Ijeoma

Ijeoma is the novel’s protagonist and narrator. She is about ten years old at the beginning of the novel. She originally lives in Ojoto, Nigeria with her mother and father. However, after Ijeoma’s father is killed by an air raid bomb, Ijeoma’s mother decides to send Ijeoma to live in a different town, called Nnewi. There, Ijeoma lives with a teacher and a spouse who give her food and shelter in exchange for help with household chores. When an orphan girl named Amina arrives in town, Ijeoma persuades her guardians to take in Amina as well. As Ijeoma and Amina enter their teenage years and sexual awakenings, they develop a romantic and sexual relationship. When this is discovered, Ijeoma is sent to live with her mother again. Her mother tells her that homosexuality is a sin.

Ijeoma later attends a secondary school near Nnewi. Amina...