Clément Oubrerie

This is a delightful Young Adult graphic novel set in Yopougan, (Yop City) in Abidjan, the capital city of Côte d’Ivoire 1978. The author Marguerite Abouet was born in Côte d’Ivoire in 1972, leaving for France when she was 12. The story focuses on the lives of Aya and her friends Bintou and Adjoua and their families. Partly it revolves around the joyful aspects of everyday life, with parties, boyfriends and beauty pageants. It also highlights the way the women in the story found a voice and ways to deal with the difficulties of life, including unexpected pregnancy, unfaithful husbands and boyfriends, polygamy and the unwanted advances of men. The tone is light and there is a wry humour throughout. I found it refreshing to read a book set in Africa that deals with the joys and hardships of everyday life rather than the usual trauma porn of famines, wars and HIV-AIDS the Western world seems to feast on.

I read this as part of my read around the world challenge and the book itself provides interesting historical and cultural details about Côte d’Ivoire, including recipes and how to wear a pagne. I learnt that granted independence from the French in 1960, Côte d’Ivoire flourished under the thirty year leadership President Félix Houphouët-Boigny who encouraged local landownership and clearing, causing a boom in the economy dubbed the Ivorian miracle, and the creation of a middle class. The glamorous capital Abidjan was known as “the Paris of West Africa” and in the 1970s was home to chic cafés and hotels in what was later dubbed the “la Belle Époque.” The economy began to stagnate in the 1980s as crop prices fell. This led to resentment towards the remaining French and non-Ivorian Africans, particularly after the death of Houphouët-Boigny, culminating in civil wars and unrest.

The illustrations by Clément Oubriere were brilliant, conveying the characters' expressions and feelings. I don’t usually read either YA or graphic novels but this was an entertaining and enlightening read and I would be keen to read the sequel to find out what happens to Aya and her friends.… (more)

This is a YA graphic novel by Ivorian author Marguerite Abouet. It is set in Yopougan, Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire in the 1970s and continues the story of Aya and her friends, their loves, heartbreaks and challenges. It deals with issues along the way such as coming out to family, sexual abuse of young women at school or uni, and religious scams.

These are a great set of books with expressive art work, relatable characters and a great insight into Ivorian culture. It was refreshing to read a book about Africa that is joyful and celebrates the place and culture and isn’t about war and famine.… (more)