A review by laurareads87
Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Under the Udala Trees is an extraordinary novel spanning decades -- from the Nigerian-Biafran war of the late 1960s to the 1990s -- following Ijeoma, who grows from a young girl to an adult over the course of the book.  From a young age and through her school years, Ijeoma finds herself attracted to her female friend in a country where same-sex relationships are not accepted.  The novel explores the ways that Ijeoma is pushed into conforming to heteronormative expectations -- including marrying a man -- not only by her mother, who tries to pray her sexuality away, but by her own self-doubts, fears, and internal struggles.  At the same time, the book explores ethnic and class dynamics, women's roles, generational tensions, and the struggles of articulating one's identity so thoughtfully, and incorporates intertextual references and multiple languages so well.  Beautifully written, Under the Udala Trees will stay with me a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Death, Grief, Rape, Death of parent, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Homophobia, Xenophobia, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Ableism and Miscarriage

Minor: Islamophobia