I read Stay With Me exactly three years ago and I haven’t stopped thinking about it yet. Six years later, she comes up with another hard hitting novel that is layered and important which is now longlisted for The Booker Prize. This book in every sense is what I’d expected from her. The characters are complicated and yet relatable, the relationships are crafted thoughtfully and the story begins and ends with a touch of intrigue. A Spell of Good Things is a brilliantly written novel that lets you take a look into the ground realities.

We see the lives of two families distinguished by their economic circumstances, each battling their own problems. There’s Wuraola who’s a resident doctor, always exhausted by being overworked. Born into a wealthy family, she has certain responsibilities to stick to and one of them is to get married to her boyfriend who’s approved by her parents. Social status plays a significant role in Nigeria where families play matchmaking to find alliances to suit their economic interests. Wuraola isn’t sure if she loves her boyfriend enough to marry him but she says yes to his proposal anyway by pushing his red flags under the rug.

Then there’s Eniola who gets flogged at school for not paying his fees again. His father is unceremoniously sacked from his job by the government and the family has started to live in squalor. His father reduces to a mere shadow, leaving the entire responsibility to his wife. Eniola is conflicted about how to feel about him and to come to terms with their financial situation.

An ominous and dreadful situation forces Eniola and Wuraola’s paths to cross. The story leading upto this point is intense, and makes you want to weep in helplessness. There’s a lot of angst and sadness that seeps out from the words as she paints a realistic picture of how a dearth of wealth can push some into situations that makes them do things they wouldn’t normally do.

Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ has a bold voice and I did see a notable change in her writing style from Stay With Me. Those six years of wait was worth it and I truly hope it gets shortlisted.

Thanks a bunch for the review copy @penguinindia x @meenakshikainth_ ✨