Fiction, Book review, Short stories
“She is fascinated by how much romantic love can soften a hard life, highlight the best of you, not condemn the worst of you.”
― Bolu Babalola, Love in Colour
"To say that I love "love" would probably be akin to me saying that I am quite fond of inhaling oxygen. Love is the prism through which I view the world. I truly believe that it binds us and propels us." - Bolu Babalola
This quote is found in the introduction of the book and it had me hooked. I'm sure we all want to know more about the sort of love that is likened to breathing and I sure did. The title "Love in Colour" and the beautiful cover propelled me to getting this book & I don't regret it.
Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola is an anthology of modern love stories and mythical retelling from around the world. With this book the author was able to re-imagine stories from ancient times that were filled with misogyny, patriarchy and violence and retell them in a manner that centered around women and emphasis was placed their agency in allowing themselves to love and be loved rather than them being chosen.
Synopsis
Love in colour by Bolu is a thought provoking and deeply insightful anthology.
A high-born Nigerian goddess, who has been beaten down and unappreciated by her gregarious lover, longs to be truly seen.
A young businesswoman attempts a great leap in her company, and an even greater one in her love life.
A powerful Ghanaian spokeswoman is forced to decide whether she should uphold her family’s politics or be true to her heart.
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My impressions
The popularity of this book is testament of Bolu Babalola's impeccable writing. The use of different tones based on the different stories made each short story interesting and enjoyable.
I give this book a 4 star rating. It was my first anthology and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The book comprises of 13 short stories, I enjoyed most of the books but my personal favourites include,
Scheherazade
Siya
Thisbe
Tiara
Orin
Alogomeji
I took my time reading this book therefore, I was able to sit with each story and reflect on the characters which made me enjoy the book even more. I loved the small illustrations in the beginning of each chapter it made each story memorable.
Genres: Fiction, Africa, Romance Short Stories, Fantasy Retelling , Adult, Mythology, Anthologies, Audio book
Number of pages: 290
Read this book if:
You've been looking for a book that focuses on women and emphasizes their agency in allowing themselves to love and be loved rather than them being chosen.
You haven't read an anthology.
You enjoy reading romance novels.
You are looking for a book that allows you to read at your own pace.
About the author
Bolu Babalola is a British-Nigerian woman with an undergraduate degree in law and a master's degree in American politics and history from UCL. She believes it is important to point out that she achieved a distinction for her thesis, which focused on Beyoncé's "Lemonade." She has a master's in Beyoncé, in other words. Bolu Babalola, a self-proclaimed "romcomoisseur," she enjoys writing about love in her books, scripts and culture essays. Strong female characters who boldly love and be loved appear regularly in her works. She passionately believes that "Beauty and the Beast" are both present in equal proportion in women.
“Thank you for letting me love you. Thank you for loving me back. Thank you for staying, I know it was hard sometimes. I hope you now live free.”
― Bolu Babalola, Love in Colour
