Our book of the month for November and December (I moved house, give me a break) was The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Dare. We give you our Big Review below.
***Our Big Reviews are written from the point of view that you have read the book. If this is not yet you, bookmark the page and come back once you have***
Louding Voice – the blurb
I don’t just want to be having any kind voice . . .
I want a louding voice.
At fourteen, Adunni dreams of getting an education and giving her family a more comfortable home in her small Nigerian village. Instead, Adunni’s father sells her off to become the third wife of an old man. When tragedy strikes in her new home, Adunni flees to the wealthy enclaves of Lagos, where she becomes a house-girl to the cruel Big Madam, and prey to Big Madam’s husband. But despite her situation continuously going from bad to worse, Adunni refuses to let herself be silenced. And one day, someone hears her.
Shout out
I had loved my previous taste of Nigerian fiction, the punchy My Sister The Serial Killer, and was immediately drawn to this books vibrant cover. Adunni’s tale is one of poverty, hardship and sorrow. She is treated badly by the (many) people with power over her yet finds allies who help her escape her marriage and her life of slavery to achieve her one dream – an education, a voice.
Written from Adunni’s point of view, her voice is immediately distinctive even if not heard by anyone other than the reader. The book is strongly Nigerian which I liked. Whereas My Sister The Serial Killer was based in Lagos and was very ‘trendy’, Dare offers up a very different Nigeria. It’s hard to believe that even in today’s world the internet is still unheard of by some.
More than anything the book with the vibrant cover sheds light on the dark side of Nigeria – lack of education, the male heir, the dominance of men in the home. slavery, poverty, polygamy. It’s jam packed with issues and shouts, screams and yells about the unfairness of it all. It’s a book of contrast – rich v poor, women v men – and Dare does it all very well. I hope Adunni gets her education, reunites with her brother and finds her Louding Voice.
Get Involved
If you would like to get involved with our Book Of The Month try answering our Book Club questions published every month. Just search in our footnotes section for the ‘Get Involved’ articles. We review a new book every month so keep your eyes peeled for the Lowdown on January’s book of the month soon.
