It began with a baby shower. Wolo’s wife Yoma was attending the shower with his mother, Keka, as it was closer to her house than Yoma’s. She knew the party would run late so she spent the night at her mother-in-law’s house, and Wolo would pick her up the next day. She brought her running shoes over with her-even though she was pregnant with twins, she insisted on at least a three mile run every day. Wolo was nervous about her running but Yoma was a modern free spirit who did what pleased her. At a corner, a car stopped at a stop sign, and as Yomo ran in front of the car it accelerated and hit her. She and her unborn children were killed.
We meet Wolo three years after the tragedy. He has not even begun to get over the loss of his beloved wife and their unborn children. He was a civil engineer who was born in Cameroon to a close upstanding well-off family. While studying at the university, his father was given the opportunity to complete his master’s degree in America and he took his wife and son with him. Wolo attended school in America until the eighth grade, completed his high school education at a private high school in Cameroon and his college degrees at an American university. His mother stayed in America where she earned her bachelor’s, master’s. and doctoral degrees. When his mother heard that a young Cameroonian woman was coming to study mathematics as a green card lottery winner, she made Wolo call her up, and that was the beginning of their love story-he married her soon after with the happy consent of both families.
We also meet Victoria Snow, the young woman in the car that killed Yoma. What she did that day colored every other day of her life-she was horrified and contrite and all she wanted was to tell Wolo how sorry she was. She was given the opportunity to do that when she ran into a friend of Wolo at a party-she asked him to take a letter to Wolo with her apology, but Wolo has other ideas. He decided to meet her in person to find out the real story of the “accident.” Who fixed the police investigation for her? Was she drunk or on drugs? Did she do it on purpose? But when they did meet, she was contrite and sad, but also adamant that it was just a tragic accident. Yolo’s friend also spoke to her and said he believed her.
As they slowly learn more about each other, Wolo begins his exploration of the concept of forgiveness. The characters have their own ideas of who merits compassion and who will never be able to earn it. Family alliances, different personalities, and reason and emotions, all play into their level of acceptance of an untenable situation.
This book is incredible-I knew Mbue was a wonderful storyteller after reading her debut novel, Behold the Dreamers, but this one is absolutely stellar. The author shapes a philosophical debate as a real story of love and loss, which drives home her points much better than any dry essay would. If you don’t experience the full range of emotions on this one, then I have to pity you.
Reviewed by Donna Ballard
October 6, 2026
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