I just finished listening to The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abe Daré. The main character in this novel is Adunni, a 14 year old girl living in Nigeria, trying to do everything she can to get her education, so that she may "have a voice". She was told about the importance of education by her mother, who has been dead for a number of years as the story opens. Though her father promised his wife, as she was dying, that Adunni would continue her schooling, this does not happen.
This is a story of much hardship, suffering, and throughout the story a spirit that refuses to give up despite the odds. I was struck by Adunni's innate sense of right and wrong and her struggle to understand how the world is different if you have money and are a man as opposed to poor and a woman.
This book has a wonderful main character, the settings are well described, and you are very invested in wanting to find out what happens to Adunni. It is written in the vernacular and the use of language brings Adunni to life fully.
Very highly recommended.
Thank you for this recommendation! I’ve put it on my library request list!
Posted by: Diane Perin | 09/05/2023 at 11:27 AM