Ogadinma by Ukamaka Olisakwe

I believe that Ukamaka wanted this to be an awakening and a drive for revolution, to make us angry to stand up and challenge the way everything is.

Ogadinma is a strong feminist story that I love a lot. Described as “a feminist classic in the making”, it is a young girl’s story of independence that depicts the lives which a lot of girls and women are faced with to this day.

Ogadinma goes through a lot of trauma and pain simply because she is a woman. From rape to unwanted pregnancy to an arranged abusive marriage, Ogadinma experiences it all.

This book made me angry; angry that we live in such a sexist world, mad that people care more about the label of being married than their own well-being and happiness; angry that violence, harm and abuse to women are normalized. This book made me speechless.

Ogadinma means everything will be alright. It makes me so happy that Ogadinma put herself and her happiness first at the end of the book. I believe that Ukamaka wanted this to be an awakening and a drive for revolution, to make us angry to stand up and challenge the way everything is.

I love everything about this book, and it was hard to believe this was a debut work. Please read this book. It is the best!