'A beautiful and heartbreaking meditation on the layers of grief and love, the complicated expressions of human suffering and the courage it takes to let go of the past.'
Someday, Maybe
Onyi Nwabineli
‘An astonishing debut, rich in both heartbreak and humour’ Jendella Benson, author of Hope & Glory
Stunningly honest and bursting with wit, Someday Maybe is the story of grief and resilience that you won’t be able to stop talking about
Here are three things you should know about my husband:
1. He was the great love of my life despite his penchant for going incommunicado
2. He was, as far as I and everyone else could tell, perfectly happy.
3. On New Year’s Eve, he killed himself
And here is one thing you should know about me:
1. I found him.
Bonus fact: No. I am not okay
Eve is left heartbroken by her husband’s unexpected death, but everyone around her – her friends, her boisterous British-Nigerian family, her toxic mother-in-law – seems to be pushing her to move on. Unable to face the future, Eve begins looking back, delving through the history of her marriage in an attempt to understand where it went wrong. So begins an unconventional love story about loss, resilience, and a heroine bursting with rage and unexpected joy.
Reviews
Derek Owusu, author of That Reminds Me
'Incisive and witty, this deeply moving debut about the many faces of grief took me on an oscillating journey of emotions. I couldn't put it down. Each richly developed character leaps off the page with vivid dimension through Onyi's razor-sharp voice. Fresh and original contemporary fiction from the diaspora I've long yearned for.'
Lọlá Ákínmádé Åkerström, internationally bestselling author of In Every Mirror She's Black
'An intimate, stunning novel. This book will stay with me for a long time.'
Jade Bentil, author of Rebel Citizen
'Someday, Maybe is an honest and profoundly stirring portrait of loss. Onyi Nwabineli peels back the veneer of sympathy and expectation to reveal the effects a young widow's grief can have on her family, on her circle of friends, and even on the strangers she encounters. Eve's emotional paralysis is heartbreaking to witness but at its heart, Someday, Maybe is a beautifully written love letter to the resiliency of the human spirit. A stunning debut.'
Xio Axelrod, author of The Girl With Stars in her Eyes
'Onyi Nwabineli's graceful prose carries you through this moving meditation on grief, memory and community. Someday, Maybe is an astonishing debut, rich in both heartbreak and humour.'
Jendella Benson, author of Hope & Glory
'It's hard to believe that this outstanding novel is a debut. Poignant and heartfelt… A beautifully drawn story that shows us how to help those who are grieving.'
Prima, Book of the Month, October 2022
'Nwabineli's exceptional debut is a heartfelt and moving portrayal of grief and recovery in all its messiness... This is an excellent choice for book clubs and for readers who enjoy thought-provoking, deeply emotional fiction.'
Booklist (starred review)
'A masterfully woven exposition on love and loss, of the undoing of us, of what it takes to heal. Nwabineli is magic with words, and manages to be at turns bitingly funny and heart-breakingly gutting. A book that acknowledges despair whilst encouraging hope.'
Bolu Babalola, bestselling author of Love in Colour
'Someday, Maybe is a powerful debut novel about young love, profound loss, and the possibility of hope. Onyi Nwabineli is an author to watch.'
Brenda Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of The House on Blueberry Lane
'A powerful tale of a London widow whose photographer husband died by suicide... The genuine displays of emotion and sharp narrative will keep readers turning the pages.'
Publishers Weekly
'A perceptive, painstaking interrogation of loss and depression... Nwabineli's first novel is a clear-eyed, compassionate take on grief.'
Shelf Awareness
'If you are someone who gravitates toward emotional gut punch reads, allow me to introduce you to this spectacular debut.'
BuzzFeed
Onyi Nwabineli
Onyi Nwabineli is a Nigerian-British writer and headwrap aficionado. Born in Benin, Nigeria, she grew up in Glasgow, the Isle of Man and Newcastle, and now lives in London. Onyi is the co-founder of Surviving Out Loud, a fund that provides fiscal support for survivors of sexual assault, and the founder of Black Pens, a writing retreat for Black women. Someday, Maybe is her debut novel. More information can be found on her website: onyi-nwabineli.com.
Author page
Related events
EVENT
Marie-Claire Amuah and Onyi Nwabineli – Brixton Library
11th October, 2022
Introducing new novels set in London from two young writers. Ghanian-British barrister Marie-Claire Amuah’s ‘brave, unforgettable’ One for Sorrow, Two…
