WE WERE GIRLS ONCE
449pp., paperback, Reprint, Scribner, London, (2024) 2025
ISBN: 9781398506190
Novel set in Nigeria.
Ego, Zina and Eriife have been best friends since childhood, but as they navigate constant political turmoil, their connection is broken and their lives take different paths.
"A gorgeous story of the redemptive power of friendship. With moving and immersive prose, Odafen invites us into the lives of three friends whose lives take remarkable turns, diverge and return to each other. Deftly, gracefully, she paints a vivid and unflinching portrait of Nigerian society of the past and present, its failures and triumphs … I thoroughly felt this book" Francesca Ekwuyasi, author of Butter Honey Pig Bread
"Odafen writes with great insight and compassion about life, sisterhood, family, community and power. Each of her characters is so fully realised, their histories so richly drawn that they feel alive. This is a superbly written novel" Chika Unigwe, author of The Middle Daughter