Title: Perfect Love
Author: Ufuomaee
Year of Publication: 2018
Number of Pages: 174
Category: Fiction
When a person’s marriage is in trouble, it can have a negative impact on both their physical and mental health. Marriage issues are fairly common. However, many people rush into marriage without properly considering the challenges they will face together.
You have such strong feelings for this person that you are certain you would do anything for them. However, after a certain amount of time in your marriage, you and your spouse no longer interact very frequently, and the times that you do end up in an argument the majority of the time. This is similar to the premise of “Perfect Love,” one of the many books written by the well-known Nigerian author Ufuomaee.
Perfect Love tells the story of Onome, an unhappy married woman who runs into her ex-boyfriend just months before her sixth wedding anniversary. Her decision to have an extramarital affair begs the question of whether she is dissatisfied with her current situation. Nonetheless, Onome clearly has a strong attachment to her ex and can’t stop thinking about him. The fact that they live so close together, as well as the fact that he appears to be as interested in replaying old memories as she is, only complicates matters.
Ufuomaee’s novels are conversational and straight forward, with themes ranging from family to God and the Christian faith. Nonetheless, it is not a sermon and deals with a variety of real-world issues. This book serves as a warning to those who continue to seek the perfect relationship and refuse to accept or address the state of their marriage.
If you carefully read the book, you will notice that there are numerous underlying issues that lead to cheating, such as a lack of affection and communication. Onome’s influence is very likely to have contributed to her ending up in an unhappy marriage.
This novel captures the seriousness, energy, and strength that comes with love. Aside from how self-centered it can be. While reading this book, you may find yourself swept up in a tornado of different emotions.
Temi (Onome’s husband) is convinced that his marriage is doomed after reading the diary that Onome kept during their marriage. He also believes that he will never again be able to please his wife. The fact that he has already found solace in the arms of another woman complicates matters even more.
It’s easy to blame this couple, but who hasn’t secretly entertained or craved a similarly destructive desire?
Rather than relying on a single narrator,
the author has the characters take turns narrating their own stories, which appears to be the source of the novel’s richness.
The characters of this couple are well-developed, open to our interpretation, and, in the end, they deserve our sympathy.
The suggestions in this book could be exactly what you need to get through a difficult time in your marriage.
About the reviewer
Titilade Oyemade is a business executive in a leading organisation and holds a degree in Russian Language. She’s the convener of the Hangoutwithtee Ladies Event and the publisher of Hangoutwithtee magazine. She spends her weekends attending women conferences, events and book readings. She loves to have fun and to help other women have the same in their lives. Email: [email protected] Social: @tiipreeofficial
