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Ogadinma Or, Everything Will Be All Right

Ukamaka Olisakwe (Goodreads Author)

4.01 · Rating details · 344 ratings · 87 reviews

Ogadinma Or, Everything Will be All Right tells the story of the naïve and trusting teenager Ogadinma as she battles against Nigeria's societal expectations in the 1980s. After a rape and unwanted pregnancy leave her exiled from her family in Kano, thwarting her plans to go to university, she is sent to her aunt's in Lagos and pressured into a marriage with an older man.

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Paperback, 256 pages

Published June 18th 2020 by The Indigo Press

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Aug 31, 2020 Oyinda rated it it was amazing

Shelves: set-in-nigeria, african-main-character, favorites, audiobook, feminism, netgalley-arc

Many thanks to W F Howes for gifting me a copy of this amazing audiobook via Netgalley, in exchange for my impartial review.

Trigger and Content Warning: Rape, Physical Abuse, Domestic Violence, Substance abuse (alcohol), Abortion, and Post Partum Depression.

This was a raw, powerful, and heartbreakingly beautiful book. I felt so many negative feelings while reading this. They weren't towards the author or her work (which was superb) but towards a lot of the characters and the events the main ch Many thanks to W F Howes for gifting me a copy of this amazing audiobook via Netgalley, in exchange for my impartial review.

Trigger and Content Warning: Rape, Physical Abuse, Domestic Violence, Substance abuse (alcohol), Abortion, and Post Partum Depression.

This was a raw, powerful, and heartbreakingly beautiful book. I felt so many negative feelings while reading this. They weren't towards the author or her work (which was superb) but towards a lot of the characters and the events the main character went through because of them.

Ogadinma, the eponymous character, went through hell, even from the opening chapters of a book. Set in Nigeria (even though it was set a couple of decades from now), there were so many elements and events and I could relate with, and I'm sure a lot Nigerian born and bred readers will relate with when they read this. Ogadinma's story starts out with her (desperate) search for admission into the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. She had other options she could have easily gotten into, like a university in the North. As a result of tribal and political tensions rocking Nigeria at the time, her father deemed it safer for her to school in the East, so the only option acceptable was UNN. That led her to the tiger's den, the tiger being Barrister Chima. Her experience with Barrister Chima was traumatizing and led to her life as she knew it falling apart.

The author did the most amazing job of weaving so many things together at the start of the book, and working these things to serve as a catalyst for the next part of Ogadinma's story. After her father sent her off to Lagos following her abortion, she's thrust into a new life and blindsided into a relationship, and later marriage with Tobe, her aunt's brother who's almost twice her age. Still as a result of her experiences with Barr Chima, she sees Tobe as a much better person than he actually is, and she glosses over so many red flags. When things take a turn for the worse in Tobe's life due to the military rule in the country, Tobe becomes a monster and Ogadinma gets more than she ever bargained for.

Ogadinma grew up without a mother, and her father who had been everything to her from her childhood, became something else entirely because of "purity culture". Her aunty Ngozi was also another very terrible character in this book. They did nothing but blame Ogadinma for her trauma and abuse, and led her to the slaughterhouse more than once.

I really wish I could say all I want to regarding this masterpiece, but that would result in spoiling it for a lot of readers, and I want you to read this book with a fresh set of eyes and experience everything as freshly and rawly as I did.

The author delved into a lot of important themes and topics, and shed light on many things. She discussed Post Partum Depression, domestic abuse, sexual liberation, how the victim is blamed over and over for their abuse, and so many other things. She not only discussed them, but she did this expertly.

The narration was really something. On one hand, I really love Adjoa Andoh and her narration on other books. She wasn't needed here. This is a Nigerian book set in Nigeria with Igbo primary characters. An Igbo narrator should have done the narration here because the pronunciation of the names was so off. I got so many names wrong and I had to keep replaying at the slowest speed. I'm still not sure I got a lot of the names right.

I breezed through this book in less than 4 hours because it was so good and I just had to know how Ogadinma's story ended. It was really worth it and I loved every bit of it. I highly recommend this book for all readers. ...more

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Dec 30, 2020 Ice Angel rated it really liked it

So many societal and cultural issues even religious defects are laced in this book from child marriage , to patriarchy and misogyny to rape and abuse. The book has rendered me speechless and I’m happy Ogadinma decides to live life on her own terms and put her happiness first.

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Apr 08, 2020 Amyn rated it liked it

I think this will make a book club very chatty.

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Sep 16, 2020 Aisha (thatothernigeriangirl) rated it really liked it

Received a review copy from Indigo Press for a Bookstagram Book Tour

This book tells the story of Ogadinma, a 17 yo girl who is exiled to Lagos, from Kano, by her father after a devastating incidence of abuse and exploitation. It’s during her “exile” in Lagos that Ogadinma is cajoled into a life that’s familiar to many women who live in a toxic patriarchal society.

Ogadinma’s character is exceptionally crafted. Olisakwe wrote her in a way that we are aware of her naivety but get occasional glimpse Received a review copy from Indigo Press for a Bookstagram Book Tour

This book tells the story of Ogadinma, a 17 yo girl who is exiled to Lagos, from Kano, by her father after a devastating incidence of abuse and exploitation. It’s during her “exile” in Lagos that Ogadinma is cajoled into a life that’s familiar to many women who live in a toxic patriarchal society.

Ogadinma’s character is exceptionally crafted. Olisakwe wrote her in a way that we are aware of her naivety but get occasional glimpse of the woman she would have become had her life gone through the same route most 17 yos go. She eventually become that woman despite her struggles with life and her truncated teenagehood. This character development is so profound that readers can easily lose themselves in their anguish (or judgment) for Ogadinma to stand up for herself that they will forget that she’s a child. Empathy and context is vital to enjoy this book.

I think this is also Olisakwe’s subtle way of challenging how our society immediately ascribe “maturity” to women when they get married so that in cases of domestic violence, the first point of discussion is “why didn’t she leave? There are also other subtle commentaries on the political and social issues rampant in 80s Nigeria.

Although, I think it’s the atmosphere rather than the setting of this book that allows for the beauty of Olisakwe’s writing to manifest itself. The book was set in the 80s but felt like the 2000s. Regardless, the struggles Ogadinma faces and the issues discussed in the book is still very much rampant in our cultures today. The opening chapter where Ogadinma experiences assault brought painful memories of the experiences girls and women shared when the BBC Africa’s Sex for Grades documentary was aired.

I also appreciate the name dropping of notable literary figure like Emecheta, Nwapa and co because it reminds us that Ogadinma’s love for education catalyses the struggles she later faced in her life. Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood is particularly important because Nnu Ego, it’s MC, shares a lot with Ogadinma and the latter’s journey to autonomy began when she read the book with more concentration.

If you’re a lover of books with well written characters, I highly recommend you pick up this book. ...more

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Sep 21, 2020 Ankita Maity rated it did not like it

Shelves: garbage, feminism

The author tried to cramp up a lot of topics into this book but failed miserably to create an impact.
The first 15 chapters of this book is dedicated to a submissive, homely Ogadinma surviving in a heavily patriarchal society, where she is raped, flogged, subjected to domestic violence, emotional abuse, you name it... and all of a sudden, starting Chapter 16, after suffering from a bout of postpartum depression, there is a change in her character portrayal. Viola! Our Damsel in distress is hookin ...more

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Sep 14, 2020 Abbie | ab_reads added it

Described as a 'feminist classic in the making', Ogadinma is the story of a young woman's journey to independence, battling everything the patriarchal, 1980s Nigerian society throws her way. From the beginning, she dreams of going to university, but an unwanted pregnancy (CW: rape & domestic abuse) leaves her exiled and crushes her university plans.
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It's a tough book to read content-wise, as it seems at times like every bad thing that could happen to Ogadinma, does. But I think Olisakwe balances ...more

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Sep 24, 2020 Fancy Reads rated it it was amazing

Shelves: feminism-african-lit-women-lit

Excellent read! Oh my, this is for those who have a stomach for violence and endurance. I love the prose. It took me a while to sympathise with Ogadinma, but at the end, the journey was worth it!

I highly recommend this book!

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Oct 21, 2021 Frances rated it really liked it

One of my biggest takeaways from the book is the importance of speaking up in any relationship. If you have to keep quiet to make other people comfortable then you're enabling them. I'm glad she eventually broke free and started living life on her terms. ...more

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Apr 27, 2021 Lou (nonfiction fiend) is currently reading it

Shelves: the-indigo-press

Queued.

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Nov 14, 2021 Kim rated it liked it

Super triggering!!!

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Dec 25, 2021 Nasiba rated it really liked it

Olisakwe’s debut novel Ogadinma follows the story of a young girl ogadinma whose life changed drastically after a rape and an abortion.

I was so angry with the lawyer, he took advantage of Ogadinma’s naivety and raped her, I was hurting on behalf of Ogadinma, that she laid there and willed herself to leave the body so the lawyer can do whatever he wanted, I felt her pain, she, alone, confused and taken advantage of. He did not even help her in the end. That changed the cause of Ogadinma’s life f Olisakwe’s debut novel Ogadinma follows the story of a young girl ogadinma whose life changed drastically after a rape and an abortion.

I was so angry with the lawyer, he took advantage of Ogadinma’s naivety and raped her, I was hurting on behalf of Ogadinma, that she laid there and willed herself to leave the body so the lawyer can do whatever he wanted, I felt her pain, she, alone, confused and taken advantage of. He did not even help her in the end. That changed the cause of Ogadinma’s life forever .

Her father was one person I was very angry with, how he beat Ogadinma after the abortion and exiled her to Lagos to stay with his brother. How he quickly concluded that Ogadinma was spoilt for getting pregnant, being so angry with her and only forgiving her after she came back with a man to marry. To him , it was the marriage that wiped the shame Ogadinma had brought on him. Even how he quickly disowned her when she got the courage to leave Tobe.

And then there is Tobe, Ogadinma’s husband, once loving and the next abusive. Telling her he only does that because he loves her. How is love abusive? Sadly this book though fictional is a vivid representation of society. The burden placed on women, the blame they take for men’s failure. Look how Ogadinma was easily blamed for the failures of Tobe meanwhile it was Tobe who refused to listen to wisdom. His failing was as a result of his own doing.
How women are shamed and expected to behave a certain way to be acceptable in society.

I liked how Ogadinma took over her life,how she started sleeping with Kelechi and boldly stopped it when she didn’t want it anymore. She taking charge of her life was something I was happy to see.

I was however annoyed that she runaway and left her baby. The baby did not even do anything to her, he did not even ask to be born. Yet he had to suffer for it. I liked her friend, who stood by her. Her uncle’s wife who is Tobe’s sister was really vexing me in the book especially the latter part. Asking her to endure and not speak about her family matters outside.

Nnanna is the kind of cousin we all hope to have in our family, who would give us all the support we need and stand by us even when they do not know the story. They believe that whatever actions we took, it was the best at that particular time.

The themes in this book are parenting, love , rape, domestic abuse, marriage, post-partum depression, hardship, family,political unrest’s

This book is a good read.
...more

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Dec 30, 2020 Liv rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, ig-recs, feminism, black-authors, african-lit, 2020

Feeling emotionally raw after finally finishing this book.

Ogadinma for me, is one of those books that I find so compulsive that I do not want to put it down and yet at the same time cannot bear to carry on reading as it really unsettled me. Trigger warnings for those considering reading: rape, domestic violence.

I personally found the domestic violence scenes the most difficult to read and digest. I always struggle with these scenes in books and Ogadinma was no exception. This is not to say Ukama Feeling emotionally raw after finally finishing this book.

Ogadinma for me, is one of those books that I find so compulsive that I do not want to put it down and yet at the same time cannot bear to carry on reading as it really unsettled me. Trigger warnings for those considering reading: rape, domestic violence.

I personally found the domestic violence scenes the most difficult to read and digest. I always struggle with these scenes in books and Ogadinma was no exception. This is not to say Ukamaka Olisakwe does not handle these scenes and subject matter with care, but I think in particular this was a little bit of a struggle for me.

Despite this, I think the book packs punch and real sharp social critique from the beginning. Ogadinma is struggling to get into university and finds herself victim to a crooked older lawyer. This results in her father shipping her off to live with her Aunty and Uncle where she must make a new life. Throughout the book there is a strong focus on how the patriarchal structures and the men in Ogadinma's life try to takeover. There is also a strong focus on government corruption, violence, spritiual punishment and disorder in the state of Nigeria.

Despite the heaviness of the book and the fact that much of Ogadinma's family were awful, Olisakwe really showed the strength of women. Ogadinma's friend Ejiro was an excellent character, who cared and supported her. Ogadinma herself was a testament to the strength of women and even the women in this book I didn't like (Aunty Ngozi looking at you) showed they had the intelligence, the intiative and were the real driving forces in the family.

Ogadinma is certainly a book that will stick with me, it got under my skin in a way I didn't expect and gripped my heart as I felt so strongly for Ogadinma. In the end I found beauty in the strength and confidence that blossomed in Ogadinma but this was by no means an easy journey. A powerful and evocative novel that has been branded a new feminist classic, and I would not disagree at all.

Thank you to @theindigopress for the gifted copy. ...more

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Sep 07, 2020 DubaiReader rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020, netgalley-shelf

Read this book!
This was a powerful book, at times quite a difficult read, It is sure to infuriate anyone who supports women's rights, as it highlights the injustices against Nigerian women in the 1980s.
I was listening to an audiobook version, read by one of my favourite narrators, Adjoa Andoh. I just love the varied accents she uses for Nigerian speech, yet she can divert easily to an English accent for the narration.

Ogadinma is just seventeen when we meet her. She is a young Nigerian woman, liv ...more

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Sep 09, 2020 Aisha rated it really liked it

At 17, an incident of abuse forces Ogadinma to leave behind dreams of university, and life with her father in Kano. Now thrust into Lagos, her aunt’s firm push sees her falling in love and married to 35-year-old verbally and physically abusive Tobe. However, trials brought on by the political landscape means that Ogadinma will have to find the strength to flee before it is too late.

First, it is a credit to Ukamaka Olisakwe’s writing that this fast-paced novel comes across effortlessly and engag At 17, an incident of abuse forces Ogadinma to leave behind dreams of university, and life with her father in Kano. Now thrust into Lagos, her aunt’s firm push sees her falling in love and married to 35-year-old verbally and physically abusive Tobe. However, trials brought on by the political landscape means that Ogadinma will have to find the strength to flee before it is too late.

First, it is a credit to Ukamaka Olisakwe’s writing that this fast-paced novel comes across effortlessly and engaging. The difficult content rarely weighs it down, although there are moments that take your breath away. Teen marriage, domestic violence, rape, abuse and postpartum depression are handled deftly but not dispassionately.

One would think this is entirely joyless given the issues but there's humour in the language, and warmth from the familiarity of the culture, food, smells and sounds of everyday Nigeria, I enjoyed the author’s fluid use of Igbo, pidgin and even a dash of Yoruba.

Although our setting is the 1980s Nigeria (Lagos and Kano mostly), the above give it a contemporary and authentic feel with politics keeping us tethered to the past. This feeling spreads beyond the atmosphere as the patriarchal nature of Nigerian society persists. The author cites similar reasons, however, further inspired by her marriage at 19 and the urge to capture this moment in history, a time where girls in their teens were leaving the familial for their martial homes.

I enjoyed that the author honours the legacy of Nigerian literature, evident in the references to other women writers such as Buchi Emechetta and Flora Nwapa.

Readers may find themselves conflicted by Ogadinma's character, hard to define and easily moulded by others desires and her escape may rankle given that it relies upon generosity and access to another man.

I didn’t particularly enjoy the end and I wish that the author had tied off loose ends more cleanly.

Also, is it entirely believable that one character can experience so much? My answer; yes it is because nothing felt new, alarming or refutable.

Overall, this is a well written and thought-provoking critique of history and cultural practices that continue to exist. ...more

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Jun 04, 2022 Osueke Chibuike rated it it was amazing

"The very idea of sleeping again in the same apartment with him filled her with terror, and she felt a headache coming. Her mind was webbed with utmost fear. She was convinced that he would find another reason to hurt her again. She imagined that next time, he could pin her to the wall and drive his fist into her good eye, over and over, until it erupted into a gooey mess."

While I was reading this book, I couldn't help but allow streams of tears to flow freely from my face - I am not exaggeratin ...more

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Aug 14, 2021 Obinna Tony-Francis rated it really liked it

(4.5/5)

As I picked the book and began reading it, at first I was fascinated. But as the story was moving and materialising, I felt the writer was moving too fast with scenes. But I later came to love it. Slow-paced stories can be a haven for me, but fast-paced ones, when told well, captivates me.

I couldn't believe I was rooting for Ogadinma and Tobe from the beginning even though the relationship was pedophilic. I felt bad for her when the rape happened and she had to be sent to Lagos from Kano ...more

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Apr 17, 2022 Aisha Oredola rated it liked it

Dark times make us question if everything will be fine. The optimistic among us revel in the belief that things will definitely be fine in the end without caring about how turbulent times may be at present. It is better than letting dark moments consume us. Well I choose to believe that Ogadinma; everything will be alright – but with action.

Ukamaka Olisakwe wrote of a naive Nigerian female teenager in the 80s whose name is the title of this novel. She wanted an education, to go to the university ...more

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Feb 12, 2021 Anna Mena Obie rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 25, 2022 Krutika Puranik rated it liked it

// Ogadinma by Ukamaka Olisakwe

TW : Rape, Abortion, Domestic Violence, Substance Abuse.

Ogadinma means Everything Will Be All Right in Igbo but the protagonist's life is anything but that. Before you proceed, perhaps I should tell you about the many triggering points in this novel starting from Ogadinma's rape when she's just seventeen. This marks the beginning of a long and intense journey that the young girl has to undertake in a very patriarchal African society. There are a lot of triggering p ...more

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Apr 05, 2022 bookish kp rated it really liked it

CHECK CW/TW
Ogadinma is a book set in 1980. It’s about a young naive girl that is being thrown into series of unfortunate events and the books tells us how Ogadinma fights her way out of it.

This book was so well written, the author tells the story in a way that draws you in and no matter how frustrated and angry you get, you probably won’t stop reading till the end. While reading this book, I had to constantly remind myself that it was just fiction because it hit a little too close to home espec ...more

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Feb 07, 2021 Onome rated it really liked it

I couldn't put it away too long. I had to work in between but the story kept pulling me in. The plot or events are not strange because they are the realities of many Nigerian women but the narration and storytelling of Ukamaka Olisakwe is a strong force.

I am glad at the end of an abusive marriage and a traumatic life, Ogadinma found her voice. I just wished she spoke out rather than bottle up her feelings for too long. At the end of the book was were I felt her story was just beginning...

Really ...more

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Nov 11, 2020 Nwanosike rated it it was amazing

I enjoyed this book. Sure, it is a very difficult read; Ogadinma endured so much that I wanted shake her and demand a rebellion. Her rebellion came much later, and it was understandable because of the time, the society she lived in, her age, too. She was just a teenager.

She triumphed at the end.

This novel lived up to the "feminist classic in the making" hype. I recommend. ...more

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Jun 24, 2020 Samantha Kolber rated it it was amazing

Who do you turn to for help when your own family is responsible for the abuse and trauma perpetuated against you? This story is powerful, sad, and ultimately hopeful as Ogadinma navigates a journey to selfhood and healing after a lifetime of subservience and abuse in a misogynistic and patriarchal culture. I couldn’t put this book down even through all the horrors she endured. And dear reader, there are many, more than any woman should bear. Please read this book so that these stories can educat ...more

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Dec 22, 2020 Tosin A rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Set in Kano and Lagos, Nigeria, Ogadinma tells the story of a teenage girl who faced quite a lot of unfortunate situations and although the tag was ‘a modern feminist classic’, I didn’t really get that from the book. I mean, if anything, it reminded we the readers how deeply patriarchal the Nigerian culture is and how much women have to go through on a daily.
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I found quite a few things interesting.
- How the adults who basically ‘forced’ her into a marriage were made to seem like they actual Set in Kano and Lagos, Nigeria, Ogadinma tells the story of a teenage girl who faced quite a lot of unfortunate situations and although the tag was ‘a modern feminist classic’, I didn’t really get that from the book. I mean, if anything, it reminded we the readers how deeply patriarchal the Nigerian culture is and how much women have to go through on a daily.
____
I found quite a few things interesting.
- How the adults who basically ‘forced’ her into a marriage were made to seem like they actually care about her. That’s typically not how these cases present but I like how Ukamaka wrote about these family members from her father to her uncle and aunty. It’s very important to note that it doesn’t always present in the forceful way we know. I remember shaking my head when her father asked her if she really wanted to marry Tobe (if she’d said no, I’m pretty sure they would’ve convinced her to anyway) and to some that is consent when in actuality it is abuse. She was 17..... 🥴
- How naive she was. I mean she made statements alluding to the fact that she knew exactly what she was doing and even knew how ridiculous she must’ve looked to others but never spoke up for herself. I just wasn’t seeing a naive girl at some point, I saw a young girl who was traumatized and wanted to please everyone because she blamed herself for the trauma. I kept trying to picture myself at 17 and at first the inability to speak for herself was infuriating, I quickly remembered her first traumatic experience and noted how that might’ve contributed to her just accepting anything without protest. Tackling her felt like victim blaming.

___
Ukamaka writing style is quite simple and straightforward which I liked. She referenced the joys of motherhood which was ironic. I don’t want to give out spoilers. Being in an abusive marriage or relationship is so different from reading about it online or watching a movie about it. We live in a society where abuse thrives because when you leave or put the abuse on social media, family members come and in the recent viral case, the governor of the state comes in to ‘settle’ and make peace. I mean, where does one even start from after that? ...more

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Jan 27, 2021 Hannah rated it it was ok

Shelves: african, audiobook, read-women-2021, black-women-authors, feminism

This book raises many important feminist issues which is why I wanted to read it. However I did not find the characters to be very believable. In the first scene, Ogadinma finds herself in a terrible situation where she knows exactly what is going to happen to her and why but is powerless to do anything to stop it. After this, Ogadinma becomes inexplicably naive and trusting of people despite the terrible things that have already happened. A lot more things happen and Ogadinma remains the same r ...more

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Mar 10, 2020 Nina Appasamy rated it it was amazing

"Ogadinma" by Ukamaka Olisakwe is an amazing book. From the first pages, I was gripped, routing for the character, wanting to cry for her as her story took many tragic turns. This book was eye-opening for me, as I am not familiar with what life was like in Nigeria in the 1980's and 90's for women. I finished this book with more emotions than I feel I can put into words and with more knowledge than I had before I read it. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great piece of contemp ...more

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Feb 28, 2020 Noni Salma rated it it was amazing

I just started reading and omg, Uka has a gem on her hands. This book is a page Turner. I'm currently on page 40 and I'm so moved to tears.

Uka has constructed a powerful universe for her character in Kano and given them the complexities you can ask of any fictional character. Ogadinma is the book I didn't know I needed until it arrived. ...more

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Sep 24, 2020 Michelle rated it really liked it

Having the enormous privilege of having heard Uka read I knew this novel would be lyrical with stunning turns of phrase. I wasn’t expecting to become so deeply absorbed in Ogadinma’s life that I literally could not put the novel down until I had read the whole thing. This is a novel that will stay with me a long time.

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Sep 25, 2020 SheReadsBlack rated it it was amazing

Shelves: nigerian-literature, feminist, african-literature

Enjoyed this one. It's a fast read, set in 80s Nigeria, and follows the story of the teenager, Ogadinma, who got exiled from home.

The story is very heart-wrenching, gutting, but Ogadinma won at the end.

I recommend! ...more

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Jan 10, 2021 Jim O'Loughlin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Memorable novel I will be thinking about for a while. Looking forward to Ukamaka Olisakwe's Final Thursday Reading Series event in March 2021! ...more

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About Ukamaka Olisakwe

Ukamaka Olisakwe

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Ukamaka Olisakwe is a Nigerian novelist, short story writer and screenwriter. In 2014 she was chosen as one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s most promising writers under the age of 40 by Africa 39. She was born in Kano, Nigeria, and in 2016, was a resident at the University of Iowa’s International Writing Program.