10 Year Blogversary - My Favourite Book from 2021 - The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare - #BookReview

 

This morning, Papa call me inside the parlour.

He was sitting inside the sofa with no cushion and looking me. Papa have this way of looking me one kind. As if he wants to be flogging me for no reason, as if I am carrying shit inside my cheeks and when I open mouth to talk, the whole place be smelling of it...

***

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.

***

Continuing with my ten year blog anniversary celebrations, here is another of my favourites of the decade. Today I am publishing my favourite read from 2021 and it was originally posted on 28th October of that year.  I adored this book and it's characters have remained with me.

I have updated the review a little so there is more information about the book and the author but essentially the review is as it appeared that day.

In Adunni, the author has created one of the most endearing characters that I have come across in fiction. The whole novel is written from Adunni's perspective which brings her character to life in the most realistic of ways. Although Adunni's story is a challenging one for us in the Western world to comprehend, the book is full of hope and the creation of a better world, particularly for girls in the position of our main character.

The book is set in Nigeria and written in the vernacular of the region. This was not difficult to follow. Instead, it illuminated the novel as I found myself listening as much as reading the text. Ms Dare expertly accomplished this in a way that lesser authors could not have, and I was captivated.

Her gift for story-telling is beautiful, and she has composed a book that caused me to feel as though she was telling it to me personally. It is a enormously skilled to be able to write a novel that affects the reader in this way.

I will not be able to forget this book. Adunni has made an indelible impression on me and will remain with me for a long time. I applaud Ms Dare for writing this book with such passion, integrity, sensitivity and intelligence and, for bringing to light the difficult lives that many girls in the society in which the book is based have to face.

I borrowed this book from the library, but I know I will want to read it again so I have purchased my own copy. I strongly encourage everyone to read this book.

ISBN: 978 1529359275

Publisher: Sceptre Books

Formats:  e-book, audio and paperback

No. of Pages:  320 (paperback)

About the Author:

Abi Daré grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. She studied law at the University of Wolverhampton and has an M.Sc. in International Project Management from Glasgow Caledonian University and an MA ( Distinction) in Creative Writing at Birkbeck University of London. 

Her first novel, The Girl with the Louding Voice was shortlisted for several awards including the Desmond Elliott Prize and The British Book Awards( Debut). 

The novel was a New York Times Bestseller, A Today Show Book Club pick, a BBC Radio 4 Bookclub Pick and has been translated into well over a dozen languages. When Abi is not writing, she loves hanging out at her local cafe, giving talks, and advocating for girl education.

In 2022, Abi was appointed as Board Member for the BIC Corporate Foundation. She lives in Essex with her husband and two children.

(author media courtesy of Curtis Brown)

(all opinions are my own)

Too Small Tola Makes it Count by Atinuke - Illustrated by Onyinye Iwu

 

Tola lives in a run-down block of flats in the megacity of Lagos, in the country of Nigeria. She lives with her sister, Moji, her brother, Capo, and Grandmummy. Grandmummy is the boss of them all.

Tola has lived with Moji, Dapo and Grandmummy since the day she was born. But when the virus came to Lagos and lockdown happened, then everything changed...

***

Tola may be small, but she's very determined!

Lockdown is over and Too Small Tola has returned to the crowded family flat in Lagos, Nigeria. Even though she is back home and safe, there are still plenty of problems for Tola to solve - including her own. She may be small, but she is also thoughtful and kind and clever – and there really is no problem too big for Too Small Tola.

***

Aimed at early independent readers, the book provides a great opportunity to consider a different culture. Indeed, the essence of Nigeria leaps from the page and being set in a contemporary timeframe (it is just after lockdown) it is extremely relevant.

The socio-economic divide is evident throughout and demonstrates how the wealthy and the poor co-exist. This is highlighted in the chapter, Tola Counts the Uncountable, where Tola's grandmother takes her to the beach, and we realise that there are different beaches for the rich and poor.

This is a fabulous book, well suited for sharing, where children and adults alike can consider a different culture in contemporary society.

I adored the characters in this book. Of course, there is Tola herself who is a determined and resilient little girl whose sensitivity to others is apparent. She looks out for her family and neighbours. Grandmummy herself depits strength in difficult circumstances, and who could fail to love Mrs Shaky-Shaky and baby Jida?

What a joy it has been to read about Tola for the first time. There are three other books in the series, Too Small Tola, Too Small Tola and the Three Fine Girls and Too Small Tola Gets Tough.

This is the best children's book I have read in a while and I highly recommend it.

ISBN: 978 1406399387

Publisher:  Walker Books 

Formats:  e-book and paperback

No. of Pages:  96 (paperback)

About the Author:

Atinuke was born in Nigeria and spet her childhhod in both Afrika and the UK. She is the author of the bestselling Anna Hibiscus and No. 1 Car Spotter series, as well as Africa, Amazing Africa, B Is for Baby and Catch That Chicken among others. Atinuke started her career as an oral storyteller of tales from the African continent; now she writes about contemporary life in Nigeria. Atinuke lives on a mountain overlooking the sea in Wales.

About the Illustator:

Onyinye Iwu is Nigerian. She was born in Italy, where she spent most of her childhood, before moving to the Uk when she was a teenager. As well as the Too Small Tola series, Onyinye has illustrated My Skin Yoour Skin by Laura Henry-Allain MBE, and is one of the artists celebrated in Hey You! by Dapo Adeola. A teacher by day and an illustrator by night, Onyinye enjoys reading books, especially ones that make her laugh.

(book courtesy of the publisher)

(author photo courtesy of Walker Books / Paul Musso)

Reading Roundup - October 2021

 

Here in the UK the clocks go back on Sunday. And as much as I don't want to mention the 'Christmas' word just yet, it's really not that far away. I can't believe how fast 2021 has flown by.

Actually, I am a little ahead of the game and have already bought a couple of festive gifts. I know that many people will have already been doing this for a while now, but usually I resist doing so until November.

October has been a great month for reading. As most of you already know, I usually read somewhere between seven and ten books in a month. In an average month I consider myself lucky if I read one outstanding book. Lots of books are good but not that many can be counted as amazing.

However, amongst my reading this month there are two absolute gems which I can't recommend enough; The Girl With the Louding Voice and Matilda Windsor is Coming Home. Details are below.

 How about you? Have you read anything amazing this month?

Books I Have Read During October

The Last Witches of England: A Tragedy of Sorcery and Superstition by John Callow - This is an amazingly well researched book about the Bideford Witches. You can read my review by clicking here.

The Mother of the Brontës: When Maria Met Patrick by Sharon Wright - a biographical account of the oft overlooked mother of the famous Bronte sisters. You can read my review by clicking here.

The Birds and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier - I was unsure about what to expect from this collection of short stories but I enjoyed them very much. Disquieting rather than scary.

Matilda Windsor is Coming Home by Anne Goodwin - This is a fabulously heart-rending book and my review will be up very soon.

Rain Song by Alice J. Wisler - an enjoyable novel which is the first in the Heart of Carolina series.

The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare - An outstanding achievement of a book. Well done Ms Dare. You can read my review by clicking here.

Books I Am Partway Through

Tales from the Italian South by Angelina Brasacchio

The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Rags of Time by Michael Ward