SaltWire E-Edition

Love of literacy: book review

Lydia Hunsberger is the manager of collections and digital services at Western Counties Regional Library. LYDIA HUNSBERGER

Book title: Butter Honey Pig Bread

Author: Francesca Ekwuyasi

Butter Honey Pig Bread follows the lives of three Nigerian women spanning two generations, a set of twins named Kehinde and Taiye, and their mother Kambirinachi.

Growing up, Taiye and Kehinde were inseparable.

After an unexpected family tragedy occurs, however, trauma pulls the sisters apart. Kambirinachi believes she was born an Ogbanje, a spirit that plagues families by dying in childhood, making the decision to continue to live but fearful of the repercussions that choice has. Taiye and Kehinde have both moved away to Canada but have not spoken since childhood, the weight of their trauma creating a chasm between their relationship. Kehinde protects herself by cutting off contact from her family, learning only about her sister from a stack of letters that was spontaneously delivered to her.

Taiye numbs the pain of losing her sister and closest friend by indulging in a hedonistic lifestyle, resentful of a former lover who mailed a stack of secret letters to her sister without permission. As their mother ages, Taiye and Kehinde are forced to return to Lagos to care for her and in doing so must grapple with their identities, their definition of home and family and confront the trauma that has driven them apart.

Ekwuyasi’s debut novel features beautifully vivid descriptions from scenery to the delicious food Taiye cooks. This emotional and poetic novel features a character-driven plot and delves deep into the lives of the women who dominate the pages. With well-crafted prose, Butter Honey Pig Bread is excellent for readers who love reading about the lives of others and don’t mind feeling a lot of feelings.

Rating: 10 favourite meals out of 10.

News

en-ca

2021-05-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-05T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://saltwire.pressreader.com/article/281526523913462

SaltWire Network