Oyinda Loves Books

Title: Buried Beneath The Baobab Tree
Author: Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
Narrator: Robin Miles
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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This was so heavy and hard to read. It was heart breaking, gut wrenching, sorrowful, and tear jerking. Based on the tragic kidnapping of the Chibok girls, this was so so much. The Chibok girls were kidnapped in 2014 by Boko Haram, a religious extremist sect. Till date, not all of the girls have been recovered.
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This book focuses on Yata, a young school girl with dreams and so much life. Yata is the only daughter, with 4 brothers in a patriarchal society (many instances of this were all over the story). She’s lucky enough to have a father who’s invested in her education. Yata is such an amazing and lovable girl and I fell in love with her immediately. I kept reading this with so much trepidation, because of what the book is based on and I kept waiting for tragedy to strike.
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Tragedy did strike, and it shattered my heart when it did. There was so much heartache contained in the chapters of this book. There were graphic accounts of abuse, suicide bombing, terrorism, rape, kidnapping, murder, and grief. The women and girls kidnapped along with Yata went through so much. They ate the worst food, slept on twigs in the forest, and just suffered horrible conditions.
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Religion played a major part in this book, and I love hoe the author used the characters of Mallam Isa and Aisha to portray what true Muslims are. Yata used them in their argument against the brand of Islam Boko Haram claims to practice. Feminism is also an undertone in this book, and I loved how it was written in. Other topics covered in this book include period stigma, Nigerian politics, pregnancy, and so on.
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The afterword by Vivian Mazza is one of my favorite parts of the book, and it showcased the creation process, and also served as an expose of sorts. It showed that a lot of research and legwork went towards this book, and I really appreciate that. Robin Miles, the narrator of this book, did an amazing job.
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I highly recommend this book, but you need to get ready for some heavy reading and a lot of crying.
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Blurb

Based on interviews with young women who were kidnapped by Boko Haram, this poignant novel by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani tells the timely story of one girl who was taken from her home in Nigeria and her harrowing fight for survival. Includes an afterword by award-winning journalist Viviana Mazza. This young adult novel is an excellent choice for accelerated tween readers in grades 7 to 8, especially during homeschooling. It’s a fun way to keep your child entertained and engaged while not in the classroom.

A new pair of shoes, a university degree, a husband—these are the things that a girl dreams of in a Nigerian village. And with a government scholarship right around the corner, everyone can see that these dreams aren’t too far out of reach.

But the girl’s dreams turn to nightmares when her village is attacked by Boko Haram, a terrorist group, in the middle of the night. Kidnapped, she is taken with other girls and women into the forest where she is forced to follow her captors’ radical beliefs and watch as her best friend slowly accepts everything she’s been told.

Still, the girl defends her existence. As impossible as escape may seem, her life—her future—is hers to fight for.

The Authors

Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani is a Nigerian writer and journalist. The author of the award-winning novel I Do Not Come to You by Chance, Adaobi has had her writing featured in the New York Times, the Guardian, and the New Yorker. You can find her at http://www.adaobitricia.com.

Viviana Mazza is an Italian journalist who won the 2010 Marco Luchetta Journalist Prize, dedicated to raising awareness of the plight of children affected by war. She has also written The Story of Malala and The Baby Nelson Mandela, which were published in Italy.