46 pages • 1 hour read
Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree
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Part 1, Chapters 1-74Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 1, Chapters 1-9 Summary: “Big Dreams,” “Sometimes and Always,” “Koboko,” “Pineapples and Limes,” “Tree of Life,” “Papa’s Radio,” “Thank God,” “Ya Ta,” “The Voice on Papa’s Radio”
Content Warning: This section contains descriptions of sexual assault, gore, violence, war, and slavery.
This is a story told through the perspective of one unnamed protagonist, a girl who is referred to only as “Ya Ta” (which means My Daughter) but is based on the stories of many teenage girls who were kidnapped from their boarding school by a Jihadist terrorist group called Boko Haram in Nigeria in 2014. Ya Ta’s story begins with her dreams of a future as an educated woman, the first in her family to hold a university degree. She hopes to be a teacher and to also be a good wife who serves her husband and family. Ya Ta and her family live in the northeastern part of Nigeria, Borno state, and are of the Hausa ethnic group. They speak both Hausa and English and believe in the Christian faith. Ya Ta is the only daughter and has five brothers, four of which are older and one of which is younger. Ya Ta studies hard and is disciplined, wanting to prove that she is worthy of a prestigious scholarship for university and to avoid her teacher’s koboko, a whip he uses to punish students who do not know the answers to questions. In class, Ya Ta is the only one who can provide the definition for democracy. Later, she looks at her best friend, Sarah, and feels jealous that Sarah is developing breasts while she is not.
Ya Ta’s village is decorated by baobab trees, which her Papa says originated from a god who threw a tree down to earth that landed upside down. The baobab trees provide nutrition, repel pests, help with skin problems, and act as a gathering or resting place for all different people and animals alike. Superstitions among the hunters say that picking the flowers off the tree will lead to a lion attack. Ya Ta enjoys listening to her Papa’s radio, which he carries with him everywhere and which connects the family to the broader world. On his favorite station, the BBC Hausa located in London, news ranging from war and terrorism to the latest celebrity gossip is relayed. Ya Ta is grateful that her Papa wants her to go to school because many girls in her village are expected to eventually leave school and marry. Still, he expects her to perform all of the chores and never talk back to him. She marvels at her own mother’s stubbornness in gratitude because she remains grateful despite having lost three of her children before the age of five.
Part 1, Chapters 10-16 Summary: “Calendar,” “Storyteller,” “Fat Fish,” “Sleep,” “Rat Bite,” “The Voice on Papa’s Radio,” “Principal”
When a friend at school named Danladi reports that his brother witnessed a shootout between police and Boko Haram in a nearby village, Ya Ta isn’t sure whether to believe him or not, but a few days later, the radio reports a coordinated attack by Boko Haram in which they released prisoners and burned down various government buildings. At school, Danladi mentions that Boko Haram makes camp in the Sambisa Forest, which used to be a popular animal reserve frequented by white tourists. People at Ya Ta’s school swear that her principal is a white man because despite looking like them, he does not hold their traditions or become involved in religion or local events. Around the same time, Ya Ta’s youngest brother, Jacob, awakes in the middle of the night from a rat bite after sneaking some extra fish from that night’s supper. Ya Ta tends to his wounds and promises not to tell their father, who would surely punish Jacob. Ya Ta stays up each night studying in the hopes that she will be able to go to university, sometimes putting her feet in cold water to stay awake.
Part 1, Chapters 17-22 Summary: “Sitting on a Wooden Stool,” “Romance,” “Once a Month,” “Pastor Moses,” “On Our Way to School,” “Tales by Moonlight”
Some days, Sarah and Ya Ta braid each other’s hair; other days, they go to visit their friend Aisha, who was taken out of school after she got married because her father-in-law believed that if she was educated, she would not obey her husband. Ya Ta and Sarah share with Aisha everything they learn at school and often share notes with her, and Aisha asks questions to try to understand. Her husband gifted her a TV and DVD player, and both Ya Ta and Sarah relish coming over to watch romance and adventure movies.
Ya Ta and other girls her age are ashamed of menstruating, and like many other girls, Ya Ta lies to her teacher to avoid coming to school during her period. She has to use cloth that often soaks through before the school day ends, and once had to walk home with her hands over her backside so nobody saw the stains on her clothes. At church, Ya Ta looks for the Pastor’s son, a boy named Success who a couple of years older than her and attends university in the city. Ya Ta sees Success as a handsome, intelligent, and kind person and is deeply attracted to him.
Although Ya Ta’s family is busy with farming season, her Papa always makes time to tell folktales at the end of a long day. On one such night, he tells of three men whose skill was tested as they each attempted to defeat a baobab tree.
Part 1, Chapters 23-30 Summary: “Almost One Month,” “Blood,” “Hunger,” “Teacher,” “Pepper Soup,” “The Voice on Papa’s Radio,” “Success,” “Bewitched”
Ya Ta has been waiting a month for the results of her scholarship exam and hopes to hear back soon. When a pink van shows up at her school, the students are thrilled, knowing it is likely something free and useful for them. The boys are asked to leave while the girls stay behind, and the woman in the van gives them all sanitary pads. Ya Ta is mortified to hear a woman talking about menstruation so openly because it is something she and others consider shameful. At home, Ya Ta awaits her mother’s delicious supper and teaches her brother Jacob the alphabet. She hopes her Papa will be able to afford to send Jacob to school. She and Sarah go visit Aisha to have her delicious goat pepper soup one night, but Aisha spends most of the evening answering her husband’s demands.
On the radio, Ya Ta hears of a car bombing in Maiduguri, where Success is studying and where her future school is located. She prays that both are safe, and when Success comes to visit the following weekend, she is relieved. He brings his laptop, and the kids watch Christian stories on it after church. Ya Ta has a chance to talk to Success, who asks her if she’s read any good books lately. Ya Ta is stunned that he’s speaking to her but manages to answer that she read The Pied Piper of Hamelin; her only other books were school books. Success promises to bring Ya Ta some new books next time he comes back to the village. Ya Ta thinks about how perfect Success is for her and feels bewitched by his eyes.
Part 1, Chapters 31-38 Summary: “Marriage,” “News from Izghe,” “Evil,” “On Our Way to School,” “Four Loaves of Bread,” “Love,” “Another Husband,” “Prosper”
As Sarah and Ya Ta pick fruit from the baobab tree, Sarah stands on Ya Ta’s back. Ya Ta thinks about marrying Success and how marriage will mean a life of obedience and servitude to her husband and children. She wonders if he would even want a woman who did not have a degree. She hopes to travel the world and attend university so she can become a teacher. When news of early rain in a nearby region arrives, Ya Ta’s family is hopeful that the rains will come to their area next. The previous year, the rain came late, which resulted in a smaller harvest, and they need to make up for it this year.
At church one day, the pastor asks everyone to pray for those killed in attacks by Boko Haram across the Borno state. Ya Ta knows that Boko Haram has the goal of creating an Islamic state based on their own version of Islam, and that the name “Boko Haram,” given to them by locals, means “Western education forbidden” (52). In other words, they hope to create a state that does not allow any outside influence.
Meanwhile, Ya Ta continues to wonder about her exam results, and Aisha becomes pregnant with her first child. They watch a movie together in which the woman dotes on the husband, and Sarah hopes be like that one day. Another day at church, the pastor announces that his son is marrying, and Ya Ta’s heart breaks. When she finds out it is his other son, Prosper, and not Success, she is completely relieved.
Part 1, Chapters 39-46 Summary: “The Voice on Papa’s Radio,” “Touching a Boy’s Hand,” “Human Flesh,” “Naming,” “Sweet Dream,” “On Our Way to School,” “Sarah Must Be Right,” “Come to Think of It”
Boko Haram attacks a town called Konduga, killing almost 40 people and displacing far more. Ya Ta hears about it and Boko Haram’s “four-year campaign of violence to push for Islamic rule in northern Nigeria” (61). Ya Ta’s mother and many others stop buying fish from the market because they fear the fish are growing large due to feeding on the dead bodies dumped into the lake by Boko Haram. Meanwhile, Ya Ta also wonders about love and what it might be like to touch a boy’s hand, something which is considered private in her culture.
Ya Ta’s teacher has a child, who is named Divine, at their church. The scholarship exam results are delayed, which makes Ya Ta impatient and irritable, and she starts to wonder if she failed after all.
Part 1, Chapters 47-56 Summary: “The Voice on Papa’s Radio,” “Gathered Around the Well,” “The Boys in My Class,” “My Brothers,” “Tales by Moonlight,” “On Our Way to School,” “Malam Zwindila,” “The Voice on Papa’s Radio,” “Feet in Cold Water,” “Islam”
Ya Ta starts hearing rumors from friends and other people in the village that Boko Haram is making “women and girls disappear” (73), as though by some sort of magic, while killing boys and men that they find. They apparently have underground bunkers in the Sambisa forest, which they use to hide from the police, and they use animals to set off explosives in populated areas. Ya Ta’s papa warns that even the children of Boko Haram cannot be trusted since he reasons they will one day grow up to be just like their parents. Ya Ta’s teacher laughs in the face of the threat, believing there is no way that Boko Haram could take over all of Nigeria, and many people complain that the government is not doing enough to stop the terrorist group. Ya Ta thinks about The Pied Piper of Hamelin and remembers how his tune lured the town’s children away, just like Boko Haram seems to be doing. Aisha’s husband and his friend discuss whether Boko Haram truly represents Islam, and Aisha’s husband believes they have polluted a religion of peace.
Part 1, Chapters 57-66 Summary: “Urgent Prayer,” “Boko Haram Men,” “Waiting for Mama,” “A Knock at the Door,” “In Sarah’s House,” “Alone,” “Surprise,” “Fame,” “Heartache,” “With a University Degree”
The pastor orders a month-long fast in the hopes that it will earn God’s favor and protect the village against Boko Haram. Ya Ta wonders if these men are men at all, or if they are some sort of animal or fabled creature. She starts to become anxious and worries when her mother goes to the market and when she has to walk to school without Sarah, who is at home on her period. Ya Ta gives Sarah the last of her pads that she got from the pink van in the hopes it will help ease the discomfort. At Aisha’s house, someone knocks at the door, and Aisha’s husband sounds fearful, but Ya Ta doesn’t know who he’s talking to.
Ya Ta receives long-awaited good news when the principal comes to her house to announce that she was selected for the Borno state scholarship. Everyone at school congratulates her, and Ya Ta is thrilled but also sad to leave her childhood life behind. She hopes that she can one day earn enough money to provide for her family and friends.
Part 1, Chapters 67-74 Summary: “The Voice on Papa’s Radio,” “Bad News,” “Worry,” “Pregnancy,” “Dangerous Cows,” “Sucking Seeds,” “Mama’s Promise,” “Bang”
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan fires the high military, and everyone hopes it will be replaced with something more effective. Ya Ta has to take a medical exam to enter the university, which upsets her Papa, who believes that exams only create problems. It turns out to be a pregnancy test, which relieves Ya Ta, who knows she has no risk of being pregnant. On the way home, the bus passes through a field of cows, and one man cries out that the cows have been cursed by Boko Haram, leading everyone on the bus to panic.
Ya Ta hears that Success will be coming back to the village soon and is excited to share her news with him, but when her mama goes away to the nearby city of Jalingo with her church group, Ya Ta worries about her safety.
Boko Haram attacks Ya Ta’s village the next day, shooting Ya Ta’s Papa and many others as people flee for their lives. Ya Ta has no time to process her father’s death as she looks around and sees that her village is under attack.
Part 1, Chapters 1-74 Analysis
The introductory portion of the story explores the life and aspirations of protagonist, Ya Ta, and her closest friends and family. Ya Ta, which means “My Daughter,” never gives her real name in her first-person narration. She remains nameless because she represents the hundreds of girls kidnapped and enslaved by Boko Haram. Her story can be any of their stories and is in fact an amalgamation of the accounts of several different girls who experienced the atrocities firsthand.
Ya Ta dreams of a secondary education in a place where such a thing is rare, particularly for girls. She studies hard, making herself suffer, at times, to ensure she knows the answers to the next day’s questions. She knows that to be accepted for the scholarship, she has to stand out. In one particularly important class, Ya Ta explains the meaning of democracy, and it becomes an important reminder of what constitutes justice versus injustice. Ya Ta’s determination and intelligence are two of her most defining traits. They are a large part of why she manages to survive her ordeal without succumbing to it.
Before being kidnapped, Ya Ta’s life is difficult but filled with all of the innocent joys of someone her age. She dreams about being with Success one day, describing his features in poetic detail: “His eyes are bright as the full moon in the sky. They shine with intelligence. They sparkle with mirth” (47). Ya Ta also understands the reality that she will live a life of full servitude when she marries. Despite growing up in a relatively progressive household, Ya Ta is still the only daughter and is expected to perform all tasks related to that role, including cleaning and taking care of her younger brother.
Ya Ta’s life is thus defined by Gratitude in the Face of Adversity. In contrast with Ya Ta’s semi-freedom, Aisha is already married and pregnant. She learns all that she can from Ya Ta and Sarah, but this cannot replace an education. The movies that the girls watch together foreshadow the future; when Sarah sees a woman in a movie serving her husband, she looks enamored and hopes to do the same one day. Sure enough, after the girls are captured, she is the one who decides to give her loyalty over to Boko Haram.
The setting of the story, which is the Borno state in northeastern Nigeria, is a key aspect of the story’s plot while also helping to illuminate its themes. The baobab trees that decorate the area are a sacred tree for the Hausa people, who tell folktales about the tree’s origins and use the trees for everything from food to gathering places. Amidst a largely flat land, the trees stand out: “the baobab trees with bulbous trunks and buttress roots that make them stand out like aliens in the sprawling savanna landscape” (3). Important objects, like the baobab tree, Papa’s radio, or Mama’s fish soup, are all described in vivid sensory details. This creates engagement for the reader, making the potentially unfamiliar setting accessible.
Ya Ta’s culture is conservative and gender roles are specifically set. Ya Ta and the other girls feel ashamed of menstruating and often avoid going to school during that time. Though Ya Ta accepts her gender role within her family, she feels most heard at school, where her intelligence is prized. The family lives in a remote region but are able to connect to the wider world with Papa’s radio, which is an important symbol of knowledge and controlled by the family’s patriarch.
In the weeks leading up to the capture, Ya Ta focuses on her scholarship, Success, and spending time with Sarah. She does not imagine that her own village will soon be attacked. The stealing of the region’s children is foreshadowed by the use of The Pied Piper, an Irish story about a man who lured a town’s children away as a form of revenge for not being paid.
Ya Ta’s peaceful and relatively predicable life is turned completely upside down when Boko Haram attacks her village. For weeks, she heard about the terrorist group on the radio, but it was as though they were almost mythical rather than real. What starts out as distant attacks becomes more and more of an immediate problem, beginning with the attack on the city in which Success studies, and then in the way the fish seem to be growing mysteriously larger. People begin to argue whether Boko Haram represents Islam at all, given their tendencies toward violence. This introduces the theme of Oppression, Terrorism, and Religious Extremism. Rumors spread, and several chapters repeat the words, “They are talking about Boko Haram” (73-75). Now, as the attacks reach Ya Ta’s village, the same people she heard about on the radio kidnap her and her friends.
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