By Wale Alabi
Though small in size, “The Trails of the Orishas”, a novella by Christiana Oluwadamilola Adeoye, is mighty in the vicarious lessons embedded in it.
Predicated on the Yoruba cosmetology, mythology and religious philosophical thoughts of Orisa (the gods), the book offers a universal lesson on the need for harmonious living on the earthly plane.
The four-chapter work comprising: The Trials of the Orishas, The Blessing of the Orishas, The Legacy of the Orishas, and The Eternal Legacy opens with a chapter that offers lesson in resilience and innovation. Abandoned and deserted by the gods namely Sango, Orunmila and Obatala in a mythical town, the people put on their thinking caps, listen to their inner voices and reinvent their lives. The chapter shows clearly that crisis is a breeding ground for growth in any human endeavour.
The second chapter, The Blessing of the Orishas is a story of disruption, which indicates that in other to grow and advance in life, you must leave your comfort zone.
Civilization and development can only come through disruption. Therefore, any society that maintains the status quo will perish.
Chapter 3, The Legacy of the Orishas, admonishes on the need to strike a balance – be it in personal or social life. Any person or society that fails to adhere to the rule of balance at the apogee of fame and success is doomed. That mankind as the superior being on earth has to obey the rule of harmony by living in peace with other creatures.
Failure to obey this simple rule at times leads to natural disasters like flood, earthquake and COVID-19 pandemic that almost destroyed the world. The last chapter, The Eternal Legacy, re-emphasizes the gains and lessons embedded in the presaging chapters.
For a debutant, Oluwadamilola Adeoyehas authored a worthy and brilliant book. The language is simple and the prose free flowing. The plot is not also complex; it’s simple, didactic with no cliffhanger!
Oluwadamilola Christiana Adeoye hails from Otun, Ekiti State, Nigeria. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from University of Lagos, and a Master’s in International Human Resources from Coventry University. She is an astute writer and a Human Resource professional.
Adeoye is in love with people, nature as well as culture. She continues to express her passion and message through fiction and poetry. The Trails of the Orishas is the first book in a series she just created. It’s a must read for lovers of good literature!