Chinelo Okparanta’s Under the Udala Trees has been on my bookshelves for a while and I finally dove into it last month.
It’s a beautifully told story, quieter than I thought it would be, less drama, but no less powerful.
It was a little slow at times and I would have loved a bit more depth into some of the other characters. But it was a beautiful story of love and coming of age in a society that is not accepting. It taught me more about Nigeria as well, and the challenges there for the LGBTQ+ population.
Short summary: It’s the story of Ijeoma, who turns 11 when civil war breaks out in the young republic of Nigeria. Sent away to safety, she meets another displaced girl and they fall in love. When their love is discovered, Ijeoma learns that she will have to hide this part of herself. But there is a cost to living inside a lie.
Four stars out of five.
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