by Abi Daré
Hardcover- $17.79
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This is easily one of my favorite books. The way that Abi describes the scene and characters connects you emotionally. It made me grateful for the life God allows me to live.
The Girl with the Louding Voice, Abi Daré, Author; Adjoa Andoh, Narrator I can only describe this novel as the heartbreaking, but beautifully written story of Adunni. It takes place in Nigeria, a place in turmoil with raging poverty, an illiterate population and a terrorist organization that kidnaps young girls forcing them into sexual slavery and young boys to become soldiers. Girls were not considered worth educating since their only purpose was to make babies, keep house, and support their families. They were treated as pretty worthless chattel. Beatings were common, and their strict obedience to their fathers and husbands was expected. Adunni is 14 years old. Her life has descended into disappointment and chaos since the death of her mother. She had always loved school. Her dream was to become a teacher, and her mom promised her she would be able to get an education because without it, she would always be poor and helpless and would never get ahead in life. She extracted a promise from her husband to keep Adunni in school and not to marry her off. When she died, too young, however, he forced Adunni to leave primary school, and when he needed money to pay his rent, he broke the rest of his promise. He got a very good bride price for Adunni as the third wife of an older taxi driver, Morufu, who already had two wives and several daughters, but wanted a son. One daughter was even the same age as Adunni. This older, self-sufficient man could support Adunni, providing her with shelter and food, while also providing for him and his other sons. So, at 14, she found herself in a new home with an abusive man who raped her. She lived with his two other wives, one, Labake, who hated and resented her and the other, Khadija, who took her under her wing and helped her deal with the coming traumas she would face. When circumstances forced Adunni to flee her marriage bed, she wound up in Lagos, working as a maid for “Big Madam”, an abusive employer who mistreated her. “Big Daddy”, her husband, fooled around with other women and even attempted to rape Adunni. Big Madam also treated her badly, beating her and feeding her only one meal a day. Still, through it all, she taught others their “words”, read a book of facts on Nigeria that were sprinkled throughout the book to enlighten the reader, as well as Adunni, and had a sunny disposition and philosophy of life that seemed older than her years. When Adunni meets Tia, a childless woman, she brings sunshine into Adunni’s life. How that relationship plays out helps to develop the rest of Adunni’s future. The many relationships that Adunni experiences will shine a light on the place of women in Nigeria’s hierarchy, on their helplessness and hopelessness. In this current day, many have no value unless it is in baby-making or housekeeping. They have no way to defend themselves. They have no rights. Civil unrest is widespread. Their plight is indeed dark and sad. The novel is a horrifying presentation of the brutality the naïve Adunni was forced to endure. As she tells her story, it is sometimes hard to absorb it because the reader knows that the heart of the story is based on the real experiences of the females in that region. Adunni is naïve and often she takes things too literally, like she talks to the front of a person, she looks for a duck when she is told to duck, she does many other things that show her lack of worldliness. In spite of that, her philosophy and ability to endure her misfortunes, an attitude passed down to her by her mother, seems to serve her well. She always looks for a silver lining. In that one way, however, I found the book to be a bit less believable. She suffered too much to always have such a sunny disposition when so many of those around her seemed to have no hope for the possibility of freedom or independence. The book is like a spider with many legs. Many themes are created that shine a light on the terrible conditions of the uneducated female. A life of abuse, poverty and servitude is all that awaits them. I listened to the audio book, and I believe this book is better as an audio. The narrator does an excellent job of interpreting the manner of speaking that the author created for her main character, a dialect that does not really actually exist. The narrator’s interpretation of the speech patterns and of each individual character’s tone and personality was perfect for the listener. It is a not an easy read, but it is well worth the experience.
Written with a strong character and in her own voice. Not a happy story but a hopeful story. It will stay with you long after you are done reading or listening to it.
I would have liked an epilogue to see if Aduni was successful.
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