Book Review: Ogadinma By Ukamaka Olisakwe

 

Written by Safa Alhassan 

Ogadinma was one of my favorite books in 2021. It was intense—I may or may not have cried. This book haunted me for days, maybe even a month. After reading it, I fell into a book coma and couldn’t pick up another one. It’s that deep. Honestly, I’m struggling to write this review because it feels like I’m reliving the emotions I felt when I first read it.

Recently, I read an article on gender dynamics, civil society organizations, and competition law in Africa. It focused on women’s equal rights to access fertility services. In simple terms, it argued for women to have full autonomy over their bodies, as they should. The article challenged the ignorant idea that infertility is only a “woman’s issue” when science has proven that it affects men just as much as women. Yet, due to some archaic, man-made cultural beliefs, women are marginalized. Traditional gender roles are forced upon them, with society telling them to just shut up and suffer—because, apparently, they don’t matter.

While reading, I thought, “This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever come across.” The fact that civil societies are fighting for women’s basic rights to fertility services is both necessary and ridiculous in this day and age. And still, after these women have children, they lose themselves in motherhood, and men—often the same ones who pressured them—belittle and mock them for simply being mothers. This is what Ogadinma reminded me of. The unfairness that women face and the burdens they carry.

This book is incredibly sensitive, covering intense themes like rape, verbal and emotional abuse, physical abuse, depression, narcissism, gaslighting, and manipulation. It portrays the raw realities of women in Nigeria today—very real, very original. I used to criticize African literature for focusing too much on suffering and sadness, but when you look at it objectively, that’s the reality for a lot of people, especially women. And it’s the only way they know how to tell their stories.

Anyway, Ogadinma is an amazing book. If you’re looking for something deep and aren’t afraid to shed some tears, you should definitely read it. I loved it and still do, but it’s one of those books I’ll only read once—because my heart can’t survive the hurt all over again.