November 29, 2021
Blackburn’s comical debut chronicles a Nigerian British woman’s quest to find a date for her cousin’s wedding. The title’s question is lobbed at 31-year-old Yinka Oladeji by overbearing and traditionally minded people such as her mum and aunt Debbie whenever they see her. At her younger sister Kemi’s baby shower, Debbie unfavorably compares Oxford-educated Yinka to her cousin Ola, who dropped out of university for a “shotgun wedding.” Then, at an engagement party for another cousin, Rachel, Yinka meets her ex’s new fiancée. Afterward, she treats getting a date to Rachel’s wedding like a project, but worries that her dark skin and Pentacostal Christian faith might doom her to spinsterhood. After being laid off from her investment banking job instead of getting the promotion she wanted, Yinka checks in with a charity where she once volunteered and reconnects with the annoyingly contrary but handsome Donovan. Once her friends notice Yinka’s attempts to appeal to men, such as getting a weave, they stage an intervention to encourage her to remain true to herself. Blackburn’s lighthearted tone helps deliver heavy thoughts on colorism, the tension of cultural differences, and the benefits of therapy, as the story moves toward a happy ending on all fronts. This delivers loads of entertainment and a dollop of enlightenment.
June 1, 2022
Thirtysomething Nigerian British Yinka finds herself embroiled in a series of escalating lies as she tries to find a date to her cousin's upcoming wedding. She's also juggling online dating and job searching after being "made redundant" at her high-stress finance job all while trying to stay true to her Christian faith. It isn't easy being the daughter of a Nigerian mother, who, along with her entire church, is praying for Yinka to find a husband. When Yinka discovers that her ex-boyfriend is now engaged to an American, her search for the boyfriend she made up on the spot kicks into high gear. Along the way, Yinka will need to figure out who she is and her own worth. VERDICT Blackburn's debut is a captivating listen as narrator Ronke Ad�koluejo brings Yinka and her many family members and friends to life; there are sound effects for the texts, emails, and spreadsheet edits that Yinka uses for "Operation Find Yinka a Wedding Date." Listeners who appreciate stories about characters who struggle to find their identities amid familial and cultural expectations, like Sonya Lalli's Serena Singh Flips the Script, will find much to love.--Elizabeth Gabriel
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