Chinelo Okparanta

Inspired by her mother s stories of war and Nigeria s folktale traditions, "Under the Udala Trees "is Chinelo Okparanta sdeeply searching, powerful debut about the dangers of living and loving openly"

Under the Udala Trees

archie

From the narration in the early chapters, Ijeoma always tried to find light/comfort in everything that happened.  

Uzo. It was the kind of name I’d have liked to fold up and hold in the palm of my hand, if names could be folded and held that way. So that if I were ever lost, all I'd have to do would be to open up my palm allow the name, like a torchlight, to show me the way. 

I wonder how many people still feel this way. 

"Don't let me hear that you threw it away or let it go to waste. Remember Biafra.”

She said, “A woman without a man is hardly a woman at all. You won't stay young forever.”

Ijeoma’s mum tried so much to hide her grief 😩

“With a man, life is difficult. Without a man, life is even more difficult. Take it from me"

You don't drink kai kai for its taste. You'e focusing on the wrong sense. You drink it to feel its effect on you. Feel, not taste.

Lindy

I'm puzzled by everyone calling this a romance when it's a (very good example of) bildungsroman.

anna near

This book was beautiful. Chinelo Okparanta has such a unique voice and I honestly could read 200 pages of her describing literal landscapes. I read it in one sitting. It is a heartbreaking, beautiful, and important coming-of-age story that explores what it means to be queer in an environment that rejects and degrades their entire existence. The writing was accessible and immersive. Though there were quite a few cliches, it worked within the narrative and made the story more personal. My only annoyance was how often the Bible was quoted. This isn't necessarily a flaw- especially considering how relevant christianity is in Nigerian culture, but there were pages where it was just Bible scripture. I understand why it was done, but it was still so annoying. I also could've gone without the epilogue as I loved how it ended. But definitely one of my favorite reads so far this year.

Montgomery Pierce

This book needs so, so much more love. A historical fiction wrapped up in a coming-of-age narrative neatly and lavishly sprinkled with sapphic romance spanning the entirety of the book with beautiful prose and beautifully complex characters and deep examinations of the cultural experiences of queer, Nigerian women? Yes. 

Under the Udala Trees is for you if: 
-You enjoy non-western historical fiction, particularly centering non-western examinations of culture, feminism, and LGBT+ experiences. 
-Historic sapphic romance. 
-Queer romance where the main character's arc involves the discovery of their sexuality young, exploring it, and the growth between youthful love to mature, adult love. 

Content Notes: There is (challenged) sexism, misogyny, and homophobia; non-depicted and non-graphic murder of gay men and women; non-depicted and non-graphic spousal rape; the depiction of a miscarriage; conversion therapy. This also deals with themes of depression.

the sentences are constructed so beautifully, i was grinning like an idiot in every (which is an admittedly small amount of) sapphic moment THE TENDORNESS OF WLW IM ALL HERE FOR THIS SHIT
i dont like how it didnt stick to otp and instead two sapphic ships, especially when both sapphic ships occupied a similar length in the plot. the whole thing with amina just felt empty. i wish for this book to go back a bit and for ljeoma to realise amina didn’t betray her and it’s simply circumstances that made her decide to marry a guy. 


Shelby Doherty

Likes: 
- I really enjoyed the audiobook narration, especially the songs.
- Things are not sugar-coated in this book! I wouldn't say it is exploiting trauma but it definitely recognizes that we all experience suffering and does not try to portray things through rose-colored glasses.
- Enjoyed how religious intolerance was shown throughout the book. Towards the LGBT community and towards other groups of people. Especially with the Bible verses that her mother tries to use to "cure" her.
- A fine book with a very interesting subject (just maybe not the best book for me personally)

Dislikes:
- Honestly, not really my style of book. I didn't really find the use of language that interesting nor did I feel very invested in the characters.
- The second half of the story was really not that interesting to me (after she gets married). That being said I found the miscarriage scene very emotional.
- Personally, it felt a little bit long towards the end for me

Maxime van der Wal

i have not been this close to crying because of a book in ages. proper review to come

4.5 stars.

This is honestly a wonderful book. It's so rich in Nigerian/Igbo culture, something that I'm not terribly familiar with, and I felt totally immersed in Ijeoma's world. There's a fair amount of tragedy in this book--I mean, it starts in the middle of the Nigerian Civil War and is about a lesbian having to hide her sexuality--but it's never heavy-handed. There is a happy ending, which was really relieving! 

I ended up highlighting a LOT of the passages from the "Bible study" chapters, because so much of what Okparanta wrote resonated with my own journey of being raised Christian but walking away from religion entirely. It's always wonderful to read a statement that makes me want to yell "YES, EXACTLY!!!!" so I was pretty enthusiastic about highlighting these passages!

My only complaint about the book is that it did jump around a bit within chapters, so sometimes the timeline was unclear. At first, I thought the book wasn't actually going to give details about her relationship with Amina because of how the timeline jumped straight over that and went to her mother giving her Bible lessons! There were several instances where I had to wonder if a chapter happened before or after a certain event, because there was some back and forth with little warning. It wasn't too bad or confusing, just threw me off a bit.

Overall, this is a spectacular book and I highly recommend it.

Brook

The language was nice, and so were passages, especially early, about the beautiful land. After that, the desire to tell every second of a rather boring life took over. Instead of lingering over characters to build any kind of interest, we're rushed about as the reader. No one has complex motivations. The characters are as deep and interesting as cardboard. Was glad I could at least finish this quickly.

Lucy Pullicino

Emma Cragg

Ogochukwu Ihetu

akenya tomlinson

Tifani Dyson

Madison Storm

One day in 1968, at the height of the Biafran civil war, Ijeoma's father is killed and her world is transformed forever. Separated from her grief-stricken mother, she meets another young lost girl, Amina, and the two become inseparable. Theirs is a relationship that will shake the foundations of Ijeoma's faith, test her resolve and flood her heart. In this masterful novel of faith, love and redemption, Okparanta takes us from Ijeoma's childhood in war-torn Biafra, through the perils and pleasures of her blossoming sexuality, her wrong turns, and into the everyday sorrows and joys of marriage and motherhood. As we journey with Ijeoma we are drawn to the question: what is the value of love and what is the cost? A triumphant love story written with beauty and delicacy, Under the Udala Trees is a hymn to those who've lost and a prayer for a more compassionate world. It is a work of extraordinary beauty that will enrich your heart.

Erika

Kaycee

Rita Lisboa

Kevin. j Mercil 

One day in 1968, at the height of the Biafran civil war, Ijeoma's father is killed and her world is transformed forever. Separated from her grief-stricken mother, she meets another young lost girl, Amina, and the two become inseparable. Theirs is a relationship that will shake the foundations of Ijeoma's faith, test her resolve and flood her heart. In this masterful novel of faith, love and redemption, Okparanta takes us from Ijeoma's childhood in war-torn Biafra, through the perils and pleasures of her blossoming sexuality, her wrong turns, and into the everyday sorrows and joys of marriage and motherhood. As we journey with Ijeoma we are drawn to the question: what is the value of love and what is the cost?

cieara

Alisha 

Inspired by her mother s stories of war and Nigeria s folktale traditions, Under the Udala Trees is Chinelo Okparanta sdeeply searching, powerful debut about the dangers of living and loving openly"