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A review by emmakjv
Things They Lost by Okwiri Oduor
5.0
Things They Lost takes place somewhere between the magic of girlhood and the harsh realities of relational trauma.
Our protagonist, Ayosa, is just a girl when her mother takes off, leaving her to fend for herself among a host of magical characters, such as the Fatumas who live and wail for the dying in Ayosa’s attack, and the wraiths, who masquerade as the things she desires most, while trying to steal her away to the world of the dead. Simultaneously, Ayosa is trying to process her strange ability to see the memories of others, including the last few generations of women in her family.
The first half of Things They Lost is a story of innocence and seemingly random events in a young girls life, but these happenings are secretly building to an intense plot that reveals itself in the second half. This book is full of beautiful prose and tender moments, as well as allusions to Kenya’s colonial past, and the Moi era, in which the government was responsible for many human rights violations of which the public largely kept secret.
One part Pippi Longstockings, one part Alice in Wonderland, one part something wholly original, this one is a can’t miss. There is so much complexity here that I’m shocked it’s a debut novel. I can’t believe it doesn’t have more 5 star ratings. If you’ve read it, I need to know what you thought.
Our protagonist, Ayosa, is just a girl when her mother takes off, leaving her to fend for herself among a host of magical characters, such as the Fatumas who live and wail for the dying in Ayosa’s attack, and the wraiths, who masquerade as the things she desires most, while trying to steal her away to the world of the dead. Simultaneously, Ayosa is trying to process her strange ability to see the memories of others, including the last few generations of women in her family.
The first half of Things They Lost is a story of innocence and seemingly random events in a young girls life, but these happenings are secretly building to an intense plot that reveals itself in the second half. This book is full of beautiful prose and tender moments, as well as allusions to Kenya’s colonial past, and the Moi era, in which the government was responsible for many human rights violations of which the public largely kept secret.
One part Pippi Longstockings, one part Alice in Wonderland, one part something wholly original, this one is a can’t miss. There is so much complexity here that I’m shocked it’s a debut novel. I can’t believe it doesn’t have more 5 star ratings. If you’ve read it, I need to know what you thought.