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Secrets On The Bank Of The River

By Ogunleye Kelechi
02 January 2016   |   9:44 pm
Surprise, shock and anxiety are usually what someone experiences when a secret that has been kept away from him or her is being unraveled. It is these feeling that Ifeoluwapo Adeniyi evokes in her 285 paged novel titled On the Bank of the River.

BANK-OF-THE-RIVERSurprise, shock and anxiety are usually what someone experiences when a secret that has been kept away from him or her is being unraveled. It is these feeling that Ifeoluwapo Adeniyi evokes in her 285 paged novel titled On the Bank of the River.

Published in 2015 by Panamacchi Books, the novel takes the reader on a journey into unraveling a secret kept away from Enitan, a lady who seeks answers regarding her birth and why the past of her mother (Asake) and aunt (Jibike) has greatly influenced her life. Although the major theme of the novel is “Unraveling the Secret” that has been kept for years; other sub-themes that dot the book include love, betrayal and human inequality. For easy appreciation of the narrative, the author splits the plot into the past and the present, and craftily links the past into the present, giving a clear understanding of why the present situations is the way it is.

Set in Obade, a village in Osun State, most significant actions in the narrative occur in Obade River, a river that is described in the story as a place for solace and love. The Obade River as the center for significant actions in the novel is the place where Asake’s secret of the identity of her biological father was unraveled by her sister (Jibike). It was also at the bank of the river that Enitan found solace in the present and it was same for her mother in the past. Furthermore, Adeoye also seeks comfort and fell in love with Asake and Jibike on the bank of Obade River.

The author wisely used the mythology to show the connection between Enitan and the Obade River in her dreams. In the epilogue, after Enitan had found answers to her long measured questions on the identity of her father and why her mother and aunt never got along in the present, she began to question life and love in a conversation with the Obade River in her dream. While it was evident that she (Enitan) had a connection with the river, the conversation concluded on the note that change is inevitable and life is full of surprises.

Writing with a lot of imagery, the novel had a train of suspense through out that will make readers yearn to read every page without taking a reading break. The flow from the past to the present as used by the author in her writing style, gave a clear understanding of the activities in every chapter. Also, the author made good use of the narrative technique, description and dialogue with the last chapter being an epilogue. Similarly, the author linked the characters quite nicely and she ensured that her characters both major and minor are revealed through actions and dialogue.

However there were a few typos and the one that was very obvious was the error in page 136, line 22 where the author noted “Adeoye said in an instant, feeling the pains an empty stomach”. Nevertheless, the novel is recommended for lovers of suspense and romantic stories and it is valuable because it teaches the simple life lesson of making the best of life that is full of surprises.

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