The Girl With The Louding Voice tells the moving story of Adunni, a 14-year-old girl who runs away from home after an unfortunate event and becomes a maid. She’s treated poorly by her “madam” but she’s determined not to let her dreams die. She had always dreamt of going to school so she could become a teacher, have a voice, and be truly free. Published in 2020, it’s the author’s debut novel.
“My mama say education will give me a voice. I want more than just a voice, Ms Tia. I want a louding voice…I want to enter a room and people will hear me even before I open my mouth to be speaking.”
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The book begins with Adunni’s father telling her she’d be getting married. Her family was poor and her mother, the breadwinner had died after an unnamed illness. Unable to pay their house rent since he had no job, Adunni’s father decided that the best option was to marry his daughter off to Morufu, a taxi driver from a nearby village, who already had 2 wives.
The first thing that stands out about the protagonist of this book is her confidence. It shows in her curiosity, refusal to back down, and the way she introduces herself anytime she’s asked who she is. She refused to see herself as less than worthy because of her station in life.
“In the years I was in school, I was always having a answer for the peoples laughing me. I always fight for myself, always keeping my head up because I know I am in school to be learning. Learning is not having age. Anybody can learn, and so I keep to my learning, keep getting good marks in my work…”
As we can expect, she’s raped several times by her husband and treated terribly by his oldest wife, Labake, whose child, Kike, is Adunni’s age. The second wife, Khadija, however, is kind to Adunni, helps her, and shows her how to avoid Labake’s trouble. One day, Khadija asks Adunni for help, and feeling indebted to her for her kindness, she agrees to help but it gets her in so much trouble that she has to run away from home.
She first runs to Iya, an elderly woman whom her mother used to send her to give some food. The woman hides her and then introduces her to her brother, who takes Adunni to Lagos where she becomes a maid for Big Madam. The woman is unkind to her, hurling insults at her and beating her every chance she gets, even for the silliest reasons.
Despite her deplorable situation, she never let her dreams of going to school and becoming a teacher die. She read books from the library in the house in between her chores. Constantly thinking about her father, brothers, and Ikati, her village, she somehow kept hope alive. At one of the parties in her madam’s house, one of the guests noticed Adunni, took an interest in her and the story changed.
“A day will come, when my voice will sound so loud all over Nigeria and the world of it, when I will be able to make a way for other girls to have their own louding voice because I know, that when I finish my education, I will find a way to help them to go to school.”
It’s a heavy and rather common story but it’s also one of determination and hope. We see the young protagonist refuse to be deterred by her circumstances and she wins in the end. It also emphasizes the role luck plays in getting the things we want in life. Without someone taking a chance on us, the story remains the same.
Although the writing style is unusual, the author’s prowess shines through.
I look forward to reading her next book.
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