The Edge of Water
Olufunke Grace Bankole. Tin House, $17.95 trade paper (272p) ISBN 978-1-963108-05-7
Bankole debuts with a beautiful narrative about two Nigerian women who seek independence from their patriarchal culture. As a young woman, Esther is raped by Sani, a steel worker, who then forces her into marriage, claiming he’s rescuing her from a “tainted reputation.” They have a daughter, Amina, who is seven when Esther leaves Sani, having raised money for a new life by working in a restaurant. As Amina comes of age, Esther keeps a watchful eye on her, worried a man will ensnare her. In chapters from Amina’s point of view, Bankole reveals the young woman’s yearning to leave for the U.S. A traveling Yoruba prophet tells Esther that Amina’s restlessness will be resolved only by marriage, and that she’ll die if she defies her destiny. The prophecy imbues Amina’s story line with foreboding, especially when she reaches New Orleans in the early 2000s. There, she gets pregnant, struggles as a single mother, and eventually seeks shelter in the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina. Bankole fluidly alternates between Esther’s and Amina’s perspectives as each woman recounts her life story, deepening the reader’s understanding of the characters and the central events of the narrative. This is one to savor. Agent: Danya Kukafka, Trellis Literary. (Feb.)
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Reviewed on: 01/21/2025
Genre: Fiction