Adunni is a fourteen-year-old Nigerian girl who knows what she wants: an education. Instead, she is sold into marriage to a man old enough to be her father.
Later events lead to her working as a housemaid for a rich madam in Lagos. The Girl With The Louding Voice is a story of Adunni’s resilience.
If I had to make a list of memorable works of literature by Nigerian writers, The Girl With The Louding Voice would be on it. Let me tell you why.
I knew nothing about this book when I picked it up from the library. I chose it because I had seen it on my sister's bookshelf and thought I should give it a go. I wouldn't have taken it home if I had read the blurb or known what it was about.
Why, you may ask?
Simple: the plot is not original. As a Nigerian who grew up watching Nollywood movies, I knew how the story would go.
So, hold on. If the story is unoriginal and predictable, why did I call this particular iteration of it memorable?
Adunni is a character who comes fully alive and complete. She's what makes the story vibrant, and I have to give kudos to Abi Daré for her exceptional character development.
None of the other characters are as complete as Adunni, but it doesn't significantly reduce the quality of the storytelling.
The way this book is written reminded me strongly of The Colour Purple. Because Adunni is semi-literate, the story is told from her perspective and is full of ‘grammatical errors.’
This was a bit off-putting for me at the beginning, but you get the hang of it after a while. It also adds to the portrait of Adunni’s character.
Remember how I said the plot is familiar and predictable? Well, not entirely. The ending was what I expected, but also not what I expected, if that makes sense.
So, if you haven't already read The Girl With The Louding Voice, you should check it out. Here's a tip: listen to the audiobook instead. It's narrated by Adjoa Andoh, and it's the best thing ever.
