Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi: 5 Things I Love

I just finished reading Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi, latecomer that I am.

If you’re looking for a Butter Honey Pig Bread review, this is not it. This is the honest take of a bookworm who read one of those books that afflict you with a deliciously excruciating itch until you turn the last page.

Against my better judgment, I started this year with a resolution—read 1 book every month. I don’t think I need to tell you how that is going. I can’t remember what number Francesca’s book is, but it’s my first memorable 2025 read. And I’ve read Dream Count (I love CNA but her latest does not stay with me as Americanah and Half of A Yellow Sun do).

Back to Butter Honey Pig Bread. Here are 5 things I love about it.

The RECIPES!

Francesca took me on a culinary adventure. By the way, that’s one thing this book does a lot of. Take you places, geographical and otherwise. I reveled in familiar recipes like cake and grilled suya chicken. I relished the brief, unexpected culinary lessons from Wolfie. And I just all around salivated over Taiye’s decadent home and international dishes. The Plantain Mosa recipe, particularly, took me back to growing up close to my grandmother in Ebute-Metta. It inspired me to whip up mine, too! (evidence attached).

The FACTS

Like I mentioned already, I took a journey with this here book. From Abeokuta to London to Lagos to Montreal. Each major character journeyed across continents, and the author took us right along, celebrating the history of each location and the struggles of its minorities. Keeping it real and respectful.

The DIVERSITY

I love Butter Honey Pig Bread for not being one-dimensional. For capturing the messy mass of grey shades that is our world. There’s a mind-blowing range of peoples and experiences; an affront to stereotypes and generalizations. While Timi, born and raised in London, hides his gayness from family, Taiye, a Lagos babe through and through, never felt a need to do the same.

There’s the happily married Kehinde and Farouq, and then there’s the saintly Aunty Akuchi, an Igbo Christian whose soulmate is a married Hausa man.

I also particularly love that Hachim’s pronounced stutter is not ‘explained,’ as though it makes him abnormal. It’s just as much a part of him as anything else. Life is messy and complicated, and BHPB mirrors all of it.

The WOMEN

Color me biased, but I love how this book centers women. Butter Honey Pig Bread is told from the perspective of Kambirinachi and her daughters Taiye and Kehinde, but it’s brimming with so many more women and their nuanced lives. The choices they make and how they deal with the consequences. The people they love. The ones they wrong. Just women BEING.

Just a little warning if you’re planning to grab a copy. BHPB has some risqué bits. Personally, I skipped these and it did not diminish the quality of my experience. There are some descriptions of sexual assault as well.

Meanwhile, I also came across some grammatical inconsistencies, I think about two or three (see photo below). At first, I was sure these were oversights. Until I read the author’s bio on her website: “hello, my name francesca omolara ekwuyasi.” So maybe it’s all part of what makes Francesca Francesca?

By now, you know that Butter Honey Pig Bread was an interesting read for me. But you know what I loved the most (I did say "5 things")?

Kambirinachi’s determination to live—and die—on her own terms despite being ultimately helpless against the pull of her fate as an Ọgbanje. She held on until she was sure her babies were gonna be fine. The consummate Mama Bear.

I really really dig that.

Until the next time I attempt honoring my 2025 resolution.

P.S. I got my copy from World of Books, but you can get Butter Honey Pig Bread from most online and physical bookstores.