GERMAN CALENDAR NO DECEMBER

Ofili’s debut teaches readers that
moving forward is the only option.

Olivia Evezi wants to find her place
in a world where she never wholly belongs. In her home of Warri, Nigeria, her white
German immigrant mother is referred to as “Oyinbo,” and Olivia dislikes the way
it marks them as different. Sent to boarding school in Lagos, she is
immediately othered and treated poorly because of her mixed heritage. Her
fantasies of jolly adventures are quickly dashed by the realities of oppression
and hazing. Hoping to put that mistreatment behind her, she finds her way to
Hamburg, Germany, to attend university. Her arrival is less than pleasant after
being questioned by a customs agent and embarrassing herself on an escalator.
And she quickly learns that while in Nigeria she wasn’t black enough, in
Germany she isn’t white enough. Among her multiethnic co-workers at a bakery she
finds a family and a purpose, but it isn’t enough to shield her from harsh
realities. Illustrations of birds interspersed throughout the story represent
Olivia’s need to escape the familiar and seek what the rest of the world has to
offer. Weyhe (Arbeit, 2018, etc.)
infuses West African–style figures and art executed in simple lines with an
orange, brown, and green color palette. Her expressive faces pair well with the
honest, straightforward text, bringing to life the journey of a young woman
seeking acceptance and belonging.