Kicking Against the Pricks

In her family's textile making collective in Alaari, Ajoke is the most gifted craftswoman. Ajoke harbors a fierce, burning desire for international recognition, fortune, and position, but her grandmother mother, Segilola, preaches the ancestral wisdom of inner contentment—valuing spiritual calm and strong family ties above all else. She sees her peaceful existence with her two small children and her devoted husband, Bode, as a barrier. She declares that sufficiency is merely a pretext for mediocrity and opposes their shared ideology. Ajoke abandoned her family overnight, and took a night bus to Lagos. She had met with Bianca in Ghana who introduced her to some customers from Paris who loved Adire textiles. Ajoke's intentional kick against the pricks represents her desperate pursuit, and the pointy ends she hits are her own familial bonds. Because she was unable to attend school performances and family dinners, Bode was left to handle the household and the growing emotional distance. She sees her parents' demands as annoying diversions from her upcoming business trip to Morocco, so she postpones visits and disregards their subtle but rising health issues. Her personal family—her foundation—fractures under the strain of her relentless pursuit of job promotion. She eventually realizes her dream of having a well-known brand throughout the world, a substantial fortune, and a prominent position in the industry. But there is a deafening silence when she looks back at last. After a long period of emotional neglect, Bode has relocated with the kids to start a fresh life free from her unrelenting ambition. She is now a single parent in all but name. The final, terrible blow is learning of her grandmother's death, which leaves Ajoke with nothing but the memories of missed calls and postponed visits. The book centers on Ajoke's agonizing realization that she has not only pushed the sharp edges of loss, guilt, and loneliness deep into her own heart by violently rejecting the simple love of her family and the rich African value of contentment, but she has also sacrificed the very people she claimed to be working for. Though, she is financially comfortable, but the things she needed to purchase—time, forgiveness, and presence—are no longer available at any cost.