Vivek Oji is a young Nigerian who has blackout spells, which
Vivek and cousin Osita hide from both their families. However, that is not Vivek’s biggest secret. In fact, I have still not figured out why the
blackout spells even merit a mention in the book, since the storyline focuses
on Vivek’s sexual identity and the lack of LGBTQ acceptance in Vivek’s family
and community. For a time Vivek is very
anti-social, remaining at home and barely eating. Vivek’s parents describe Vivek’s condition as
a “sickness” and allow an exorcism to be performed at Osita’s mother’s
church. This ritual involves a brutal
beating, so similar to the one described in
The
Girl With the Louding Voice that I have to believe such a
practice is not that uncommon in Nigeria. In any case, Vivek’s friends draw Vivek
out of isolation and provide a safe haven, shielding Vivek temporarily from the
judgment of outsiders. However, this
protection is short-lived, and someone leaves Vivek’s naked dead body on the
porch for Vivek’s mother to find. She
badgers her friends to tell her what they know, but they are reluctant to share
information that they fully expect to be devastating news to the already
grieving parents. Unlike
Freshwater,
this novel is easy to follow, but it just did not draw me in. However, a section about Ebenezer, a tire
mechanic, is intriguing, and I had to reread his chapter to understand its
connection to the rest of the story. He
apparently recognizes Vivek as that “tall girl” and sees her in the market as
he is rushing to rescue his wife during a fiery riot. In this moment, Ebenezer realizes what his
closed-mindedness has almost cost him, whereas Vivek’s parents don’t reach that
state of enlightenment until it is too late.
For me, though, Ebenezer’s chapter should have been nearer the end of
the novel so that its significance would have been more obvious.
No comments:
Post a Comment