Hello people.
Months ago, I stumbled upon an online article highlighting Nigerian authors and publishers making a mark on the international scene.
I must confess that I was a bit surprised when I read the article. Hitherto, I assumed Chimamanda Adiche the only contemporary Nigerian author who was well known internationally, in addition to authors like Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe, Buchi Emecheta, and a few others. Now here was this foreign article educating me on other award winning authors and their publishers. I became eager to read the books by these authors after that.
Imagine my surprise months after when, on browsing through author tabs on the Okadabooks app, I saw one of the award winning books, Season of Crimson Blossoms, by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim.
After reading Season of Crimson Blossoms, it was easy to see why it won the 2016 Nigerian Prize for Literature. There are just two words to describe it: Authentically African.
Set in the Northern part of Nigeria, the book’s plot centres around Hajiiya Binta Zubairu, a 55-year old widowed grandmother who carries on a secret affair with 25-year old Hassan ‘Reza’ Babale.
Whatever is hidden will eventually come to light, however, and when Hajiya's suitor, Mallam Haruna, and her first son, Alhaji Munkaila, discover the affair, what results is a cataclysmic ending the reader will not see coming.
I love the fact that Abubakar remained true to his roots in this book. Not much is known about the North apart from its ethnic conflicts, tribal wars and Boko Haram menace. Movies which would have educated people about that part of Nigeria are usually done in the Hausa language, and how many Nigerians are interested in seeing a movie they can understand only by reading the subtitles? Fortunately, with this book, Abubakar has given his readers a peek into the life of the average Northerner; a peek I certainly enjoyed taking.
I also find his use of metaphors to be quite brilliant; I mean, who can read this opening sentence and not be captivated by it?
“Hajiya Binta Zubairu was finally born at fifty-five when a dark-lipped rogue with short, spiky, hair....scaled her fence and landed, boots and all, into the puddle that was her heart.”
Brilliant, isn't it?
There is a lot of reminiscing in the book, however, which slows down its pace quite a bit. Also, I must confess that at a point, I found the character Reza's habit of saying ‘You understand,’ a bit of a distraction especially in the opening chapters.
Overall, the various scenes in the book came together quite nicely, and I daresay anyone who enjoys Chimamanda's novels will like reading this book.
Recommended for ages fifteen and above.
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