A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt: An African Memoir

by Toyin Falola

"Toyin Falola has given us what is truly rare in modern African a seriously funny, racy, irreverent package of memories, and full of the most wonderful pieces of poetry and ordinary information. It is a matter of some interest, that the only other volume A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt reminds one of is Ake , by Wole Soyinka. What is it about these Yorubas?"
-Ama Ata Aidoo

"A splendid coming-of-age story so full of vivid color and emotion, the words seem to dance off the page. But this is not only Falola's memoir; it is an account of a new nation coming into being and the tensions and negotiations that invariably occur between city and country, tradition and modernity, men and women, rich and poor. A truly beautiful book."
-Robin D. G. Kelley

"More than a personal memoir, this book is a rich minihistory of contemporary Nigeria recorded in delicious detail by a perceptive eyewitness who grew up at the crossroads of many cultures."
-Bernth Lindfors

"The reader is irresistibly drawn into Falola's world. The prose is lucid. There is humor. This work is sweet. Period."
-Ngugi wa Thiongo'o


A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt gathers the stories and reflections of the early years of Toyin Falola, the grand historian of Africa and one of the greatest sons of Ibadan, the notable Yoruba city-state in Nigeria.

Redefining the autobiographical genre altogether, Falola miraculously weaves together personal, historical, and communal stories, along with political and cultural developments in the period immediately preceding and following Nigeria's independence, to give us a unique and enduring picture of the Yoruba in the mid-twentieth century. This is truly a literary memoir, told in language rich with proverbs, poetry, song, and humor.

Falola's memoir is far more than the story of one man's childhood experiences; rather, he presents us with the riches of an entire culture and community-its history, traditions, pleasures, mysteries, household arrangements, forms of power, struggles, and transformations.

Genres: Africa, Nigeria, Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, African Literature, Autobiography

283 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2004

About the author

Toyin Omoyeni Falola is a Nigerian historian and professor of African Studies. He is currently the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin. Falola earned his B.A. and Ph.D. (1981) in History at the University of Ife, Ile-Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), in Nigeria. He is a Fellow of the Historical Society of Nigeria and of the Nigerian Academy of Letters. Falola is author and editor of more than one hundred books, and he is the general editor of the Cambria African Studies Series (Cambria Press), Falola served as the president of the African Studies Association in 2014 and 2015.

Reviews

[Friederike Knabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growing up in Nigeria in the years around independence provides good material for a personal memoir. These must have been extraordinary times, full of hope and expectation for the emerging new country. For a growing teenager though, the issues were closer to home. Falola, well known scholar of African history, has used his personal experiences to create a rich innovative kind of memoir that combines his growing up during that time with events in his community and the country as a whole. The resulting book gives the reader vivid insight into a complex society with its intricate traditions, in particular those of the Yoruba culture. Falola writes an easy accessible style, often addressing the reader directly. He demonstrates his narrative skill and an ability to impart local events with gracefulness and humour. He demonstrates how the use of proverbs, idioms and traditional imagery has remained part of everyday discourse by interweaving sayings into his narrative. "A proverb is regarded as the 'horse' that carries words to a different level, investing them with meanings...".

Falola's account suggests that he was already at the age of 10 a curious youngster and an astute observer of people, relationships and events. His early fascination with trains led him to experiences beyond his age level that were to influence his standing in his family and community. After an unplanned train ride and its aftermath, that created upheaval in the family, he was transplanted to another branch of his family in a more rural sector of Ibadan, the city-state in Nigeria's south-western region. Not having taken notice of the hierarchical structure of his polygamous family, he realized only then which of his "mothers" is his birth mother. There he also learned to connect with the rich traditions of the local people who have maintained much closer links to their past than those in the urban centre. For example, children are given an additional name by the family, a praise name (oriki). This name should establish a link to a real or imaginary hero of the past. Such names should enhance the young person's deep character and his ambition to emulate the past bearer. Like a young detective he tracks an old woman, different from any he had seen in the neighbourhood. When he is finally confronted by her, the outcomes are an important lesson for his life and future. These early influences shape his thinking into his adult life.

While the chapters stand as independent stories or essays, they flow together easily as a portrait of a person in his time and place. He merges the memories of his childhood with his comprehension of circumstances as an adult. Understanding of his roots and the culture instilled in him led him to study the cultural traditions of the Yoruba people and the history of the land. His reflections on how the two religions, Islam and Christianity managed to co-exist with the rich African traditions are as pertinent today as they were during the sixties. So is his criticism of the trend among the younger generation to denigrate their own culture in the face of western influences.

[Mason Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I took Toyin Falola's class when I studied at the University of Texas and he had us read his book. I normally end up hating when this happens and would hold a grudge against the teacher for making me purchase a book where the proceeds went to them. This was not the case with "A Mouth Sweeter Than Salt". I loved this book and having Professor Falola go through his experiences with us was a complete delight. This book would be highly beneficial to anyone who wants to learn more about African culture and European imperialism.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so much more than a memoir. A Yoruba boy's coming of age narrated through the eyes of Falola the child, guided by his wiser and more discerning adult self. Interspersed with lyrics and verses, Falolas's prose is powerful in conjuring up images of Ibadan at a time when people were still generous with their food and their time, his discovery of the world around him, the politics of polygamy, the carnival of the gods, the ritualistic celebrations as well as the initiations into religions and love. We watch him as his consciousness gradually wakes up into a world of chiefs and pastors, from living in the city to living in the country, through herbs and charms, times and seasons, playful theatre dramas and playground challenges he paints enchanting strokes of a magical Nigeria. One that precedes the military coups and leads up to the real drama of his time, the peasant rebellion of the sixties. An amazing piece of writing. To be savoured slowly.

[Biọlá · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not good at writing book reviews. But I'm going say that I loved this book so much that I didn't want it to end. It even made my look back at my own childhood, and remembering our simple things were.
I finished this book feeling proud of my Yoruba, Nigerian and African backgrounds. I even wished I was from Ibadan.
I really want him to write a follow-up to this.

[Timi · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first in the series of Toyin Falola's books that i plan to read. This is not only educative, it is funny, insightful and comprehensive. The book is not only about his life story, it contains some basic explanation of Yoruba deities, phrases, used words and many proverbs.

As a Yoruba man who also grew up in a village setting as Prof Falola, the book updated my memory about most of the thing i grew up with, my environment and how 'fast' the environment has changed. The myth surrounding Sango, how some legend stories ended up as the history of the god himself and his other side as a fertility and a prosperity god are all fascinating to me. I also derived better understanding of phrases such as "Ogun Aiye", "Ogun Orun", "Awon Agba", "Magun", "Ale" and many others.

This is a recommended read for Young Africans breaking into the "City" life and every other person.

[M.i. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it felt like I was stepping into a time machine and rediscovering so much about my past. Nostalgia was heavy with this, though some of the occurrences the author delved into happened a good while before I was born. As a child of an indigene of Oyo, this was much needed and gave me a better perspective and understanding of my own family as well.

[Mary Hemenway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having first met the author by attending some lectures, it was especially delightful to find his remembrances of his youth. Fascinating cultural look and insight into his past.

[Oreoluwa Oyinlola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Has a slow and cringey start. The real storytelling starts in the third chapter, takes off from there, and doesn’t let up until the final sentence.

[Opeyemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was both funny and educative