The Edge of Water
Why are there connections between the well-being of the people in New Orleans and Ibadan? How is the destructive hurricane in one place connected to the drying up river in the other? In Olufunke Grace Bankole’s sad and beautiful debut novel The Edge of Water, this is due to a disregarded prophecy – at least that’s what Esther, one of the protagonists, believes. Esther believes what Iyanifa – the prescient Ifa priestess – predicted about her daughter Amina. Esther keeps what she is told to herself and lets Amina pursue her dream of emigrating to the US despite the warning. This seems to throw everything into disarray, resulting in much pain and loss.
The novel is partly narrated by Iyanifa, but also consists of letters from Esther to Amina and reports from Amina and her daughter Laila. Together, these narrative perspectives create a polyphonic and non-linear form. The story can only be pieced together gradually, which maintains the suspense throughout.
In addition to the prophecy and the natural disasters, the mother-daughter relationships are at the center of the story. Only when Amina is already in New Orleans can Esther bring herself to tell her everything she has kept secret so far – she does not even leave out her worst experiences with the patriarchal structures in Nigeria, which are upheld by men, but also by complicit women. Amina, on the other hand, whose life in New Orleans does not meet her expectations, puts off answering her mother. And Laila, who grows up in the US, feels quite alone and lost until her first visit to Nigeria, when she is almost an adult. All three hope for change in their lives – they want something better, are looking for love and their place in this crisis-ridden world. This global, intergenerational novel is filled with complicated emotions, devastation and hope. Those who remain realize: love can be acted upon.