This author of The Widow who died with Flowers in her Mouth has a voice, and you can tell his writing apart from that of other authors.
He has a gift for good titles—you can tell from the collection title.
His openings are excellent and specific, too. They get you hooked.
And for most of your reading, you will keep wondering how he comes up with such story ideas. I believe the “originality”—if I should say—of the individual stories is one of the things I like about The Widow who died with Flowers in her Mouth.
However, I only enjoyed some of the stories, which is not news for a short story collection. You love some, skip over some, and simply get lost in others.
I loved the first story, “John 101 or The New Ridiculous Way to Commit Suicide and Be Famous”. Making it the first story was a strategic move because that was quite an introduction to the book. I still wonder how Udenwe came up with an idea like that; I enjoyed every bit of the narrative.
“Obama Talorin Shop” was a weirdly interesting story. I enjoyed reading it.
Coming a close third would be “The Housekeeper.” I didn’t expect the twist in that one. Again, it’s quite an interesting story idea.
“The Redemption of Father McGettrick” was also a good read. Personally, I think this is one of the
stories in the collection that would have you wondering how the author got his ideas. Insanely weird stuff, and I am a sucker for weird.
Generally, I don’t see why you shouldn’t give The Widow who died with Flowers in her Mouth a chance. I recommend.
