Efuru by Flora Nwapa | Book Review

Efuru is a beautiful young woman who elopes with the young man she loves. Her elopement is a source of embarrassment for her father and the rest of her family especially in a traditional society that prides itself on propriety. Everyone can see that her husband is lazy and underserving of her except Efuru. Eventually after a lot of hard work they are able to put together enough money to settle all the marriage rites required of them traditionally. Soon there are rumors that Efuru is barren because even after the passing of a year she still hasn't shown any signs of pregnancy. Efuru visits a dibia (native doctor) and even considers letting her husband marry another woman who can bear him kids. Eventually she gives birth to a girl and her worries disappear. It's not too long before Adizua abandons Efuru and his child to run off with another wealthy woman. For a while Efuru plays the faithful, long suffering, jilted wife and then she gets up and leaves the marriage. The ending of that marriage isn't the end of Efuru's woes but she remains the same all through - fearless, hardworking, always ready to get up and leave a bad situation - and that's why she survives all that life sends her way.

Efuru was published in 1966 so it turns 50 years old this year! It was really refreshing to read Efuru because I've been reading tons of African stories with globetrotting characters for the last few years. Efuru takes you back to your Igbo roots. It takes you back in time to the village with all of its superstitions, antiquated practices (female circumcision), local remedies (for seizures, fevers etc), Igbo proverbs, the delicious gossiping and shade throwing, everything. It also brought back memories of all the other authors published by the African Writers Series that I read when I was younger. I had always wanted to read Efuru but I never got around to picking it up. I was finally motivated when I heard that Onyeka Nwelue is researching, filming and producing a documentary on Flora Nwapa. She's touted as Africa's first female novelist! No documentary or movie has been made about her to my knowledge until now. Please, please, please GO TO Onyeka Nwelue's GoFundMe page and DONATE anything you can to support this very important work. His deadline to raise the money needed to finish up this project is the end of this month (9 days!). It's not enough to sit back and applaud Onyeka Nwelue's efforts. Let us all chip in to support this great project!
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