Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
Author of Stay with Me
About the Author
Image credit: Ventures Africa
Works by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
Associated Works
New Daughters of Africa: An International Anthology of Writing by Women of African Descent (1992) — Contributor — 90 copies
Of This Our Country: Acclaimed Nigerian Writers on the Home, Identity, and Culture They Know (2021) — Contributor — 12 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1988-01-29
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- Nigeria
- Birthplace
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Education
- Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria
- Relationships
- Iduma, Emmanuel (husband)
- Short biography
- Ayobami Adebayo was born in Lagos, Nigeria, shortly after, her family moved to Ilesa and then to Ile-Ife, where she spent most of her childhood in the University Staff Quarters of Obafemi Awolowo University.[2][3] She studied at Obafemi Awolowo University, earning BA and MA degrees in Literature in English, and in 2014 she went to study Creative Writing (MA Prose fiction) at the University of East Anglia, where she was awarded an International Bursary.[4][5] She has also studied with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Margaret Atwood.Adebayo has been a writer in residence at Ledig House Omi, Hedgebrook, Sinthian Cultural Institute, Ox-Bow School of Art, Siena Art Institute, and Ebedi Hills.[17][18] She was shortlisted for the Miles Morland Scholarship in 2014 and 2015
Members
Reviews
This is set in an unidentifed city in modern Nigeria.
Eniola is the eldest child in a family thrust into poverty when his educated father, a history teacher, was the subject of an educational purge when the ruling regime declared that history was a non-essential subject and removed from schools’ curricula. Now his father is too depressed to move from his bed; and his mother is struggling. Eniola, who had dreamed of a good school and a secondary education and his sister cannot pay their school fees even at the minimal public school they attend. Kids whose fees are in arrears are humiliated and beaten. The family chooses to pay Eniola’s sisters’ fees as she seems to have more promise. Eniola is apprenticed to a tailor, but he cannot afford the apprenticeship fees for that, either.
On the other side of the economic divide, lives Wuraola, a doctor to be from a well connected family. She is engaged to a man whose future also looks bright.
As the author says, ““real wealth was intergenerational, and the way Nigeria was set up, your parentage would often matter more than your qualifications. “ 148
But the wheel of fate turns, when Eniola is convinced by his friends to do a few favors for a boss man in exchange for food and money for his family. It seems a heaven-sent opportunity.
Wuraola’s fate also changes – her fiancé begins beating her. In addition, her father is asked to run for political office against a corrupt politician.
Both families’ fates are affected by the boss man and his corrosive political power.
The phrase “A spell of good things” can be a string of lucky events, but can also be ironically bitter about what the future holds after the good events vanish into thin air.
It’s an intriguing look at current Nigeria, and peopled with characters I really cared about.… (more)
Eniola is the eldest child in a family thrust into poverty when his educated father, a history teacher, was the subject of an educational purge when the ruling regime declared that history was a non-essential subject and removed from schools’ curricula. Now his father is too depressed to move from his bed; and his mother is struggling. Eniola, who had dreamed of a good school and a secondary education and his sister cannot pay their school fees even at the minimal public school they attend. Kids whose fees are in arrears are humiliated and beaten. The family chooses to pay Eniola’s sisters’ fees as she seems to have more promise. Eniola is apprenticed to a tailor, but he cannot afford the apprenticeship fees for that, either.
On the other side of the economic divide, lives Wuraola, a doctor to be from a well connected family. She is engaged to a man whose future also looks bright.
As the author says, ““real wealth was intergenerational, and the way Nigeria was set up, your parentage would often matter more than your qualifications. “ 148
But the wheel of fate turns, when Eniola is convinced by his friends to do a few favors for a boss man in exchange for food and money for his family. It seems a heaven-sent opportunity.
Wuraola’s fate also changes – her fiancé begins beating her. In addition, her father is asked to run for political office against a corrupt politician.
Both families’ fates are affected by the boss man and his corrosive political power.
The phrase “A spell of good things” can be a string of lucky events, but can also be ironically bitter about what the future holds after the good events vanish into thin air.
It’s an intriguing look at current Nigeria, and peopled with characters I really cared about.… (more)
This book was quickly engaging. I was hooked right away. Although the story centered on aspects that are foreign to me the author shows that relations are difficult no matter what the background and traditions are. I don't know that I loved any of the characters but I did care about them and wanted a happy ending. That wasn't really the purpose though. I think it was really a reflection on relationships and love. The inability of any of them to effectively communicate with each other was the root of so many problems and I think that is universal. Like I said I would have enjoyed a deeper connection to the characters so I would be a bit more invested but it wasn't necessary just my preference.… (more)
*Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2023*
3.5⭐️
“She had never been able to shake the sense that life was war, a series of battles with the occasional spell of good things.”
Set in modern-day Nigeria, the narrative of A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ revolves around two characters from vastly different walks of life - Ẹniọlá, a teenager who belongs to a family struggling to make ends meet and Wúràọlá, a young doctor from an affluent family - and how their lives become intertwined through an episode of violence and tragedy.
Ẹniọlá dreams of pursuing his education in a good school as his father had once promised. But his father, a teacher by profession, loses his job, and the family is unable to fund his or his sister Bùsọ́lá’s education. Ẹniọlá works odd jobs in a tailoring shop, unable to pay for an apprenticeship but hoping to acquire some skills while also earning some money. He, along with others in similar situations, is regularly punished by school authorities for their inability to pay fees and face expulsion once the stipulated grace period is over. In a bid to better his family’s circumstances, he gets embroiled with a local politician – an association that will irrevocably change his life.
Wúràọlá is twenty-eight, and despite her academic accomplishments and hard work, she submits to social and family pressure to find a husband. She accepts her childhood friend/ boyfriend Kúnle’s proposal, though her heart is not completely in the relationship. Both her father and her future father-in-law are associated with local politics, and the marriage between the families is a coveted union. Her need to keep the families happy and keep up appearances overrides her doubts about her feelings, and she finds herself hiding her fiancé’s true nature.
I loved the premise of A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. The prose is superb, as is the character development. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the setting, culture and traditions of the community and the dynamics within the families. The story revolves around themes of socio-economic inequality, politicization and regulation of the school system, political corruption, depression, and domestic abuse, among others. I found Ẹniọlá’s storyline emotionally impactful, and though I could sympathize with Wúràọlá and her family toward the end of the novel, I thought that her story was lacking in depth. The pace is slow for a larger part of the novel and suffers from minor repetition. There are many characters to keep track of, and while I enjoyed reading about the large families and extended families, there were certain characters whose stories felt important but remained somewhat unexplored. The final segment is shocking and heartbreaking and will stay with you long after you have finished the book.
Though there is a lot to like about this novel, I was not completely engaged in the narrative for most of the novel. Having said that, I do hope to pick more of the author’s work. I did feel the need for a glossary/key/index for all the Nigerian words and phrases in the narrative, which would have made for a more fluid reading experience.
“Time was unforgiving, it didn’t stop, not even to give people a chance to scrape themselves off the floor if they’d been shattered.”
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph … (more)
3.5⭐️
“She had never been able to shake the sense that life was war, a series of battles with the occasional spell of good things.”
Set in modern-day Nigeria, the narrative of A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ revolves around two characters from vastly different walks of life - Ẹniọlá, a teenager who belongs to a family struggling to make ends meet and Wúràọlá, a young doctor from an affluent family - and how their lives become intertwined through an episode of violence and tragedy.
Ẹniọlá dreams of pursuing his education in a good school as his father had once promised. But his father, a teacher by profession, loses his job, and the family is unable to fund his or his sister Bùsọ́lá’s education. Ẹniọlá works odd jobs in a tailoring shop, unable to pay for an apprenticeship but hoping to acquire some skills while also earning some money. He, along with others in similar situations, is regularly punished by school authorities for their inability to pay fees and face expulsion once the stipulated grace period is over. In a bid to better his family’s circumstances, he gets embroiled with a local politician – an association that will irrevocably change his life.
Wúràọlá is twenty-eight, and despite her academic accomplishments and hard work, she submits to social and family pressure to find a husband. She accepts her childhood friend/ boyfriend Kúnle’s proposal, though her heart is not completely in the relationship. Both her father and her future father-in-law are associated with local politics, and the marriage between the families is a coveted union. Her need to keep the families happy and keep up appearances overrides her doubts about her feelings, and she finds herself hiding her fiancé’s true nature.
I loved the premise of A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. The prose is superb, as is the character development. I enjoyed the vivid descriptions of the setting, culture and traditions of the community and the dynamics within the families. The story revolves around themes of socio-economic inequality, politicization and regulation of the school system, political corruption, depression, and domestic abuse, among others. I found Ẹniọlá’s storyline emotionally impactful, and though I could sympathize with Wúràọlá and her family toward the end of the novel, I thought that her story was lacking in depth. The pace is slow for a larger part of the novel and suffers from minor repetition. There are many characters to keep track of, and while I enjoyed reading about the large families and extended families, there were certain characters whose stories felt important but remained somewhat unexplored. The final segment is shocking and heartbreaking and will stay with you long after you have finished the book.
Though there is a lot to like about this novel, I was not completely engaged in the narrative for most of the novel. Having said that, I do hope to pick more of the author’s work. I did feel the need for a glossary/key/index for all the Nigerian words and phrases in the narrative, which would have made for a more fluid reading experience.
“Time was unforgiving, it didn’t stop, not even to give people a chance to scrape themselves off the floor if they’d been shattered.”
Connect with me! ✏ Instagram ✏ My Blog ✏ The StoryGraph … (more)
Lists
Awards
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 3
- Also by
- 4
- Members
- 1,447
- Popularity
- #17,763
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 77
- ISBNs
- 51
- Languages
- 11
Recommended but this one is quite sad so pick it up with that in mind.