A SPELL OF GOOD THINGS opens with the mention of a young boy named Eniola, who runs errands for local businessmen in order to uphold his responsibilities to his poor family. His father is jobless and tries to lead a life of quiet dignity, but the other area purveyors find him quite annoying. And although Eniola works hard for the local tailor, he is still treated daily to jibes and aggressive behavior from those who have no respect for his father. He collects newspapers, begs on the street when necessary, and dreams of much bigger and better adventures beyond the shores of Nigeria.

"Adébáyọ̀ writes gracefully of disturbing political and social topics with a keen reporter’s eye, pulling readers closer and closer to the philosophical truths that underlie the families’ turmoil. It is a quiet but meaningful ride through some of the most recognizable dramas of the 21st century."

Across town, where fathers have jobs and families have pride in their capitalistic successes, Wuraola grows up to be a doctor. We are introduced to her on a particularly difficult day in the hospital where she is finishing her first-year residency. Kunle is the son of an arrogant politician and pursues her with a passion that puts her off.

Into this world comes another politician who takes an interest in Eniola. At a family party that is disturbed by sudden violence, Eniola and Wuraola find themselves thrown together. A SPELL OF GOOD THINGS examines monetary divides and the myriad ways that class and status stand between the good and the bad. In a changing society, there is little room for hope, but Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀’s characters believe that there can exist a safer and more equitable world.

Jewelry holds a special place for one family, while the distant dream of higher education holds the other family in its sway. Even amongst stolen items and the fancy meals of the rich, there lies a sense that Nigerian life is about to become far more complicated in order to become a better way of life for all. But the novel doesn’t sugarcoat the revolution that is necessary to pull apart one foundation to build another. Its vivid prose draws our attention to a consistent parade of little moments and items that eventually build a full mural of the communicative struggles the two sides have to overcome in order to move anything forward.

Adébáyọ̀ was initially inspired to work on the book when she was on a bus that took a detour to a neighborhood she didn’t know existed. Like Eniola and Wuraola, she was shocked that in a town where she had spent her whole life, there was a part of it she had never seen before. This created the juxtaposition of lifestyles and choices that A SPELL OF GOOD THINGS brings to light.

There are no long explanations of what people look like or the clothes they wear. Adébáyọ̀ doesn’t bother with small details and wants readers instead to feel thrown into each episode of the story. We are pulled through the narrative by the compelling and matter-of-fact prose that doesn’t allow us to stop and think about the deeper questions at play. Instead, we learn as we go, following the main characters through their upheaval and becoming familiar with parts of their world only as we need to know them. It feels so immediate and ultimately more poignant than if the author gave us endless descriptive runs of sunsets and city streets.

A SPELL OF GOOD THINGS is about a part of the world that looks very different from ours but feels like it is caught in the same growing pains. Adébáyọ̀ writes gracefully of disturbing political and social topics with a keen reporter’s eye, pulling readers closer and closer to the philosophical truths that underlie the families’ turmoil. It is a quiet but meaningful ride through some of the most recognizable dramas of the 21st century.