5/24/2023 0 Comments My sister the serial killer![]() However, Braithwaite said she had no genre in mind when she started her book. The short chapters really do keep you on the edge of your seat, and Korede’s impassive narrative voice inspired by “Wuthering Heights” is quite eerie. Despite this wicked incentive for the manipulative and charming character of Ayoola and several scenes of rubbing bleach, I wouldn’t label “My Sister, The Serial Killer” as thriller or crime. Moreover, Braithwaite criticizes colorism in Nigeria, a problem rooted in the country’s colonialist history, by pointing out how Ayoola’s lighter skin is favored over Korede’s dark skin despite their identical ethnicity.īraithwaite’s inspiration for the novel was a poem she wrote on female black widow spiders, which eat the male after they mate. The police’s lack of concern with the murders throughout the book shows the inefficiency of the police force in Lagos and portrays how it allows crimes as vicious as Ayoola’s to take place without legal ramifications. Nigerian cultural foods and dresses stand out, but Braithwaite also aims to depict the corruption of police in the busy city of Lagos. This storyline also highlights gender discrimination, as it is the women of Lagos who bear the responsibility of preparing for marriage and keeping up appearances to appeal to men of a higher socioeconomic class.īraithwaite engages the reader with setting as much as story. This is reflected in Korede’s constant struggle to make sure her sister looks okay to the public eye and can be married off like their mother wishes, despite the bodies she leaves behind. Inspired by her own experience, Braithwaite also writes about the problem of keeping up appearances in Lagos. Are Ayoola’s killings really out of self-defense? Is Korede accountable for the danger the people of Lagos face if she keeps covering for Ayoola, or is she bound by blood to protect her sister above all else? As the tension increases, Korede soon finds herself in a moral dilemma, doubting whether she should continue to protect her sister or make sure she is stopped. The 226-page novel tells the story of two sisters: Korede, a shy nurse who does not stand out in a crowd, and Ayoola, a young, outgoing and charming … murderer.īraithwaite’s debut novel and Man Booker Prize winner depicts Korede’s unwavering loyalty to Ayoola as she disposes of the blood and carcasses of her sister’s murdered boyfriends, literally cleaning up the messes Ayoola leaves behind. Oyinkan Braithwaite’s “My Sister, The Serial Killer” was such a page turner that I read it in one sitting. Several of Braithwaite’s novels are set in Lagos, where Braithwaite was born, and capture the culture as well as the troubles of the large city.Ĭontent warning: this article contains references to child abuse. Join me to pick up your next read! In honor of Black History Month, I chose a novel from Nigerian British author Oyinkan Braithwaite. Welcome to “Lately in Literature with Leyla.” I will be reviewing new book releases to keep you updated on some of the best contemporary fiction.
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