Helpful Score: 1
The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare is SO powerful - I'm sorry I let it sit on my TBR shelves for so long. But I'm grateful my book club 'made' me to read it and provided a forum to discuss it with fellow readers.
This is a story of powerful women and weak men, and few of the women use their power for good. The plot centers on Adunni, a 14-year-old Nigerian girl who lives in a remote village and aspires to get an education so she can have a "louding voice" and speak out for herself. When her mother dies, her dreams for continuing her schooling are put in jeopardy, especially when her father marries her off as the third wife of a man 25 years her senior. This abruptly ends Adunni's childhood and begins her adulthood with fear and danger.
While living through horrible circumstances, Adunni clings to memories of her mother and her goal of pursuing an education. Many are cruel to her, but there's at least one person who befriends her in each stage of her life. The Nigerian facts woven into the story are shocking in illustrating the chasm between upper and lower classes in the Nigerian society and economy.
Ms. Dare's writing is so descriptive, I could see and smell many of the settings, especially the scene in an open-air market. I appreciated the small touches of humor throughout the novel, most from Adunni's naiteve, that eased some of the plot's tension.
I highly recommend reading this title via audiobook while following along in a print copy. The writing from the viewpoint of a character for whom English was not her first language was skillfully narrated by Adjoa Andoh. Her outstanding performance kept me grounded in Nigerian culture and conveyed the intense emotions in Ms. Dare's prose.
Whenever I feel sorry for myself or think my life is hard, I think of Adunni and real girls who are sadly living in these situations, and it changes my perspective immediately.
This is a story of powerful women and weak men, and few of the women use their power for good. The plot centers on Adunni, a 14-year-old Nigerian girl who lives in a remote village and aspires to get an education so she can have a "louding voice" and speak out for herself. When her mother dies, her dreams for continuing her schooling are put in jeopardy, especially when her father marries her off as the third wife of a man 25 years her senior. This abruptly ends Adunni's childhood and begins her adulthood with fear and danger.
While living through horrible circumstances, Adunni clings to memories of her mother and her goal of pursuing an education. Many are cruel to her, but there's at least one person who befriends her in each stage of her life. The Nigerian facts woven into the story are shocking in illustrating the chasm between upper and lower classes in the Nigerian society and economy.
Ms. Dare's writing is so descriptive, I could see and smell many of the settings, especially the scene in an open-air market. I appreciated the small touches of humor throughout the novel, most from Adunni's naiteve, that eased some of the plot's tension.
I highly recommend reading this title via audiobook while following along in a print copy. The writing from the viewpoint of a character for whom English was not her first language was skillfully narrated by Adjoa Andoh. Her outstanding performance kept me grounded in Nigerian culture and conveyed the intense emotions in Ms. Dare's prose.
Whenever I feel sorry for myself or think my life is hard, I think of Adunni and real girls who are sadly living in these situations, and it changes my perspective immediately.
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