Forever! , for more reviews, book-related discussions and fun.
Follow me on Instagram: RoshReviews
December 19, 2020
I loved listening to this on my morning walk. Beautifully written with a main character, Zikora, that I truly cared about. But I need more! I didn't want to leave her and really wish it was longer.
July 17, 2022
What a powerful short story!
A woman in labor reflects about her love life, achievements and her troubled family bonds. Ultimately, she proves the strength of a lioness when she gives birth to a healthy baby boy.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has a reflexive writing style depicting a narrative replete with spot-on metaphors.
I want to read more of her books! 📚
A woman in labor reflects about her love life, achievements and her troubled family bonds. Ultimately, she proves the strength of a lioness when she gives birth to a healthy baby boy.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has a reflexive writing style depicting a narrative replete with spot-on metaphors.
I want to read more of her books! 📚
December 24, 2020
This was a very enjoyable read. Such a shame it's just a short story, I can totally see it as a novel.
Ours was an ancient story, the woman wants the baby and the man doesn’t want the baby and a middle ground does not exist.
“It’s funny how pregnancy is like body hair. We scrub and scrape our armpits and upper lip and legs because we hate to have hair there. Then we pamper and treat the hair on our heads because we love hair there. But it’s all hair. It’s the wanting that makes the difference.”
Ours was an ancient story, the woman wants the baby and the man doesn’t want the baby and a middle ground does not exist.
“It’s funny how pregnancy is like body hair. We scrub and scrape our armpits and upper lip and legs because we hate to have hair there. Then we pamper and treat the hair on our heads because we love hair there. But it’s all hair. It’s the wanting that makes the difference.”
December 29, 2020
3.5 Stars.
This short story did not impress me like it did many of my well-respected Goodreads friends....and the rest of the community. But then....I'm still in a major reading funk!
I was really getting into it too....ticked at the boyfriend/lover who was supposed to be such a great all around person, disappointed in the dispassionate, almost nasty voice of the mother, and got through the....Whew!....difficult descriptive birthing with Zikora, feeling both sad and bad for her. But then....nothing. Well almost nothing, or perhaps just an unsatisfying end for me.
There's a great deal of content in these 32 pages, but I felt like the author failed to bring the story to a proper conclusion....unless, of course, the whole point of the story was the mother-daughter contentious relationship brought to a sort of amicable peace??? I was left wanting to know what happened to Mr. Wonderful.
May 16, 2022
I usually love everything that Adichie writes, but this short story was an exception, and I think the main issue with it was that it should have been a longer story. All the questions raised and answers given were kind of squashed into 30 pages, with no real reason as to why anything happened like it did.
The story begins with Zikora in labour, which I thought was rather gripping, but once I learned of the relationship Zikora had with with the father of the baby, things just became unbelievable. I just can't see how something as strong as that could dissolve into dust over a child. I think a part from the father's perspective could have been beneficial here.
Adichie is a wonderful writer, and the way she weaves so many themes together is startling, but this story, has left me feeling a little high and dry.
The story begins with Zikora in labour, which I thought was rather gripping, but once I learned of the relationship Zikora had with with the father of the baby, things just became unbelievable. I just can't see how something as strong as that could dissolve into dust over a child. I think a part from the father's perspective could have been beneficial here.
Adichie is a wonderful writer, and the way she weaves so many themes together is startling, but this story, has left me feeling a little high and dry.
November 8, 2020
A short but powerful and insightful read. Adichie manages to explore a range of important themes in just 35 pages. Themes such as:
Single motherhood
Dysfunctional relationships
Abortion
Challenges faced during early motherhood
Love
Circumcision
The impact of an absent parent
I listened via audiobook and now I'm going to go back and read it on my Kindle to highlight multiple lines of Adichie's beautiful writing.
Single motherhood
Dysfunctional relationships
Abortion
Challenges faced during early motherhood
Love
Circumcision
The impact of an absent parent
I listened via audiobook and now I'm going to go back and read it on my Kindle to highlight multiple lines of Adichie's beautiful writing.
January 2, 2021
I have loved everything I have read by Adichie. This short story is no exception. In just a few pages, we know so much about the characters and their lives. And there's nothing simple or linear about their emotions and relationships. Can't wait for another full length novel by Adichie. Thanks to Debbie for recommending this one to me.
October 3, 2021
So far I loved everything that I’ve read by Adichie. But Zikora was not such a brilliant read to me. It is a short story, spanning about 30 pages, about a woman, Zikora, during and right after childbirth. She is a Nigerian woman who immigrated to USA and is professionally successful. The story flashbacks to her relationship with the child’s father, with whom she had a flawless dynamics until she got pregnant and he walked out on her. Her stoic mother is the only one supporting her through the process, and through this Zikora also explores the dynamics of a mother-daughter relationship. The way the story starts is extremely promising. The childbirth scene is visceral and one I can only assume to be highly realistic. The writing as usual in great. What didn’t work for me though was how many different things it tried to touch in the short space, and as a result didn’t dive enough into any. The ending felt quite abrupt. I think it would have worked much better as a longer piece.
December 12, 2020
"I felt angry and I felt ugly and I welcomed both like a bitter refuge."
Zikora: A Short Story
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
There is something about this woman and how she writes that keeps me coming back for more. Why don't I admit already that I am hooked and just binge read all her books? I think I will do just that!
So I was introduced to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie when I read....as many of my fellow readers have....the award winning Americanah. Although I did enjoy that book, I did not fall in love with it.
My second book of hers was an essay, the amazing "We should all be feminists" which I did love.
And now I have read story number three. Zikora is a short story that packs as much (or more) humility, tenderness, and depth in it than many full length books do. I do not mind admiting I was mesmerised.
Zikora is pregnant. She is from Nigeria and in the United States. Her lover has abandoned her. With no reasons as to why.
Now Zikora is giving birth. She is scared, lonely, and yearning. She is reflecting. As she begins to give birth, her mother is there beside her.
This book is achingly lovely and if I have one complaint it is that it is way to short. There are so many themes but in particular is the mother/daughter relationship. You also learn much about Zikora's mother's relationship with her husband.
Zikora and her mom are different and there is distance between them. But as the reader learns more about both mother and daughter, we realize maybe they are not so different after all....
I rated this a four and not a five only because I want more of Zikora! So, I see, do other readers. I also want to know the motivations of her lover but I do realize he is not the focus. Still, it was driving me mad! I knew this was a short story but I did not expect it to end when it did.
So I hope we will get more of Zikora but even if we do not, I have to strongly recommend this book. And if any of my GR friends have read it, please post....This is one where I'd love to know what you think.
Zikora: A Short Story
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
There is something about this woman and how she writes that keeps me coming back for more. Why don't I admit already that I am hooked and just binge read all her books? I think I will do just that!
So I was introduced to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie when I read....as many of my fellow readers have....the award winning Americanah. Although I did enjoy that book, I did not fall in love with it.
My second book of hers was an essay, the amazing "We should all be feminists" which I did love.
And now I have read story number three. Zikora is a short story that packs as much (or more) humility, tenderness, and depth in it than many full length books do. I do not mind admiting I was mesmerised.
Zikora is pregnant. She is from Nigeria and in the United States. Her lover has abandoned her. With no reasons as to why.
Now Zikora is giving birth. She is scared, lonely, and yearning. She is reflecting. As she begins to give birth, her mother is there beside her.
This book is achingly lovely and if I have one complaint it is that it is way to short. There are so many themes but in particular is the mother/daughter relationship. You also learn much about Zikora's mother's relationship with her husband.
Zikora and her mom are different and there is distance between them. But as the reader learns more about both mother and daughter, we realize maybe they are not so different after all....
I rated this a four and not a five only because I want more of Zikora! So, I see, do other readers. I also want to know the motivations of her lover but I do realize he is not the focus. Still, it was driving me mad! I knew this was a short story but I did not expect it to end when it did.
So I hope we will get more of Zikora but even if we do not, I have to strongly recommend this book. And if any of my GR friends have read it, please post....This is one where I'd love to know what you think.
October 30, 2020
This is so working the hour to listen. So good, I was upset to see it end. I want more of this story😩
January 23, 2021
4.5 Stars
This is a relatively short story, one that packs a punch in 35 pages, but shares a story that is probably shared by far too many women in reality. There’s a slowly building tension, so slow that it is almost imperceptible at first, and returns once again as the story builds near the end. A struggle between mother and daughter, and men and women and whose beliefs will prevail.
Zikora is a young woman who holds a respected place in her work, but will always be a child to her mother. She is naive in love, but holds strong in her beliefs with the man who will be the father of her child. With her mother, she strives to remain strong in her beliefs, while her mother tells her what she must do.
‘Ours was an ancient story, the woman wants the baby and the man doesn’t want the baby and a middle ground does not exist. What would a middle ground be? We couldn’t have half a baby.’
A powerful and beautifully shared story that flows effortlessly, about our society where women are still held back by a patriarchal culture and attitude.
This is a relatively short story, one that packs a punch in 35 pages, but shares a story that is probably shared by far too many women in reality. There’s a slowly building tension, so slow that it is almost imperceptible at first, and returns once again as the story builds near the end. A struggle between mother and daughter, and men and women and whose beliefs will prevail.
Zikora is a young woman who holds a respected place in her work, but will always be a child to her mother. She is naive in love, but holds strong in her beliefs with the man who will be the father of her child. With her mother, she strives to remain strong in her beliefs, while her mother tells her what she must do.
‘Ours was an ancient story, the woman wants the baby and the man doesn’t want the baby and a middle ground does not exist. What would a middle ground be? We couldn’t have half a baby.’
A powerful and beautifully shared story that flows effortlessly, about our society where women are still held back by a patriarchal culture and attitude.
October 30, 2020
Okay, let's get a few things out of the way. The ONLY reason I gave Zikora four stars instead of five is I needed more! Like how dare you set up this perfect story in 35 pages and then leave me (because I'm taking this personally) hanging??? Second thing, this is a short (also available in audio) that is only available to Amazon Prime members. Now on to the review!
Like I said before Zikora is only 35 pages but within those pages Adichie gives us a strained mother-daughter relationship where expectations are high and disappointments weigh heavily; hopeful, yet reality-based, father-daughter relationship; and a promising until it isn't love relationship. But there's also a future ahead for Zikora and wondering what might come of it that doesn't get answered. I finished reading this with such a need to know what happened next for her at work, with her parents and with others.
January 10, 2022
"He would kill you, but he would do it courteously."
Exactly how I felt while I was reading this short story. No, it's just not about a particular character but the whole story, the characters and the writing felt like I was in a situation I didn't like but I was enraptured in it and I just couldn't leave.
There are topics to discuss: lack of commitment/communication in a relationship, overbearing, abusive parents, childbirth and responsibilities. The story is more than these but you have to read it to feel them.
A good read I would say.
Exactly how I felt while I was reading this short story. No, it's just not about a particular character but the whole story, the characters and the writing felt like I was in a situation I didn't like but I was enraptured in it and I just couldn't leave.
There are topics to discuss: lack of commitment/communication in a relationship, overbearing, abusive parents, childbirth and responsibilities. The story is more than these but you have to read it to feel them.
A good read I would say.
January 7, 2024
Turiu silpnybę tokioms dviejų kartų sandūros istorijoms, kuomet mama ir būsima mama randa būdų suartėti, nors jas skiria viskas - ir kalba, ir žemynai, ir patirtys, ir požiūriai. Adichie nuostabiai moka rašyti apie rasinius, kultūrinius, socialinius skirtumus ir Zikora buvo tik priminimas, kad po ilgų metų susižavėjimo, kuriuos paliko "Amerikana", reikia eiti ir skaityti kitas jos knygas. Nuostabi trumpa istorija, absoliučiai tobulai išpildyta, net jei ir vos per keliasdešimt puslapių. Va čia yra talentas ir aukščiausia praba.
August 28, 2021
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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie once again showcases her beautiful prose in Zikora. The story begins with the titular character, Zikora, who is about to give birth. The father of her soon to be born child is not there with he left her months prior, after she hinted at the possibility of being pregnant. As Zikora goes into labour her mind goes back to this relationship, and we learn that she's a lawyer who grew up in Nigeria. Her father married a second wife, something that has made her somewhat resentful towards her own mother (his first wife). Adichie conveys Zikora's various state of minds as well as the uneasy relationship she has with her mother. Her love story with Kwame was particularly sad and Adichie succeeds in giving a nuanced picture of their relationship.
However much I liked Adichie's calibrated and beautifully insightful prose, I have never been a fan of narratives that focus on giving birth or the early days of motherhood. I would definitely recommend this story to those who unlike me do not have qualms reading about these subjects.
edit 24/11: I am not a fan of cancel culture however I also do not want to support public figures who use their positions of influence to spread hate or under the banner of 'freedom of speech' discriminate against the trans community. So no, I am not about encourage others to 'cancel' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie but I do think that her comments about the whole JK Rowling ordeal are questionable indeed. Until then...I am not sure I will be able to enjoy her work as I did before.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie once again showcases her beautiful prose in Zikora. The story begins with the titular character, Zikora, who is about to give birth. The father of her soon to be born child is not there with he left her months prior, after she hinted at the possibility of being pregnant. As Zikora goes into labour her mind goes back to this relationship, and we learn that she's a lawyer who grew up in Nigeria. Her father married a second wife, something that has made her somewhat resentful towards her own mother (his first wife). Adichie conveys Zikora's various state of minds as well as the uneasy relationship she has with her mother. Her love story with Kwame was particularly sad and Adichie succeeds in giving a nuanced picture of their relationship.
However much I liked Adichie's calibrated and beautifully insightful prose, I have never been a fan of narratives that focus on giving birth or the early days of motherhood. I would definitely recommend this story to those who unlike me do not have qualms reading about these subjects.
edit 24/11: I am not a fan of cancel culture however I also do not want to support public figures who use their positions of influence to spread hate or under the banner of 'freedom of speech' discriminate against the trans community. So no, I am not about encourage others to 'cancel' Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie but I do think that her comments about the whole JK Rowling ordeal are questionable indeed. Until then...I am not sure I will be able to enjoy her work as I did before.
January 2, 2023
Zikora is a powerful story of family, womanhood, and the neverending double standards women endure in the patriarchal societies of the United States and Nigeria. I understood Zikora's anxiety and sadness but also felt hopeful for her. I wanted to slap everyone else! The mother-daughter relationship reminded me of the complicated strife between teenage girls and their mothers and how a baby often helps to smooth over the rough spots. A slap for the father too self absorbed to be there for Zikora. And a punch in the face for the all too familiar scumbag boyfriend Kwame who walks away, taking zero responsibility for his role in Zikora's pregnancy. How is that in any way acceptable?
But I have faith that Zikora and her son will be fine. Zikora is strong and financially secure. She will raise her son with love and respect for all things but especially women and perhaps his generation will be different. So there is hope.
P.S. No one was actually slapped or punched in the reading of this story or the writing of the review.
8/7/22 P.P.S. Apparently this one made me angry!
But I have faith that Zikora and her son will be fine. Zikora is strong and financially secure. She will raise her son with love and respect for all things but especially women and perhaps his generation will be different. So there is hope.
P.S. No one was actually slapped or punched in the reading of this story or the writing of the review.
8/7/22 P.P.S. Apparently this one made me angry!
March 30, 2021
This short story opens with title character Zikora giving birth. It is a painful, impossible task and as she fails to deliver her newborn into this world her thoughts return to the man who had aided her in making a foetus, but who refused to remain and help her raise a human. She also reminisces about the girl she had been before he entered her life.
I was unprepared for the depth of emotion and the whole lives this managed to depict in just 34 short pages. Zikora details the differences in generations, genders, and cultures as her thoughts return to her aloof mother, her boyish father, the seemingly perfect man who could not handle his responsibilities, and herself, caught up between them all. There is no perfect resolution to close this painful little piece yet a glimmer of hope and a future taut with promise is hinted at.
I was unprepared for the depth of emotion and the whole lives this managed to depict in just 34 short pages. Zikora details the differences in generations, genders, and cultures as her thoughts return to her aloof mother, her boyish father, the seemingly perfect man who could not handle his responsibilities, and herself, caught up between them all. There is no perfect resolution to close this painful little piece yet a glimmer of hope and a future taut with promise is hinted at.
May 28, 2023
Magnificent. This short story by this amazing author is nothing short of magnificent.
This is the first i have read from this lady and i will be reading more.
The raw honesty! The beauty and detail in this story really could not have been done any better.
The story of zikora a wealthy woman of late 30s with a equally wealthy and aged partner. All seems well and great until she falls pregnant.
We go from her childhood with her mother and father to her present day. Pregnant and giving birth.
It is very honest and detailed regarding what a mother has to endure to bring her child into the world. The beauty in pain.
It is a outstanding example of showing a woman understanding the past through her own present experiences.
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This is the first i have read from this lady and i will be reading more.
The raw honesty! The beauty and detail in this story really could not have been done any better.
The story of zikora a wealthy woman of late 30s with a equally wealthy and aged partner. All seems well and great until she falls pregnant.
We go from her childhood with her mother and father to her present day. Pregnant and giving birth.
It is very honest and detailed regarding what a mother has to endure to bring her child into the world. The beauty in pain.
It is a outstanding example of showing a woman understanding the past through her own present experiences.
Follow me on 👍https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...
November 15, 2020
I love Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's writing and i'm so pleased i picked this up.
December 24, 2022
Wow, this woman can write!!! In just over an hour she got me 100% invested in Zikora, a wonderfully nuanced, complex character. This novella mostly plays out as internal thoughts and focuses on relationships. I loved that some elements (the absolute love for your baby) was described exactly as I felt it, and others (because of differences in culture) were so different from what I'm familiar with. The narration by Adepero Oduye was pitch perfect, and my only complaint is that I wanted Zikora to be a full length novel.
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