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Under the Udala Trees is a historical fiction novel set in Nigeria during and after the civil war. It follows Ijeoma, a young Igbo girl, as she comes of age and discovers her sexuality. The story explores Ijeoma's relationships and struggles with her identity in a society that discriminates against her. After several failed relationships, Ijeoma ultimately reunites with her secret partner Ndidi and they remain together for many years despite the risks of their sexuality being discovered.

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Alenna Decem
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380 views

Document

Under the Udala Trees is a historical fiction novel set in Nigeria during and after the civil war. It follows Ijeoma, a young Igbo girl, as she comes of age and discovers her sexuality. The story explores Ijeoma's relationships and struggles with her identity in a society that discriminates against her. After several failed relationships, Ijeoma ultimately reunites with her secret partner Ndidi and they remain together for many years despite the risks of their sexuality being discovered.

Uploaded by

Alenna Decem
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta is a story written at the time after the Nigerian Civil War

happened and it pertains a historical fiction set. The story talks about Ijeoma life, the first-person in the
narrative, a young Igbo girl living in Ojoto during the Nigerian Civil War at the age of 11. Ijeoma was one
of the people who experienced discrimination due to her gender identity preference. The story Under
the Udala Tree was categorized as LGBTQ+ type of literature and had won the Best Lesbian Fiction in
2016.

A continuation of Ijeoma’s story, her mother Adaora sent her to live with a grammar school teacher in
Nnewi after her father Uso was killed in an aerial bombardment. Before she left her home, Chibundu her
childhood friend kissed her under an orange tree.

In Nnewi, Ijeoma found Amina, a young Housa girl, under an udala tree and the girl who accompanied
her to the grammar school teacher. They both work as soubrette and unexpectedly fall in love with each
other. Their relationship was discovered by the teacher during their intimate moment and sends Ijeoma
back to her home in Aba.

During her several months in Aba, they have been devoted to Bible lessons as Adaora tries to cure her
daughter thinking that her daughter’s sexuality was possessed with kind of demon. Ijeoma and Amina
reunites at the Academy but Amina refuses to date Ijeoma and tried dating other men. After they
graduated, Amina got engage to a Hausa boy.

She met Ndidi, a school teacher in Aba, at the time when was working at her mother’s shop. Ndidi
brought Ijeoma into an underground LGBTQ+ clan hideout. Ijeoma fell in love with Ndidi so as Ndidi to
Ijeoma. The gay club was raided and got burned by the guards. It killed almost all of Ndidi’s friend. Ndidi
convinces Ijeoma to date a man but Ijeoma was bound to marry Chibundu that she was force by ger
mother Adaora’s command.

After they were married, they moved to Port Harcourt, were Ijeoma manifested the signs of having
deppression. Later, Ijeoma gave birth to a vaby girl, and Adaora went there to help aijeoma breastfeed.
Ijeoma has still been writing letters to Ndidi but it seemed like Ndidi wasn’t replaying, so, she hid the
letters in her bedroom. Chibundu notices the pile of unsent letters inside her bedroom and confested
also he was the one stopping all the letters that to be sent to Ndidi. Chibundu threatens Ijeoma with
aggressive ness and with a matchete and commanded her to bear his son.

IJeoma had a miscarriage and dreamt about the udala trees

2015, Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta is historical fiction set during and after the Nigerian
Civil War, written in a style of literary realism that incorporates elements of Nigerian folklore. Under the
Udala Trees can is also categorized as LGBT+ literature—it won “Best Lesbian Fiction” in the 2016
Lambda Literary Awards.

After a miscarriage and a dream about udala trees, Ijeoma leaves Chibundu and returns to Adaora’s
house. In the Epilogue, Adaora takes her in and accepts that Ijeoma is a lesbian. Chidinma also accepts
that Ijeoma is gay and grows up to become a university professor. Chibundu stays in Port Harcourt and
never remarries. Ijeoma and Ndidi get back together and remain secret partners for many years.
Inspired by Nigeria's folktales and its war, Under the Udala Trees is a deeply searching, powerful debut
about the dangers of living and loving openly. Ijeoma comes of age as her nation does; born before
independence, she is eleven when civil war breaks out in the young republic of Nigeria.

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