Twisted Love

by Adetanwa Ibironke Odebiyi

The author drew her motivation to write this book at this time from the ugly stories that have gone viral about the bitterness and the killings that take place among siblings. One is familiar with sibling rivalries but when these degenerate into murders, kidnappings for ransom or rituals, court cases, separations for life, one begins to wonder whether or not there are some underlying factors triggering such incidences. Could parental preferences be the root causes of these despicable acts or are some children just weird and different on their own or are they acting under peer pressure? This novel subtly draws out the interplay of the different triggers of sibling rivalryIt explores the possible effects of parenting style on the behaviour of children and centres on a middle-class family of six. The parents adopt the style of punishments and rewards in raising their children. The father, very strict, is fixated on the academic performance of his children almost to the exclusion of everything else. He wants them to excel, and especially his two girls to be educationally empowered so that they would be properly armed against any eventualities. The first girl does excel and is rewarded with gifts at every stage and set up as model for her siblings to emulate. Unfortunately, that does not happen with his second daughter who misconstrues her parents' actions and rebels, resorting to emotional blackmail to force her parents to get what she considers hers by right, not necessarily by merit. The rivalry between the two sisters breeds deep-seated envy, jealousy and bitterness beneath a façade of civility.There is also much in evidence the interlacing theme of the culture of suffering in silence surrounding women and marriage within Africa's predominantly patriarchal society. This is succinctly expressed in a statement by the main character in the novel, "A woman does not retaliate. She would be the loser in the end if she does.”Even though it is fiction, this book draws from everyday occurrences that are of significant interest to everybody especially parents, parents-to-be and anybody interested in learning about African culture in general.

216 pages, Paperback

Published May 30, 2021