Chinelo Okparanta

Presents a collection of short stories centering around Nigerian women as they build lives out of hope, faith, and doubt, following such characters as a young woman faced with a dangerous decision to save her mother and a woman in love with another despite the penalties.

Happiness, Like Water

Sylvia Obonyo

A bit too long for a collection of short stories; otherwise enjoyable. Loved how every story left me in suspense. Favorites were "Wahala!" and "Tumors and Butterflies"

priya

4.5 stars

Some stories were better than others, as is always the case in collections of short stories. Okparanta is extremely talented. Within the first paragraph of each story she established the characters, the setting and the problem. This is truly special! While reading short story collections (not that I read many), I find myself trying to link stories together. I expect some continuation in the character or the setting, not because the author is trying to connect the stories, but because I mainly read novels.

In Happiness, Like Water, however, Okaparanta’s world building and characterisation is exceptional. She uses ‘show, don’t tell’ in the best possible way. You can immediately understand whether the character is living in Nigeria or America, what their personal circumstances are, how their relationships with family and friends are, how old they are, what their aspirations are and so on. I don’t have many quotes to share because while Okapranta’s writing is amazing holistically, there’s not much beauty in the words themselves. 

TWs: physical domestic violence, emotional domestic abuse, slut shaming

“And before long, she was offered that post in America, in that place where water formed a cold, feather-like substance called snow, which fell leisurely from the sky in winter. Pretty, like white lace.”

“His response sets me off. I wonder how he is able to box up all his abuse under the category of discipline.”

Happiness, Like Water

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