Dear
Ella
is a good book. It is meant to be. Dear
Ella would have been a better book if it wasn’t self-published. If Dear Ella doesn’t do well as a book,
I’ll hold self-publishing by the collar and spit my disgust into its face. Think
editorial issues and the book’s little or no publicity situation for instance
and you will get what I am saying. Let’s note that there are books published traditionally
with editorial flaws. And I have read and reviewed a couple of them. Why did I make the last sentence? I don’t want
anyone thinking someone hates the idea of self-publishing. No, I don’t. By the
way, some good books, really good ones out there were self-published. Let’s get
straight to the heart of the matter: Dear
Ella would have been a better book if it wasn’t self-published. I know a few
self-published authors. I know of a fewer population, from that group, that is
successful. The books of these successful self-published authors, for instance,
may encourage one to deep one’s feet into the uncertain deep that
self-publishing may be, that it is. The implications of doing that could be more
than one can bear. Again, if Dear Ella
doesn’t do well as a book, I’ll hold self-publishing by the collar and spit my
disgust into its face. Wait, who is this self-publisher? Bomi, Bomi Ehimony. I
may have to mail Bomi after this review and I’ll blame him for not writing more
drafts. For not being patient enough before publishing Dear Ella. For making his prose sound childish sometimes. Why am I even saying all that? I saw beyond Dear Ella and you know what? Bomi is a good writer.
Let’s talk about Bomi. Bomi is
a good writer. Google his name and let’s see what you’ll come up with. Then, we
can talk about his writings in the comments section.
Dear
Ella. The book tells a tale that revolves around love, class
distinction, betrayal of trust and politics all merged together, Nollywood
style. The beauty in this thematic plurality is in how they are all sewn
together to present the workings of causality, karma. Hence, Dear Ella gets you
anticipating the next move; and the story is gifted with enough twists and turns.
That is why I hold unto my position that Bomi is a good storyteller. Let’s
eschew the features of the book that don’t fit well this once, Bomi gets you on
the edge of your seat, your toes curled up like a crab’s legs as you expect the
next jolt.
Dear
Ella
is about three families. Two of the families - the Peter and Orgu families -
are on the opposite sides of the social class divide. The third family, a
doctor’s, is squashed in between them. The doctor accepts to betray his Hippocratic
Oath by switching babies, the rich family’s for the poor’s. This is on account of a medical condition,
Cystic Fibrosis, the Orgu baby has and which his parents consider difficult to
come to terms with. Not doing that may signify kissing his kidnapped wife
goodbye. The result rubs off on both families. I think the poor family - the
Peters - suffers more though. The impact of the disproportionate allocation of
judgement makes karma seem restrained. Or why should Mr Peter lose his wife and
Dominion in the course of the story? Moreover, from the perspective of the Orgu
family, we see how ruinous issues of domestic significance can be when they
spill into the public space.
I dislike it when my best characters
die. Dominion had little space to manifest in the story. Death, not Bomi is guilty.
I like that Dominion loves books. Ella too. Bomi’s bringing of both of them together
is a brilliant idea. Here is a conversation between the two that I like:
“You are reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It’s an unfortunate book.”
“’Unfortunate’” Ella repeated then smiled.
“Have you read it?”
“Spoiler alert – Aunt Helen sexually abused
Charlie when he was little.” Dominion said.
“I already know what happened. I have read
it before.” Ella said.
“Then why are you reading it again?” He laughed.
“Because… well, because I like it.” She said.
“Why? It’s a sad book.”
“It’s really not that sad. It’s just depressing.”
“I don’t know what that means. What’s the
difference?” Dominion laughed.
“Sad makes you cry, depressing makes you
feel down.” Ella said.
“In that case, there are no sad books because
no book is actually capable of making a person cry.” Dominion said.
“Oh there are lots of sad books.”
“Like,”
“Have you read Looking for Alaska?”
Dominion laughed and shook his head no.
“You should. It will make you cry.”
(294-296)
Aside the fact that bringing Ella
and Dominion together helped fan the embers of their individual characters, it
helped Bomi hurry the plot. Hence, it’s a fast read. Dear Ella isn’t bulky too. Dear
Ella is narrated by a guardian angel, the one assigned to Ella. He is ready
to, against all odds, go all out to save Ella; nothing goes all out to save Bomi’s
prose from a reviewer’s ‘cruelty’. It’s painful, I mean it. I hope there is a
revised copy of Dear Ella soon enough.
