Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions
Nigeria

Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions

by Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi

Friendship Literary Fiction Family Saga 2022

Summary

Spanning more than 150 years, from 1897 to an imagined 2050, Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions follows generations of Nigerian women as they navigate friendship, family, ambition, and the struggle to determine their own futures. Moving between Nigeria and the United States, the interconnected stories explore how personal choices and historical events shape women’s lives across generations.

At the heart of the collection are Nonso, Remi, Aisha, and Solape, four girls who form a powerful bond while attending an all-girls boarding school in Nigeria during the 1980s. Their friendship is tested when they participate in a rebellion against their school’s principal, an event whose consequences continue to affect them long after they leave adolescence behind.

As the women grow older, their lives take different directions. Nonso moves to the United States and falls in love with an African American man, discovering new possibilities alongside the challenges of building a life between cultures. Remi confronts painful family experiences while navigating love and relationships, while Aisha struggles with guilt over the events of their schooldays. Their stories extend into the lives of their relatives and descendants, revealing how the past continues to shape the present.

Through its shifting perspectives and leaps across time, Ogunyemi’s debut explores the complicated relationships between women, the consequences of silence, and the meaning of belonging. It offers a nuanced portrait of Nigerian women’s experiences, examining how friendship, family loyalty, and the pursuit of independence can become sources of both strength and conflict.

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Country
Nigeria
Africa
About the author
Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi
Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi

Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi is a Nigerian-born writer, poet, and biomedical informatics researcher. Born and raised in Ibadan, Nigeria, she later moved to the United States to pursue her education. She holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in computer science. Ogunyemi serves as Director of the Center for Biomedical Informatics at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles, where she is also a professor and chair of Preventive and Social Medicine. Her research focuses on using technologies such as artificial intelligence and telehealth to address health disparities in underserved communities. Before publishing her debut book, her poetry and short fiction appeared in literary publications including The Massachusetts Review, Wasafiri, and Ploughshares. Her story Area Boy Rescue was included in New Writing from Africa 2009, following its selection as a finalist for the PEN/Studzinski Literary Award. Published in the United States in 2022, Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions was selected as a New York Times Editors’ Choice and featured in The New Yorker’s list of notable books of 2022. The collection reflects Ogunyemi’s interest in women’s lives, cultural identity, family relationships, and the ways history shapes individual destinies.

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Details
Published
2022
Author
Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi