Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi (Book Review)
BLURB
Ada begins her life in the south of Nigeria as a troubled baby and a source of deep concern to her family. Her parents, Saul and Saachi, successfully prayed her into existence, but as she grows into a volatile and splintered child, it becomes clear that something went terribly awry. When Ada comes of age and moves to America for college, the group of selves within her grows in power and agency. A traumatic assault leads to a crystallization of her alternate selves: Asụghara and Saint Vincent. As Ada fades into the background of her own mind and these selves--now protective, now hedonistic--move into control, Ada's life spirals in a dark and dangerous direction.
INTRODUCTION
I have picked this book so many times in the past, but have never read past the second page, because of its ambiguity. To be honest, if you are not patient, you will lose interest in this book early. It’s not the regular kind of book that you can grasp from the beginning. It requires patience. And once you have successfully moved past the first few chapters, then you can finally enjoy it.
PLOT
This book is an autobiographical fiction of the author, Akwaeke Emezi. I have read Dear Senthuran and it helped me understand the author, but Freshwater gave me a better view inside their life.
This is a book about Ada, a young Nigerian woman, and how she navigates life. It starts from way before she was born, and how she would later be prayed into existence.
Ada’s human parents, Saachi and Saul have always wanted a baby girl, and they would fervently pray for one. And according to the book, when one constantly prays for something, the spirits would hearken and then answer the prayer.
This is how the spirits would listen to and answer Saachi and Saul’s prayer, and bless them with a baby girl, Ada. But Ada is not a normal child. She is a god, an ogbanje, a child who lives to die. An ogbanje, in Igbo mythology, is a spirit child that dies and comes back, only to die again. They have no business with long life, as they only live for a short period of time and then die.
So, when the god takes the human form, and becomes Ada, her brothersisters would not approve. They would want her to come back to them. There is no reason for a god to take the form of human flesh, and stay in the human world for so long. But Ada would stay.
Ada would not have it easy growing up. Her family would soon become dysfunctional, as Saachi and Saul would disagree over a whole lot of things. And then Saachi would leave, for her sake, for her mental health.
This wouldn’t make it easier for Ada too, because it is very difficult to cope in a broken home, where the mother, who is a much better parent is thousands of miles away from you. Saul does not really bother much about the kids, Ada inclusive.
He would only be interested in what pleases him, like taking the chieftaincy title, and I think this indifference takes a major toll on Ada’s mental health.
At the young age of sixteen, Ada would leave Nigeria to go to college in America, and this is where the manifestation of her selves begin.
After encountering a sexual, traumatic event, she would cry out one of her selves into existence, to save her. And this is when Asughara is born.
Ada has the multiple personality disorder, with two other selves living inside her, Asughara and Saint Vincent. Each coming out and taking over her whenever it pleases them.
"She was contaminated with us, a godly parasite with many heads, roaring inside the marble room of her mind."
She would have a very difficult life coping with these two personalities. Asughara is fierce and does not give a damn about what anyone thinks or says, and whenever she takes over Ada’s body, she wreaks havoc with a reckless abandon and lands her in trouble.
She is the exact opposite of Ada. While Saint Vincent brings out the masculinity in her. This book explores the discovery of selves, and how to manage these selves without finally giving in to insanity.
I cannot even imagine the terror of having your body taken over at will, without you having a say on whatever action you take. This is what happens when you trap a god to a body. Ada should not have been born. She should have remained in the other side with her brothersisters. But she is born, with one of her feet stamped in the other side.
This book becomes mind-blowing and interesting when you really delve into it. If only you have the patience of giving it a chance. I have read many Akwaeke’s books, but this is the most difficult to face, because of the eccentric topics it explores.
I really like the fact that this book talks about mental health issues and things that can trigger them. It makes us question a lot of things. How do our environment and background affect us? How do our numerous thoughts and feelings trigger us to the point we lose our minds to insanity?
How strong is the mind? How feeble is it? How often does it get tired of holding itself together? When does it finally snap?
What is the connection between our mental health and spiritual well-being?
The book touches on very serious topics like gender, abuse, mental health, Igbo spirituality, self-harm, depression.
According to Emezi, the freshwater is the source of all waters. And that is where the python comes from.
FINAL THOUGHTS
In as much as I enjoyed this book, I still have some things I do not understand. Like the times Ada would speak to Yeshua. I do not know if she has that conversation with Jesus Christ, the Christian God, or another spirit with similar name.
I would recommend you give this book a chance, if you have a thing for Igbo mythology, multiple personality disorder, and LGBTQ. Your interest in the aforementioned topics would help you enjoy the book better.
