When We Were Fireflies by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim

When Babayo was murdered on a train in Jos, on his way to Lagos with the love of his life by a rival, he found himself as Inuwa in a different town. Different home, family, and a love as tender to the soul as a melody. But Inuwa was murdered there again by yet another […]

When Babayo was murdered on a train in Jos, on his way to Lagos with the love of his life by a rival, he found himself as Inuwa in a different town. Different home, family, and a love as tender to the soul as a melody. But Inuwa was murdered there again by yet another rival.

Now a brooding artist, in the name of Yarima Lalo, amid the luxurious city of Abuja amidst yet another chaos. He also meets Aziza, a woman with a complicated past of her own, who becomes vital to helping him understand what he is experiencing. With a third death in his current life imminent, together they go hunting for remnants of his past lives.

Will they find evidence that he is losing his mind or the people who once loved or loathed him???

Thoughts

I’ve never been stuck with a book in my head but couldn’t put it into words like I’ve been with When We Were Fireflies. Gathering my thoughts, emotions, and feelings about this book was difficult.

In this powerful, magnificent, passionate, gorgeously constructed, gripping prose, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim proved himself to be one of this generation’s greatest storytellers.

The writing was so soothing to the soul. The twists, the turns, and the suspense in this beautifully crafted novel took my breath away. The author wrote this book masterfully, and I found myself completely immersed in the story and especially the characters.

The plot moves slowly, but it has so much depth and complexity it needs to, and the character development is one of the best I’ve ever read. Throughout the story, the author wraps up loose ends neatly, moving from section to section in a systematic fashion.

The ending of the story is complete, comforting, and utterly satisfying. To say I’m obsessed with this book is an understatement. There are just not enough words to describe how much I love this book.

When We Were Fireflies will linger in my memory for a very long time.