In the nearly 20 years since I first learned of Aristotle’s belief that the best story endings are 'surprising, yet inevitable,' I have rarely been as blindsided — in the best possible way — by the final moments of a book as I was while reading Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi’s Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions: A Novel in Interlocking Stories ... The final chapter will shock you. You will likely pause, flip back a few pages, certain that you missed something. Then you will realize that you did not, in fact, miss anything. You might scream, close the book, go for a walk and return to it, still shocked ... The brilliance of Ogunyemi’s writing is that after that walk, you’ll realize that from the book’s earliest pages (which are set in 1897) to its final pages (set in 2050), she lays out exactly what is to come. While the narrative is personal...the background also matters. Politics and revolution are never far from the women’s stories ... Ogunyemi declines to explain Africanness or Blackness to readers ... Ogunyemi artfully describes the strength of a sisterhood formed in childhood and forged through highs and lows of love, loss and distance or separation from a loved one ... Each of the 10 chapters that make up this novel can stand on its own, but together they tell a beautiful story of sisterhood, family and love.
The nearly 15 years Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi spent writing and rewriting proves to be tenacity well invested, resulting in her audacious debut ... The 10 chapters here work as standalone pieces, but to read them together rewards audiences with mesmerizing intertwined narratives ... Born and raised in Nigeria, Ogunyemi deftly filters the personal, historical and political throughout her collection, weaving autobiographical details from her own career as a biomedical informatician with Christianity's culturally destructive colonialism, senseless police violence, labyrinthine healthcare and the consequences of the radical and racist polarization of U.S. society. Yet, Ogunyemi never forgets to engage and entertain even as she slyly exposes and educates ... For admiring readers, the radiance of Ogunyemi's debut hopefully signals more dazzling fiction to come.
Ogunyemi’s writing has the power to reverberate through generations. She captures the spirit of Nigeria and gives voice to the complicated mix of disappointment, fierce loyalty, and adoration Nigerians have for their country ... Each story is deeply moving and the whole is so well-paced readers will be shocked at how quickly they reach the last page. Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions celebrates friendship, the power of community and home, and the joy of being a woman able to take control of her destiny.
From the first chapter, set in 1900s Nigeria, to a jaw-dropping finale that takes place in a dystopian 2050, this debut from Ogunyemi imagines an unforgettable cast of characters ... These beautifully rendered stories form an impressive whole that will please multiple literary tastes, combining Nigerian history with a touch of mysticism, and contemporary familial angst with a dire futuristic vision.
A capable and assured writer, Ogunyemi uses this tragedy by thoughtfully weaving it into new stories ... Is Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions a riveting, blazing work of fiction? Not exactly. But it does some heavy lifting by shining a spotlight on transatlantic immigrant themes that should resonate today and into the future.
... dynamic ... Through the many leaps in time and views from supporting characters, Ogunyemi succeeds at showing how each of the four women’s lives were shaped by their fiery youth. These richly developed stories are resonant and rewarding.
Ogunyemi widens the aperture beyond the tight-knit friendship among the central characters to address family dynamics, race relations, changing political landscapes in the United States and Nigeria, and the ways in which women and girls adapt, endure, and thrive. These stories both collapse and reconstruct the coming-of-age arc in a refreshing way. The final story shines brightest in imagining a near future for the elders the girls become, and for the U.S. and Nigeria, that exceeds Aristotle’s maxim that a good ending be surprising yet inevitable. Ogunyemi explores myriad themes, from religion and fundamentalism to grief and resilience, capitalism and corruption, with aplomb ... This kaleidoscopic narrative features engaging sociopolitical drama alongside a charismatic cast of characters.
