Adunni, fourteen years old, is forced into marriage in spite of her mother’s dying wish that she be allowed to finish her education. From the very beginning, Daré uses language as a tool for conveying both humour (hilarious mis-translations) and heartbreak; and she does it so well. The book is written colloquially for the most part, in first person. This really lends itself to forcing the reader into our fierce protagonist’s shoes, especially important in the most uncomfortable scenes where we’d rather be on the outside looking in, not the other way around.
The narrative tackles many challenging topics, spilling traditional Nigerian culture across the page in a way that embeds both what keeps it’s people together and what is pulling them apart. Strong, three-dimensional characters bolster this deep dive into the good, bad and ugly with male characters who are both sweet and threatening, loyal and violent. So too are the women given depth, with back stories that gradually solidify their actions. There is a clear comparison of the ways in which women are treated across classes, economic standing and geography in Nigeria.
How will a girl like me born childrens? Why will I fill up the world with sad childrens that are not having a chance to go to school? Why make the world to be one big, sad, silent place because all the childrens are not having a voice?
Without giving too much away, the book highlights education as the best tool Nigeria has to protect it’s girls, and bolster it’s country in every area. It deserves every accolade - it’s a phenomenal debut, every bit as impressive as Half a Yellow Sun.
Content Warning: Forced Child Marriage, Rape, Violence, Death, Beatings, Adultery.