'America' also has the most political content: the issue of environmental pollution from the petroleum industry in both Nigeria and USA. Two women fall in love in Nigeria, where "there are penalties for that sort of thing." But if one follows the other to the relative safety of being with each other in America, she risks the pain of leaving her beloved parents and homeland behind. Okparanta deftly captures complex emotions. The other is called 'America' and it's my favourite in the collection. That excerpt is from 'Grace', one of two stories about lesbian relationships. 'We're always trying to grab onto it, but it's always slipping between our fingers.' She looks down at her hands. They are brave, humble and filled with longing, but true happiness seems beyond their reach. In her debut short story collection, Happiness, Like Water, Chinelo Okparanta writes tenderly about all kinds of Nigerian women.
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