Swallow; Efunsetan Aniwuran

by Ayodele Olofintuade

It is the early 1830’s, the countries of the global north are mired in internecine wars and poverty. The British Empire has set themselves up as the world power through the trans-atlantic slave trade and has started its long-term goal of sequestering and colonising the West Coast of Africa ahead of Germany and France. In their designs for Oduduwa nations, independent city-states in the south-west, they had factored in greed and the use of force, but what they hadn’t bargained for was resistance from the powerful women living in these areas.

These women with intertwined lives will learn of love and betrayal in the fight for survival. Efunsetan Aniwura fights to keep her family’s power. Efunporonye craves a place for herself in a world that is unforgiving to timid women. In trying to make their mark in a society dominated by men and their wars, these women will rise up against the incursions of The British Empire.
Swallow is a vivid reimagining of ancient Yoruba history that tells a sweeping tale of tradition and culture, family, legacy and love.

430 pages, Paperback

Published May 18, 2022

Reviews

[Gautam Bhatia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Swallow, by Ayodele Olofintuade, is a fascinating queer historical fiction/fantasy novel, set in early-19th century Nigeria. It follows the intertwined stories of two women - Efunsetan Aniwura and Efunporonye - who are due to be married to each other, before an act of violence by Efunsetan’s brother (at the instigation of his Christian missionary teacher) disrupts the marriage, and sends them on separate paths: Efunsetan to the city of Abeokuta, where she must make her own place amongst feuding warlords, and Efunporonye to a loveless marriage which she must nonetheless negotiate to wield power of her own. In the backdrop is the steadily rising power of the British Empire, an early prelude to years of colonial domination.

I found Swallow to be an engrossing read, its characters compelling and moving, and the story (although a somewhat familiar one in its bones) both fresh and unique. One interesting thing to note is that Swallow was published by Masobe, an independent Nigerian publishing house, and you can tell that is primary audience is Nigerian (the most obvious marker is the number of Nigeria-specific terms for food, items of clothing, and customs, which are neither italicised nor translated).

This, I suspect, has had an influence on the writing style as well: of late, I’ve been finding that a fair bit (although by no means all) of contemporary SF, published out of the US/UK, is extremely slick and polished, but also sounds similar - as if the author’s voice has been somehow flattened out at some point in the publishing process. That is definitely not the case with Swallow: the voice is both specific and idiosyncratic, and while at times it means that the novel reads a little raw (for example, occasional shifts between past and present tense can get a little jarring), it also means that it makes for an extremely refreshing read. Recommended.

[BookishWule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somewhere between 4 and 5 🌟
This a Queernormative (I squealed when I realised this) historical fiction that reimagines the lives of two great women, Efunsetan Aniwura and Efunporonye Osintinubu.

I was easily transported into this world because of the bold and vivid descriptors. The world is so beautiful and vibrant.
This is storytelling at its peak!
I could imagine this book being turned into a stage play cause it read as such in all the right ways.
Brilliance across the boards!

I enjoyed the history lessons on the side as well as the Yoruba spirituality/religion which is the bedrock of this story.

Any book that explores Slavery and Colonialism will always have my heart. Ayodele Olofintuade added a fresh voice and original commentary on said themes unapologetically. Other themes they explored include; Women empowerment, Identity, Patriarchy, Belonging, Religion and its ills, Culture, and many more.

The characters are brilliant and I loved each character's arc, development and growth.
From Efunsetan to Efunporonye, Atoke and Kumuyilo, each of these POVs was woven amazingly into the narrative. One of the best use of multiple POVs I've read.
There's an extra POV (that I was shocked by, positively) but provided a very much-needed insight.

Another thing that was done exceptionally well is the writing, the use of lyrical prose to bring the story and characters to life was a hit with me.
The use of language also stands out and speaks to Olofintuade's mastery of it!
This is a book that doesn't apologise for her use of the Yoruba Language.

A plus that I loved so much was the smut, very demure, very well done, 10/10 😘

A minor critique would be the noncohesiveness of the POVs and chapters. Not all just some, but even this didn't affect my reading experience.

This is a successful debut!
Ayodele Olofintuade is an important voice, a necessary perspective and everybody should read their books.

Also that cliffhanger, running to start book 2 immediately!

[Oyin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delight of a book. Set in pre colonial Yoruba land, Swallow takes us through self discoveries, fighting demons, challenging indoctrination, love and war, power and weakness, spirituality and the mystic, Gods and their channels of communication, self expression across a spectrum, trauma and pain and suffering, friendship and sisterhood and brotherhood, language and its undertones and proverbs and songs, traditions and cultures, appearances and attires, and so much more.

We are shown the perspectives of different characters whose paths make up pieces of a complicated puzzle. So wonderfully intertwined and connected. Swallow is a breath of fresh air, already my favorite book of the year and maybe ever.

[Lolá · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love this book and I can't wait to read book two.

[Lies VH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love African literature

[Feyisara Olayemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice story