Hey friends. I’m back again with another book review. I read this book in June but haven’t had the time and energy to post a review on here. You asked for consistency and I said ‘Say less’. The book I’ll be reviewing today is Love in colour by Bolu Babalola. I am sure you’ve seen or heard about this book. (This is me assuming y’all are not living under a rock) Love in Colour was talked about everywhere in 2020 but weirdly, I just wasn’t interested in reading it at the time. Sometimes, I just like to wait till I’m ready to actually read a book and not go crazy because of the hype and noise.
Version of the book I read
I read the paperback and I got it from rovingheights (My go-to bookstore in Lagos. It was literally walking distance from my former office which I do not recommend unless you want to end up broke like me.)
Synopsis
“A vibrant collection of love stories from a debut author, retelling myths, folktales, and histories from around the world.”
” A high-born Nigerian goddess, who has been beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover, longs to be truly seen. A young businesswoman attempts a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life.
A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether she should uphold her family’s politics or be true to her heart.
In her debut collection, internationally acclaimed writer Bolu Babalola retells the most beautiful love stories from history and mythology with incredible new detail and vivacity. Focusing on the magical folktales of West Africa, Babalola also reimagines Greek myths, ancient legends from the Middle East, and stories from long-erased places.
With an eye towards decolonizing tropes inherent in our favorite tales of love, Babalola has created captivating stories that traverse across perspectives, continents, and genres. Love in Color is a celebration of romance in all its many splendid forms.”
My thoughts
I had read quite a few reviews of this book before I read it and they were always conflicting. People either adored it or found it underwhelming. That intrigued me as I often tend to decide for myself in circumstances like this. NGL, I was a bit nervous going into it but I had zero expectations. The book is divided into two parts; old tales & new tales and It’s funny because I didn’t realize until I was a few stories in that some stories were retellings. It’s even more embarrassing that I did not know a lot of the popular tales that inspired this collection but that didn’t stop me from thoroughly enjoying it.
What is common in the retelling / old stories is the women all fighting the urge to just live and love freely and eventually realizing there is nothing wrong with it. The women were relatable, strong, bold, fearless. I really enjoyed this.
It was a book I didn’t want to gobble up in one sitting. So, I read one or two stories per day and I think that made my reading experience a lot more enjoyable as I wasn’t comparing the stories as I’d typically do with short stories collection. It just kept getting better as I progressed. I don’t think I disliked any story to be honest but my favourites were Osun, Scheherazade, Psyche, and Thisbe. The most memorable stories were Yaa, Osun & Naleli.
In all of this, one thing is clear, Bolu can write. I will read any and everything she writes and I will continue to recommend this book to everyone. Love in Colour was so rich, warm and light. I absolutely adore it. I hadn’t read a book that made me feel so good inside in a long while so this was much needed.
Theme
Love in Colour is mostly all about love so of course, Love is the major theme of the book.
If you like short stories collections or light and easy reads, then this is for you. I think everyone should read this. If you’re in Nigeria, you can get this book at rovingheights or bookpeddler.
If you’ve read this, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
- Tosin.
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