IN DEPENDENCE [By Sarah Ladipo Manyika] - Book Review

ABOUT THE BOOK.
"In dependence " was published in the UK in 2008, in Nigeria in 2009 and in the US in 2011. It begins in the early sixties when Tayo Ajayi meets Vanessa Richardson, the beautiful daughter of an ex-Colonial officer. It is the story of individuals trying to find their place within uncertain political times. - A story of passion and idealism,  courage and betrayal.


REVIEW
A beautifully written story, that spans across three continents. Manyika intelligently spices up the novel by introducing about 5 different languages ranging from; English, Yoruba, Nigerian pidgin, French and wolof.


I love the way Manyika simply expresses conversations, by adhering to a simple vocabulary usage -  meanwhile, making the novel understandable for even the youngest of readers. I especially love the Vanessa character; mostly for her sweetness, guts and ability to adjust in any given society. She's the very opposite of her father. Another likable character is Uncle Kayode. His weird sense of humor, easy going nature, and grace around women is really wonderful.

Her characters are very relatable, although Tayo the main character has a very weak sense of judgment, is way too humble, and has a typical Yoruba mentality that annoys most readers to an incredible extent. He also has a thing for complicating situations, an example is seen when he describes Christine to Vanessa as being 'a cousin' when he would have simply called her his ex. And yes, Vanessa has every right to be mad at him when she discovers the truth. Tayo's weakness is also depicted by the unreasonable and pathetic excuse he gives for being with Miriam.

The novel introduces us to life in England, and how racial most English folks can be. The language is well written, though I think more attention should've been paid to the formatting. Although, the novel is full of a lot of suspense, I must commend her for it. Still,  I find the love story to be very provoking. I believe the story would have been excellent if she had made Her protagonist (Tayo) a little bit more courageous and less immersed in his intellectual beliefs.


RATING - 3/5.
For a story almost well told, I'll give her a 3 on a 5-star scale.






Review by Nneka Okoro
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