So well-crafted, this story had me poised on a delicate divide between horror and enjoyment. Our first-person narrator Korede is similarly torn between loyalty to her sister, horror at her acts and jealousy of her bullet-proof popularity.
The fabulous cover has hidden the tagline on the back but it's too good to miss: "When blood is thicker, and more difficult to get out of the carpet, than water..."!
Oyinkan Braithwaite weaves her story together from memories of a disturbing childhood, devastatingly inexplicable violence and the everyday life of a hosptal nurse in Lagos. I learnt quite a bit about Nigerian culture, food and clothing by means of looking up every Yoruba word to understand a little better. In fact, I'd have liked a glossary included. That's not to say that there are too many Yoruba terms or that the story would be incomprehensible without finding out more; I simply wanted to give the writer's clues every chance to paint in the surroundings and context.
Do read 'My sister, the serial killer' for a fascinating glimpse into the life of a very unusual pair of sisters. It's an easy read in the sense of being short and flowing well; the emotions are not so easy. It will keep you reading and start you thinking.
The fabulous cover has hidden the tagline on the back but it's too good to miss: "When blood is thicker, and more difficult to get out of the carpet, than water..."!
Oyinkan Braithwaite weaves her story together from memories of a disturbing childhood, devastatingly inexplicable violence and the everyday life of a hosptal nurse in Lagos. I learnt quite a bit about Nigerian culture, food and clothing by means of looking up every Yoruba word to understand a little better. In fact, I'd have liked a glossary included. That's not to say that there are too many Yoruba terms or that the story would be incomprehensible without finding out more; I simply wanted to give the writer's clues every chance to paint in the surroundings and context.
Do read 'My sister, the serial killer' for a fascinating glimpse into the life of a very unusual pair of sisters. It's an easy read in the sense of being short and flowing well; the emotions are not so easy. It will keep you reading and start you thinking.