First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther. Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.

Synopsis:

Ẹniọlá is tall for his age, a boy who looks like a man. Because his father has lost his job, Ẹniọlá spends his day running errands for the local tailor, collecting newspapers, begging when he must and dreaming of a big future.

Wúràọlá is a golden girl, the perfect child of a wealthy family. Now an exhausted young doctor in her first year of practice, she is beloved by Kúnlé, the volatile son of an ascendant politician.

When another local politician takes an interest in Ẹniọlá and sudden violence shatters a family party, Wúràọlá’s and Ẹniọlá’s lives become intertwined. In her breathtaking second novel, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ shines her light on Nigeria, its aging class divide and the shared humanity that lives in between.

Happy Friday everyone! It is time to plunge into the weekend. I hope that everyone is ending the week on a high note. The past two days have been rather damp here in the Philippines, with monsoon rains occasionally providing downpours. Heavy rains in Manila mean heavy traffic and flooding in some parts. Despite these pains, most of us had to suit up for office. I even had to evaluate my choices before I finally woke up and prepared to go to work. Oh, such is life, especially as an adult. I just realized that today is the first day of September which means that the Philippine Christmas season has officially started. Christmas songs were played in malls, shops, and radio. On another note, I hope that everyone had a better end to the week. I hope that everyone is doing well, in mind, body, and spirit.

But before I can strip my corporate mask and don a more comfortable ensemble, let me close the work week with a fresh First Impression Friday update. This has become a weekly tradition and one that I have come to look forward to as it provides me a checkpoint upon which to evaluate the book I am currently reading. Last month, I indulged in the works of African literature but the time is rather short so I decided to extend it a bit, if only to cover the books that are part of my reading challenges. My current read, Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀’s latest novel, A Spell of Good Things, however, is not part of my reading challenges. Still, A Spell of Good Things was a book I looked forward to after I learned about its publication.

I was first introduced to the Nigerian writer back in early 2020. I came across a positive review of her debut novel, Stay With Me. Luckily enough, I found a copy of the book during the Big Bad Wolf Sale. Without more ado, I read the book. I was in awe. This made me look forward to reading more of her works. That opportunity came in 2023 when I learned about her latest release; I wasn’t aware that she was releasing a new work. I was naturally excited when I learned about A Spell of Good Things. I got more excited when, a couple of days after I bought the book, it was announced as part of the 2023 Booker Prize longlist; it is the first book on the list that I am reading.

Set in modern-day Nigeria, the novel charted the story of two characters. Ẹniọlá was born into destitution. His father was a teacher by profession but he soon lost his job. Because of this, the family struggled to fund Ẹniọlá and his sister Bùsọ́lá’s education. There was a portion of the book where Bùsọ́lá confronted their parents regarding their inability to pay their tuition fee. Bùsọ́lá was being beaten because of their unpaid fees and welts were showing on her back. Their parents were trying their best to earn money. This prompted their parents to earn money through other means; they even scavenged the dump to look for objects to sell. Despite giving their best, their parents were not able to earn enough money.

As a last resort, their mother sought help from her brother’s assistance – financial – and wisdom. Her brother, who has always been reliable, had his own struggles that didn’t allow him to help his sister. The only solution they can come up with is to have Ẹniọlá stop studying and help earn money. Ẹniọlá, after all, looked more mature and bigger than his peers. Moreover, it is better to have one child succeed than to have both fail. However, this means that Ẹniọlá must sacrifice his dreams of attending a big school.

On the other side of the spectrum, the readers meet Wúràọlá. She was already in her late twenties and was born into a well-off middle-class household. Yèyé, the matriarch of the household, dreamt of having her eldest daughter marry her friend’s son, Kúnlé. Kúnlé was Wúràọlá’s childhood friend and also the son of a local politician. Despite the freedom afforded to her, Wúràọlá felt the pressures on her shoulders. She accepted her childhood’s proposal even though her heart was not in the relationship. She was subservient to her parent’s wishes if only to keep them happy and maintain the peace at home.

The opening pages of the novel laid out the landscape of the novel. It does sound like a typical story about social classes and privileges but is set in modern Nigeria. This, however, makes the story a little more accessible. Many a reader can relate to the struggles of the characters. What I am interested in is how the two starkly different worlds will collide. So far, the lines are still distinct. Adébáyọ̀ is a skilled writer so I want to trust her and her vision. As always, Adébáyọ̀ peppered her sophomore novel with details of Nigerian culture. Food permeated the air, enriching the lush tapestry of the story.

Compared to Stay with Me, A Spell of Good Things is a little more verbose; it feels like Adébáyọ̀ is more concerned with the telling in the latter. Still, I want to be open-minded about it. How about you fellow reader? What book or books are you taking with you for the weekend? I hope you get to enjoy them. Again, happy weekend everyone!