Luke reviewed Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
Review of 'Girl with the Louding Voice' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
Found the first 2/3 hard going but obviously the redemption at the end lightens it.
All you have are your words.
Adunni is a fourteen-year-old Nigerian girl who knows what she wants: an education.
As the only daughter of a broke father, she is a valuable commodity. Removed from school and sold as a third wife to an old man, Adunni's life amounts to this: four goats, two bags of rice, some chickens and a new TV. When unspeakable tragedy swiftly strikes in her new home, she is secretly sold as a domestic servant to a household in the wealthy enclaves of Lagos, where no one will talk about the strange disappearance of her predecessor, Rebecca. No one but Adunni...
As a yielding daughter, a subservient wife, and a powerless servant, fourteen-year-old Adunni is repeatedly told that she is nothing. But Adunni won't be silenced. She is determined to find her voice - in a whisper, in song, in broken English - until she can …
All you have are your words.
Adunni is a fourteen-year-old Nigerian girl who knows what she wants: an education.
As the only daughter of a broke father, she is a valuable commodity. Removed from school and sold as a third wife to an old man, Adunni's life amounts to this: four goats, two bags of rice, some chickens and a new TV. When unspeakable tragedy swiftly strikes in her new home, she is secretly sold as a domestic servant to a household in the wealthy enclaves of Lagos, where no one will talk about the strange disappearance of her predecessor, Rebecca. No one but Adunni...
As a yielding daughter, a subservient wife, and a powerless servant, fourteen-year-old Adunni is repeatedly told that she is nothing. But Adunni won't be silenced. She is determined to find her voice - in a whisper, in song, in broken English - until she can speak for herself, for the girls like Rebecca who came before, and for all the girls who will follow.
Found the first 2/3 hard going but obviously the redemption at the end lightens it.
Funny, sad, inspiring, and beautifully written. ❤️
I'm not sure how this book "reads" since I listened to it, but I think it's probably better suited to an audiobook format. I say that because the protagonist is a young (14 yo) Nigerian girl, so the entire book is written using atypical syntax and grammar (as you might infer from the title). The person who performed it had a beautiful accent that really made it come to life.
This book was (for me) about two things: 1) The unstoppable spirit of a spunky girl who dreamed of learning, and 2) How shitty the culture is for women in Nigeria. It's definitely worth reading.