How do you accept new love in your life after devastating loss?
In mainstream storytelling, queer romance remains unconventional. Despite the many strides made towards equal representation, it’s rare when LGBTQ+ stories told by LGBTQ+ authors are given a platform to stand on, and even rarer that they break into the cultural zeitgeist. But even in a subgenre that either reinvents or creates new tropes, Akwaeke Emezi’s 2022 novel You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty challenges our preconceived notions of love and romance.
The story focuses on Feyi, a young artist who lost her husband five years prior. She is coaxed back into the dating scene by her best friend Joy, and this leads to a trip to a tropical island and a chance to showcase her art. During her stay, she develops an attraction to the one person on the island she’s not allowed to pursue: Alim, a renowned chef and the father of the man who invited Feyi to stay on the island. But the longer she stays, the harder it is to ignore the connection growing between her and Alim. And in the end, the lovers must choose between what society expects and what they actually want to do.
The prose is strong, striking a perfect balance between poetic and grounded. Emezi takes their time in telling the story, but it never feels like the plot is dragging or overstaying its welcome. There’s one scene in particular where Alim cooks and Feyi samples his food that I can see being used in writing classes. Emezi creates a sensual feast that engages all five senses, and paints a picture of the lovers starting to give into their desires. It’s erotic without being overtly sexual.
Although it would appear to be a heterosexual love story on the surface, what makes this book noteworthy is its queer themes and allegories. Both Feyi and Alim are bisexual, and while their orientation is not the focal point of the story, the characters talk about their experience in connecting with people of the same gender, and how those experiences shaped how they see themselves and how they relate to others. And while May-December romances aren’t exclusively LGBTQ+ by any means, there is queer symbolism in how Feyi feels about her attraction to Alim and how people around them react to their connection. Some people are supportive (or they get there eventually), while others are not. Alim also says this line, which perfectly summarizes the crux of queer love:
“There are so many different types of love, so many ways someone can stay committed to you, stay in your life even if y’all aren’t together, you know? And none of these ways are more important than the other.”
Ultimately, You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty is about daring to take up space and pursuing what makes you happy and fulfilled, even if society doesn’t understand. And yes, it’s hard. It’s hard to convince yourself it’s okay to go against tradition, to do things your own way, to believe you’re worth the happiness you’re looking for, to hope that things will work out. But it’s something we all have to do, regardless of who we are or who we love, to truly be alive.
Final rating: 5/5
Many thanks for reading.
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