Orimili

A philosophical Igbo cultural story set mainly in the 1940’s. The main character Orimili took this name from a nearby river in the town. He was hardworking and probably among the wealthiest, but his application to join the ozo society governing the town met with some resistance, the stated reason being that his great-grandfather had come to the town from somewhere and not born there. Because of this he’d always wanted to do things to root his family properly in the town.

The decision of his son to marry in Britain without his permission—after he’d begun arrangements to marry his friend’s daughter for him—turned his life upside down. The ozo title was however given to his son as an honor for being the first foreign-educated in the town and more-so being a politician.
It is rather a slow-paced story with page-long paragraphs, 90% thought and 10% action. The use of gods to explain life in the traditional society sometimes appeared too ridiculous. There seemed to be a god for almost everything—the land, river, crops, etc.

August 31, 2015. Review initially written in 1998. Novel originally published in 1991. Picture source: Google Images.