Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn

Oh, Yinka! What are you thinking?  Oxford-educated banker Yinka Oladeji goes off the deep end when her mother and one of her many aunties pray for her in public to get a "huzband."  Her response to being called out for what is a traditional expectation in her Nigerian-British family is to try to show her friends and family that she is a success on her own, but which prompts her to act in outrageous ways that often include exaggeration, half-truths, and outright lying.  

Adding to her chaotic life is job loss from redundancy, an ongoing feud with her cousin Ola, jealousy of her younger sister Kemi, and an unrealistic and out-of-character plan to line up a plus-one for her cousin's wedding.  Yinka's impetuous decisions can drive you wild--and yet, that is exactly what helps the reader see the frustration of her friends.  

The cultural aspects of the book are interesting, but there are also many universal truths in the story.  One of the nicest parts of the book was Yinka's decision to see a counselor (I couldn't help but think about Dr. Sharon Fieldstone from "Ted Lasso" who helped her patients so well), and this helped Yinka make some important life changes--and to put her Post-It notes to good use!  

Yinka's friends, including three of her cousins, fellow workers, and people from the past add depth to the story, as they help Yinka (whether intentionally or not) accept her identity and embrace the person she is.   There are many engaging minor themes--of religion, cooking, city living, career choices, and friendships--woven throughout the story.  This is a well-done first novel with a beautiful, eye-catching cover. 

The book reminded me quite a bit of the novel by His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie (Algonquin, 2020), about a Ghanian young woman whose arranged marriage doesn't end her quest for her own personal dreams, and I would recommend each if you liked the other.
 

Thanks to Penguin/Viking and NetGalley for an advance copy of this title to be published in January 2022.