Motherhood
Almost every story in this collection forwards thematic considerations of the concept of motherhood. In fact, the book runs the full gamut of the meaning of motherhood in a variety of ways. For instance, “Things Boys Do” confronts the issue of the importance of motherly nurturing by removing them from the narrative and placing the focus up on three fathers left to raise infants on their own. “Girlie” is a story that challenges the dark side of mothering from the perspective of a runaway teenage daughter. “Breastmilk” and “Imagine Me Carrying You” are two titles which should be self-explanatory about the subject area of motherhood and the mental strain giving birth to new life.
Magical Realism
Many of these stories tell narratives which walk along a thin line between the natural and the supernatural to the point that ambiguity creeps in to suggest it is sometimes impossible to detect the difference. ‘‘The Wonders of the World’’ is especially ambivalent about whether the “healing powers” that one schoolgirl tells another she possesses are real or not. “The Hollow” uses impossible architectural structure within a house to explore the emotional maze of being trapped in a relationship defined by domestic abuse. Likewise, the story “Manifest” is an explanation of the emotional elements used in constructing self-identity by introducing the possibility of possession of the soul as an explanation for psychological breakdown. Most of the stories that introduce something “magical” into the otherwise realistic story create enough space for readers to decide whether the rational explanation is the correct one or not.
Estrangement
Despite focusing heavily on the importance of motherhood, a theme running throughout the collection is estrangement from mothers, as well as fathers and husbands. The possession which is a possibility in “Manifest” has a granddaughter believing the soul of her grandmother has entered her and this belief serves to create a chasm with her mother. The house with the always-changing architecture serves to protect a woman estranged from her abusive husband but eventually the house becomes just as protective as a mother and this leads to the abused woman becoming estranged from other family members. The new mother in “Breastmilk” faces a challenge in being able to breastfeed the baby because of the emotional stress caused by the estrangement from her adulterous husband. This theme is presented as an unfortunately inevitable occurrence within the complexity of personal interrelationships further fueled by the dynamics of Nigerian society.
