Someday, Maybe: A Heartbreaking Yet Hopeful Story of Loss and Healing
Onyi Nwabinelli’s Someday, Maybe takes readers on a 342-page journey of grief, heartbreak in often raw and visceral ways but always grounded in humor and community. The story follows the protagonist, Eve, as she navigates the aftermath of her spouse’s sudden suicide. It is her debut book and she makes a powerful telling of love, its loss, healing and the effect on a person.
Someday, Maybe has an interesting proposition from the start. What happens when your spouse decides to kill themselves, without any explanation. With such a powerful plot line, Nwabinelli does not disappoint in her telling of the story. She does not shy away from the ugliness that arises from grief, as she shows us how loss drives Eve into unhealthy situations, like when she recommends on her employer’s website a cocktail of illicit drugs and psychedelics for readers facing a tough time leading to her firing.
Her depiction of grief allows for a human connection with it. It resonates, as it unearths a much-needed truth, grief is messy as well as healing. Healing from said grief is not a linear situation, like with everything that involves humans, it ebbs, it flows. Nwabinelli’s treatment of grief remains balanced as it is centered around love, both from the dead husband and Eve’s family. It makes for a gripping experience.
While centered around Eve, the community and support center enjoyed by Eve shines through in Nwabinelli’s book. Her family are instantly likable, as they are fleshed out characters that share banter, insider secrets and truly care for their sisters. If anything, this telling of a Nigerian family that is patient, supportive and reassuring despite every situation might be the more far-fetched, yet lovable portion of the book. Her friends also get the same treatment, as Someday, Maybe shows how much of sometimes healing can be enabled with the support of others in a loving and consistent manner.
Nwabinelli is an amazing author, her book is rich, its words are carefully chosen, free flowing and immersive. While Eve was the main focus of the book, every other side character seems more human than two dimensional. From the husband that kills himself to her family member to her friends, no one comes off as wooden. This focus on the writing buoys an already interesting perspective.
Someday, Maybe is a powerful and beautifully written debut that will leave a lasting impression on readers. It is a triumph in its portrayal of healing and grief as a non-linear process. It is also a poignant reminder of the resilience and strength of the human spirit, and the enduring power of love and community to provide comfort and support during the most difficult of times.
If you like this, find another published review of Lightseekers by Femi Kayode
