I was blown away by the storyline and the writing, as I was enveloped into Yejide and Akin’s marriage and relationship story. I felt like I road the wave of emotions with these characters. I was sad for Yejide when she so desperately wanted a baby that she developed a hysterical pregnancy. I was heartbroken when her first long awaited baby died, devastated when her second child passed, and gutwrenched and filled with empathy when she couldn’t attach to her third. I was angry at Akin for his deceptions and the part he played. I was frustrated with Akin’s mother as she was pushy and put so much pressure on Yejide bearing children, making it seem clear that all her worth as a woman was tied up in that one action.

This book is different from any book that I can recall putting on my 5 star list. It’s written by an African author and it deals with a culture that is very different from my own. That’s another reason why it stood out to me and why I didn’t anticipate enjoying it as much as I did. Maybe it’s the place I’m at in life? With a loving partner but childless and hoping for that in my future. I don’t expect that everyone else will love this book as I did (I was the only one in my book club to give it 5 stars). But that just further proves how perspective, time, and place can factor into one’s reading life and individual book thoughts.