So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began.
Luke 15:20-24
After reading The Bishop’s Prodigal Daughter, I think African romance is in good hands.
I have always said that it is rejuvenating to see African authors try out other genres that do not exactly feed the poverty porn and books of hardships that the West wants to read. That is one of the reasons why I was drawn to this book, The Bishop’s Prodigal Daughter, by Timendu Aghahowa.
I needed to read an African romance book for a change.
From the marketing of the book, readers were promised good romance, and—in my opinion—that is exactly what it gave.
The Theme of Romance
If there is one thing I appreciate about this novel’s romance, it is that it didn’t turn out to be some kind of Gen Z romance book—the problem with romance stories these days.
The Bishop’s Prodigal Daughter is a “traditional” romance story between two unexpecting people who fall in love against all odds in unexpected circumstances.
It plays so well into the “opposites attract” romance trope as Elo and Datonye, two individuals with contrasting personalities and backgrounds (with their families also feuding), find themselves drawn to each other despite their differences. Although the trope is tired, hats off to the author for making the story new and not falling into the cliché ditch.
Uncomplicated and Un-cliched
The Bishop’s Prodigal Daughter was (kinda) new—refreshing. And funny.
Why I say there is a newness to the story is the whole church setting and how things—the drama and romance—unfold.
This novel vividly alludes to the parable of the prodigal son from the Bible with a few twists of its own.
This book doesn’t get itself unnecessarily complicated. It is straight to the point and makes for an easy (and definitely a gripping) read.
Characters
I like Elo’s character. I like that she knows who she is and the principles she stands for.
Unfortunately, she is stubborn as a mule, which is an issue I took with her character development. I feel she didn’t exactly change from being that person despite everything that happened. The arc there is a bit lost to me.
Elo was just a lot of trouble, and I love that, although I must admit, at some point, I found her a little too irritable. Perhaps that was how the author intended it. At some point, her inclination to anger and verbal abuse became a lot for me. I guess that was her character, and there are people like that. Capturing such a personality so close to reality deserves applause.
While I didn’t agree with some of her decisions, I still found myself caring about her and rooting for her to get what she wanted.
One of my favorite moments with Elo was the encounter she had with Datonye’s parents the first time she went to the church (chapter 9).
Datonye was really perfect for Elo. With the kind of mouth and temper she had, she needed a man like Datonye. However, I like that the author didn’t make him too perfect like most male characters in romance novels. In the beginning, you would think he is (even in the pastoral aspects), but you later find out (as he admits it himself ) that he has his shortcomings and is not as perfect as they think he is.
For Zino, “the daughter who stayed,” – If I begin to talk about her, I might turn this review into a rant session.
It must have sucked to be in Zino’s shoes, but I also felt her bitterness was a little overstretched, especially when she knew that (unlike the other stories) Elo didn’t want to come back but rather was “forced” to. Nothing was her fault. She had to cut her some slack and chill.
Well done to the author for creating such a character that gave me screaming moments during my read.
Anyway, if ever there is a book 2, which I hopelessly believe, it would be nice to see the love story of Zino and Tosan. There was something there, and it would be nice to see it.
Final Thoughts
In the end, I was happy those two, especially Elo, didn’t kill the Archbishop.
If you are a sucker for a good and unusual romance novel set (mostly) in an African church with relatable characters and good pacing that you probably get through within 24 hours, then I recommend The Bishop’s Prodigal Daughter to you.
