AN ORDINARY WONDER

My name is Otolorin. I’ve been called monster. Within dark valleys of flesh I defy the given – a snake curled in upon itself, two-in-one, mythical and shunned. Yet, in that magic place between worlds, in the realm where the great mother gives milk to her offspring, I become like a goddess.An Ordinary Wonder is the powerful coming of age story of an intersex twin, Oto, who is forced to live as a boy despite their heartfelt belief that they are a girl. Oto’s wealthy and powerful family is ashamed of their identity and treats Oto cruelly to ensure silence. The love from Oto’s twin sister wavers in a world of secrets and lies that seems determined to tear them apart, and Oto must make drastic choices that will alter the whole family’s lives for ever. Richly imagined with African mythology, art and folk tales, this moving and modern book follows Oto through life at home and at boarding school in Nigeria, and their ultimate dream of emigrating to a new life in the United States. It is a novel that explores complex desires as well as challenges of family, identity, gender and culture. An Ordinary Wonder takes us on a beautiful journey of what it means to feel whole.]]>