Much Ado About Akwaugo’s Vagina: A Book Review
Akwaugo by Rosemary Okafor is a forbidden multicultural billionaire romance set in Lagos and Nnewi. To describe the book briefly, it’s a romance story between a naïve, abused married woman, Akwaugo and a billionaire, Tobechukwu. And, of course, the third player, Mezie, the impotent man who sends his wife to sleep with another man so they can have a child.
Akwaugo and Tobechukwu end up falling in love with each other. Sounds cliché abi? You have no idea what a dramatic rollercoaster ride this book will take you on.
Think old Nollywood, but with a fully fleshed and more fulfilling storyline.
Akwaugo features superstitious and traditional beliefs and rites, oaths and taboos, domestic abuse (physical and emotional), and of course, Akwaugo’s vagina, amongst many other things.
This book has such a multi-layered plot that I stalled writing this review because I did not know where to begin. However, I tried to break it down through it’s three main characters.
Mezie:
I’m starting with Mezie because he represents a typical misogynistic villain in this story. Mezie paid Akwaugo’s bride price when she was still in secondary school, sent her to nursing school but refused to let her work. Mezie is insecure, abusive, uncouth and, worst of all, a rapist.
The last bit caused him to lose the use of his “manhood” and become impotent, making him a slave to a desire he can never fulfil, which eventually leads him to coerce his wife to sleep with another man so they can have a child and he would no longer feel ashamed amongst his peers.
He coerces Akwaugo, his prized possession, to take an oath — multiple oaths at very powerful shrines to keep the secret about his impotence and what he had asked her to do about it. This comes after he had previously made her swear not to have sexual relations with any other man apart from him.
Counterproductive, if you ask me, but what do you expect from a man on the edge of insanity?
Mezie is selfish, diabolical, and murderous, and I loved how it ended for him.
Tobechukwu:
I simply like to think of him as the man Akwaugo chose.
But Tobechukwu’s character is deeper than that. Not only is he a self-made billionaire, but he is also from the descendants of people dedicated to a deity. He is an Osu. I’m not Igbo, but from my understanding of the Osu culture, they are outcasts treated worse than slaves and not allowed to interact with other people. Although the practice was abolished long ago, it’s still a slur, and descendants of people who used to be Osu still suffer some stereotypes.
I loved how persistent and consistent his love for Akwaugo was, despite it being forbidden.
Akwaugo:
Akwaugo, the star of the book — golden-haired with transparent skin is initially considered a bad omen because she has albinism. However, that changes as she grows up to be the most beautiful woman in the village. Every man wants her, but unfortunately, Mezie is the man who gets to her first. Akwaugo is kind and gentle, but her biggest flaw is her belief in superstitions. And she lets Mezie, a physically, emotionally, and spiritually abusive man hold her back for too long.
She also lets repressive culture hold her back. I understand that she is a village woman, but at some point, it was a bit annoying, especially when the issue of bride price and ownership of her body came up; she let the men make the decisions.
Like Chief Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said:
“Culture does not make people. People make culture. If it is true that the full humanity of women is not part of our culture, then we can and must make it our culture.”
Akwaugo saw herself as the men saw her — their property. I don’t blame her, though, because even in real life, abused women see themselves through the reflection in their abuser’s eyes.
There was so much reference to Akwaugo’s vagina and what was going in and out of it by Mezie and other men in the community that I wanted to wring their necks.
Leave my good sis alone, please.
I enjoyed watching her romance and love with Tobechukwu grow. I loved how she finally found her voice and started to demand what she wanted in life, and during sex, rather than wait to be handed crumbs.
I would have loved to see her pursue her dreams more, but then again, she has a billionaire who loves her more than she even loves herself in her corner. So, a win is a win, I guess.
I loved her friendship with Nwamaka. I am a sucker for female friendships that support and protect.
Like I said in my Goodreads Review, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I recommend Akwaugo if you want African romance with sexy characters, delicious spice, and rich culture and language.
Rosemary Okafor did a fantastic job. You can find more of Rosemary’s works here. Please read and leave a review and refer her books to other people.
