Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree

Content Warning: This section contains descriptions of sexual assault, gore, violence, war, and slavery.

“That is the good thing about dreaming with my eyes wide open. It’s like molding a calabash from wet clay. Some other time, some other day, I can always continue from wherever I stop, or even start from the beginning all over again.”

Ya Ta is often reminded of the importance of Gratitude in the Face of Adversity because she and her family are no stranger to it. She is always thinking of her future and the possibilities that it may bring, and it is her ability to dream of this future that motivates her to learn and become educated.

“Back at home, the men and boys know everything, but here in school, I know more than all the boys. Salt may laugh at shea butter when the sun shines, but when the rain falls, it must hide its head.”

Ya Ta uses a metaphor to describe her position as a girl in a world where boys and men are always trying to place themselves above her. At school, she always knows the answer and feels like it is one place where her gender does not affect her ability to succeed or stand out.

“There is something for everyone in the baobab tree, whether man, woman, boy, or girl. Something for beasts and spirits, even.”

The baobab tree is a key symbol in the novel and in the life of the Hausa people in northern Nigeria. It is used as a food and medicine source, as well as a gathering place and way to seek shade in the heat of northern Africa. Ya Ta has many happy memories involving the baobab tree, and one gruesome memory in which she witnesses the beloved tree turned into a mass grave site.