It almost feels strange writing my thoughts on a book after almost 4 months but I’m glad I finally finished reading a book! I’m not surprised it took a Nigerian book to get me out of this slump. I’m technically not fully out of it but I FINISHED A BOOK!
Book Reflections – Dele Weds Destiny!
I’ll start by saying when I saw the cover release and title of this book, I was not interested in reading it. (Yes, I sometimes judge books by their covers and the cover from Knopf Publishing Group was atrocious!) Thankfully, Hodder studio saved the day with the cover featured in this post.
With a title like “Dele Weds Destiny”, you kind of expect that the story will centre around a Nigerian wedding and the typical drama that comes with it but I was pleased to find out that wasn’t the case.
It is a story of female friendships, motherhood, loss, growth, love, family and being a Nigerian woman. Dele weds destiny follows three friends (Zainab, Funmi and Enitan), who all met in university; life took them in different directions until Funmi’s daughter’s wedding brought about a reunion. A large part of the book focuses on their lives in university which I enjoyed.
Things I liked about Dele Weds Destiny.
- My favourite part of the book was how the author explored the friendship between these women who were noticeably different. As someone who struggles with making friends, I enjoy books that explore the different dynamics of a friend group.
- I liked that it was mostly set in the North. Lagos and Port Harcourt must rest in the hands of Nigerian authors. Nigeria is such a big country with a rich and diverse culture.
- It felt very Nigerian and authentic without being forced which is always a good thing. (I did skip over the traditional wedding scene). If you’re not Nigerian, you shouldn’t because you might find it quite interesting.
Zainab was my favourite character. There was something soft and kind about her. Her story didn’t go how I expected it to go but her character was the most memorable for me. It was easy to connect to her story. I also liked Enitan. Although, I mostly felt sorry for her. Funmi was the character I least connected with. Her story felt fragmented.
I appreciated that it was an honest portrayal of the cycle of a Nigerian woman (if your parents wanted you to have an education). You’re expected to go to school, graduate and get married. What was a bit interesting was that there was no parental pressure in this book. These women made decisions which of course set the trajectory of their lives.
What I did not like…
I did feel like some parts of this book felt rushed, it was almost like the author was trying to quickly wrap up the story. I’m not sure if I felt this way because I wanted more from these women’s stories. The characters felt underdeveloped.
Verdict
It was a quick, enjoyable, and fast paced debut novel. The writing is good and it flows effortlessly. (It’s also less than 300 pages – which made it easy to get through). If we’re going by the fact that it got me out of a four month reading slump, I’d say it’s a four star read!
Leave a Reply