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:

In Nigeria, vagabonds are those whose existence is literally outlawed: the queer, the poor, the displaced, the footloose and rogue spirits. They inhabit transient spaces, making their way invisibly through a world of old vengeance, shifting realities, and ever-lurking danger. Eloghosa Osunde’s brave, fiercely inventive novel traces a wild array of characters for whom life itself is a form of resistance: a driver for a debauched politician with the power to command life and death; a legendary fashion designer who gives birth to a grown daughter; a lesbian couple whose tender relationship sheds unexpected light on their experience with underground sex work; a wife and mother who attends a secret spiritual gathering that shifts her world. Whether running from danger, meeting with secret lovers, finding their identities, or vanquishing their shadowselves, Osunde’s characters confront and support one another, before converging for the once-in-a-lifetime gathering that gives the book its unexpectedly joyous conclusion.

Happy Friday everyone! For the Catholic world and most of the Christian world, today is a day of reflection as they are observing Good Friday, a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. This means that today and yesterday were holidays here in the Philippines. For those who are not observing the Holy Week, I hope you are ending the work week on a high note. Happy weekend everyone! I hope the work went well and that we are all diving into the weekend free of worries. For those whose weeks went the other way around, I hope that the weekend will provide you a badly needed respite. I hope that we all spend it pursuing the things we are passionate about.

Today is also the last Friday of March. Woah. Time is really rushing past us. How have the first three months of the year been for you? I hope it went well for everyone. As we slowly transition to a new quarter, I hope that the rest of the year will shower everyone with good news, blessings, and happiness. More importantly, I hope everyone will be healthy, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Reading-wise, March was dedicated to the works of female writers to commemorate Women’s History Month. The last time I hosted an all-women book month was back in March 2022. This literary journey has brought me to different parts of the world, well except Europe which will be my next destination in the coming days. My current read, Eloghosa Osunde’s Vagabonds!, finally transported me to West Africa.

Before 2022, I had never heard of the Nigerian writer nor had I encountered any of their – it seems that they are binary as the pronoun they use on their official site is they and their – works. It was during one of my random excursions to the local bookstore that I first came across them. Their debut novel immediately piqued my interest so without ado, I obtained a copy of their book. However, it would take me a couple of years before I finally get to read the book. The novel is set in the former Nigerian capital of Lagos; the home to over nine million Nigerians, it is currently the largest city in the African continent. It is also a melting pot of different cultures, making it a wonderful canvas upon which Osunde juxtaposed their debut novel.

Vagabonds! is essentially a collection of short stories with interconnected subjects, particularly romance. Guiding the readers is the mercurial presence of Tatafó. Tatafo is one of the underlings of Èkó, the presiding spirit of Lagos. It was through Tatafó that Osunde introduced a diverse cast of characters. Essentially, Tatafó was sent by Èkó to wreak havoc and even stoke hunger on the city’s inhabitants. It seems cruel but As Tatafó navigates Lagos, he makes the readers meet the titular vagabonds, essentially the individuals who are living at the fringes of society, the social outcasts.

The titular vagabonds are all queer, pushed into the darkness because of Nigeria’s religious corruption and homophobic legislation. The queerness of the characters is forcefully suppressed lest they find themselves the objects of ridicule. A popular seamstress, for instance, had to hide her relationship with another woman. A gay chauffeur was reminded of the dangers of falling in love with the same gender. Meanwhile, a group of women – all abused wives – managed to form a safe space in which they could share their trauma and find solace in each other’s company. However, they started to disappear one by one. Osunde was slowly weaving a rich tapestry that captures the chaotic life in contemporary Lagos, and consequently Nigeria.

In a way, Vagabonds! also acts as a social commentary. Osunde is probing into the maladies that plague their nation. The presence of corruption – including moral, political, and even religious – is ubiquitous. Some of which adversely impact the lives of the characters. What I find compelling about the novel is its lushness. The writing is rich. The characters are diverse. There is also a unique mix of languages. It pulsates with life despite the dark subjects it grapples with. Lagos, with Osunde’s masterful stroke of writing, also came to life. I am halfway through the book and I can’t wait to see how Osunde will steer it toward its inevitable climax.

How about you fellow reader? What book or books are you going to take with you this weekend? I hope you get to enjoy whatever you are reading right now. Happy weekend!