Review of Another Poor Cow
Posted: 14 Sep 2021, 23:34
[Following is a volunteer review of "Another Poor Cow" by Martins Agbonlahor.]
Bound by a spiritual curse at birth; one that fated her to not live beyond the age of ten years old, Onaiwu’s parents summoned the help of a revered sorceress to intercede with the supernatural world to break the ominous spell so that Onaiwu could escape the impending doom of childhood mortality unlike her previous siblings. Onaiwu’s parents are poor, humble agrarian people who desperately need to secure their financial future. Since Onaiwu is their only living child, her ability to marry well is not just the optimistic dream of hopeful parents, but a matter of survival. Unbeknownst to Onaiwu, she has been betrothed to the local wealthy village Chief Osaheni, an old man who has several wives and a plethora of children. At the wildly innocent age of twelve, Onaiwu is groomed by her parents to become a wife. While Onaiwu harbors aspirations to pursue an education and become a nurse, which is highly discouraged and nearly impossible for girls in her community, she ultimately concedes to the shackles of tradition to not confer shame on her family, thus assuming her compulsory role as a child bride. This marriage seems to be the beginning of the end for Onaiwu as she suffers years of abuse and isolation at the hands of her husband as well as his clan of much older and jealous wives. Desperate, fearful, and framed for committing a huge transgression against her husband, Onaiwu flees and ultimately lands into the duplicitous arms of Doctor James, who picks Onaiwu out of the dirt and expends promises of a Cinderella life in America. However, what Onaiwu gets is a one-way ticket into the nefarious world of human trafficking. With a harrowing journey before her, Onaiwu is forced to traverse a land where brute patriarchy reigns. Onaiwu survived one curse but will she manage to outlive dangerous cultural norms to become the woman of her dreams?
Another Poor Cow, written by Martins Agbonlahor, shines a light on the atrocities committed against Nigerian girls and women in the name of upholding tradition and an oppressive patriarchy. These rites of passage victimizes the bodies, minds, and dreams of young girls who have no true agency over their lives. The author puts the more deviant aspects of this community on trial throughout the story and depicts the perpetual tug of war between morality, obligation, culture, and law. Another Poor Cow presents a story mixed with hope, love, and trauma.
What I liked most about Another Poor Cow was Martins Agbonlahor’s attention to detail when describing scenes and events in the story, particularly the various ceremonies and festivals. This truly animated the story and I think it was important that the author was careful in illustrating how a culture can function in beautiful, vibrant ways while also being unapologetic in exposing the ills of that same world. I think this reveals an authentic perspective on how people can grapple with the conflict of interest concerning who they are and where they come from.
At times the dialogue was heavy in the story, making the characters seem unnatural and almost robotic in their communication. Also, there were moments of confusion when trying to determine which characters were speaking since some of the transitions among the speakers were not always clear.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The book seems to have gone through some level of professional editing, and while I can acknowledge that the story is written in British English format, there were still some obvious grammar issues like punctuation, spelling errors, and accidental use of pronouns for certain characters.
Adults who are interested in reading about global, social justice issues, or getting a glimpse into different cultural practices might appreciate reading Another Poor Cow. There are some gritty details regarding animal sacrifice, and physical abuse but I think a mature and responsible reader can understand its purpose relative to the art of storytelling.
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Another Poor Cow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Bound by a spiritual curse at birth; one that fated her to not live beyond the age of ten years old, Onaiwu’s parents summoned the help of a revered sorceress to intercede with the supernatural world to break the ominous spell so that Onaiwu could escape the impending doom of childhood mortality unlike her previous siblings. Onaiwu’s parents are poor, humble agrarian people who desperately need to secure their financial future. Since Onaiwu is their only living child, her ability to marry well is not just the optimistic dream of hopeful parents, but a matter of survival. Unbeknownst to Onaiwu, she has been betrothed to the local wealthy village Chief Osaheni, an old man who has several wives and a plethora of children. At the wildly innocent age of twelve, Onaiwu is groomed by her parents to become a wife. While Onaiwu harbors aspirations to pursue an education and become a nurse, which is highly discouraged and nearly impossible for girls in her community, she ultimately concedes to the shackles of tradition to not confer shame on her family, thus assuming her compulsory role as a child bride. This marriage seems to be the beginning of the end for Onaiwu as she suffers years of abuse and isolation at the hands of her husband as well as his clan of much older and jealous wives. Desperate, fearful, and framed for committing a huge transgression against her husband, Onaiwu flees and ultimately lands into the duplicitous arms of Doctor James, who picks Onaiwu out of the dirt and expends promises of a Cinderella life in America. However, what Onaiwu gets is a one-way ticket into the nefarious world of human trafficking. With a harrowing journey before her, Onaiwu is forced to traverse a land where brute patriarchy reigns. Onaiwu survived one curse but will she manage to outlive dangerous cultural norms to become the woman of her dreams?
Another Poor Cow, written by Martins Agbonlahor, shines a light on the atrocities committed against Nigerian girls and women in the name of upholding tradition and an oppressive patriarchy. These rites of passage victimizes the bodies, minds, and dreams of young girls who have no true agency over their lives. The author puts the more deviant aspects of this community on trial throughout the story and depicts the perpetual tug of war between morality, obligation, culture, and law. Another Poor Cow presents a story mixed with hope, love, and trauma.
What I liked most about Another Poor Cow was Martins Agbonlahor’s attention to detail when describing scenes and events in the story, particularly the various ceremonies and festivals. This truly animated the story and I think it was important that the author was careful in illustrating how a culture can function in beautiful, vibrant ways while also being unapologetic in exposing the ills of that same world. I think this reveals an authentic perspective on how people can grapple with the conflict of interest concerning who they are and where they come from.
At times the dialogue was heavy in the story, making the characters seem unnatural and almost robotic in their communication. Also, there were moments of confusion when trying to determine which characters were speaking since some of the transitions among the speakers were not always clear.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The book seems to have gone through some level of professional editing, and while I can acknowledge that the story is written in British English format, there were still some obvious grammar issues like punctuation, spelling errors, and accidental use of pronouns for certain characters.
Adults who are interested in reading about global, social justice issues, or getting a glimpse into different cultural practices might appreciate reading Another Poor Cow. There are some gritty details regarding animal sacrifice, and physical abuse but I think a mature and responsible reader can understand its purpose relative to the art of storytelling.
******
Another Poor Cow
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon