Review of Leaving Dahomey

[Dylan Crippen]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Leaving Dahomey" by Jude Shaw.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Leaving Dahomey by Jude Shaw is a historical novel based in 1840s Dahomey, a country now part of modern Benin. Adeoha is a teenage girl from the small village of Atogon, where she lives in her father's compound. She is invited by her first friend, Sewextu, to come before the priestesses of the cult of the Language of the Drums to possibly be inducted. The Language of the Drums is a society in which women are trained to be renowned dancers, who reenact ancient stories. Adeoha becomes an initiate, and after a rough beginning to her training, she becomes known among the people as an exceptional dancer. She leaves the Language of the Drums to begin a new business in trading goods, all the while practicing the dancing exercises. On one occasion, she agrees to join Sewextu's group of dancers to compete in a contest against a group from a much larger town. The ancestors send her inspiration during her performance, and she enthralls the crowd. Due to the merits of her dancing, Adeoha unintentionally amasses many followers, which becomes a threat to the king. She must flee the country to escape.

This book had overtones of mysticism and politics that kept my attention. The author had clearly done extensive research on the Dahomey culture of the time. It was clear that the people were used to being on the verge of war, and there was always a danger of being enslaved if one was on the losing side. Historically, this novel checks every box and takes the reader on a unique adventure through Adeoha's eyes.

The primary issue with the book is that Shaw frequently misplaces or omits quotation marks, so reading dialogue can be confusing. I was able to follow for the most part based on the context, but I did occasionally have to backtrack and reread. I also would have liked to have a little more detail about the gods and goddesses as they were introduced. That would have made them easier to distinguish between and made the story more clear since I was personally unfamiliar with the deities.

I would give this book 3 out of 4 stars because the story was thorough and exciting. It offered a view into a culture that I believe the average person would be unfamiliar with but would find complex and interesting.

Leaving Dahomey would be a great read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction or African cultures.

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Leaving Dahomey
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