‘After a bad break up, 25-year-old Osayuki Idahosa
leaves behind everything she holds
dear in London to return to Lagos, Nigeria: a country she hasn't set foot in for many years. Drawn
by the transformations happening in the fashion industry in the city, she accepts a job at House of Martha as their Head of
PR. While waiting at Milan airport for her connecting flight to Lagos,
she meets Cynthia Okoye and Kian Bajo, a wanna-be Afrobeat star. After
the plane lands at the Lagos airport, they all go their separate ways
but their lives will intertwine again and change the course of Osayuki's
life forever.’
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Elizabeth Okoh's debut
novel, following three characters as they return to Lagos, Nigeria is
the book for summer. Using her three protagonists, Okoh delves into
friendship, identity and sharp contrast between rich and poor in Nigeria.
Osayuki Isahosa is running away from London and a
broken heart as she heads for a new Head of PR for a fashion brand in
Lagos. While waiting for her connecting flight, she meets Cynthia who
does not really want to go to Nigeria but her parents want her to do a
year's service and find a purpose rather than being pampered in the UK
and they also meet Kian, full of confidence and assurance that he is
about to become the biggest Afrobeats star you could imagine in Nigeria.
They all go their separate ways once they land,
each experiencing different sides of Lagos - Osayuki has a driver to
take her to glamorous parties and to the office, Cynthia must start her
training in a camp before she is assigned a teaching job, and Kian
starts to realise that to get anywhere he needs to bribe people and
sleep in a cramped flat with his cousin ... but slowly their lives start
to intertwine.
The Returnees is a
coming of age story where our three characters face unexpected love,
finding a purpose down an unexpected route, and a new determination that
will reshape their lives. Even though their parents are not in the same
country, they are still tied to their families and tradition and Okoh
explores this push and pull against expectation and wanting to have your
own defined direction.
Okoh makes sure that you can't walk away from
these characters and their lives by creating vivid characters who have
to face twists and turns but makes sure that there are fantastic
descriptions of the clothes, food and the locations. If you're looking
to know more about a culture that you don't know much about then this
book really pulls
you into the life of Lagos and shows you not only
the highlight of boat parties and fashion shows but also the markets
where you haggle for hair treatments and food.
This is a great read ... you need to read this
book…
Review by Jessica – courtesy goodreads
