Chika Unigwe’s The Middle Daughter follows Nani, the second of three sisters as she navigates the loss of her elder sister and father in quick succession, and how grief drives her into the hands of a smooth-talking, self-acclaimed man of God.
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Set in Enugu, Nani's path from childhood to adolescence follows a rather heart-breaking path–from the upbeat atmosphere and safe comfort of her family, to tasting grief for the first time following her sister, Udodi's death, to the fragmenting of her family after her father's passing, and being coerced into marriage to a brute.
While Udodi's death tinges Nani's picture-perfect world with arguably life's harshest reality, her father's demise sends her reeling. It leaves the family rudderless; Nani shrinks into herself, Ugo becomes rebellious, and their mother turns to the atrocious trading of babies to ensure the family's survival.
"Those were the days of melancholia. The house at Number 47, once bloated with laughter and songs and colours so bright they made the eyes hurt, now smelled overwhelmingly of heartache. When moments of happiness came there was always the undertow of joylessness. Even when Aunty made her famous jollof rice, grief intermingled with the spices so that the aroma of the food did not come wholly through."
The Middle Daughter highlights the bitter aftertaste of loss, the ordeal of continuing life without a loved one while everything else goes on as usual. The different ways Nani, Ugo, and their mother deal with their grief reminds us that grief is not the same for everyone; it’s a hill we have to climb alone. We may have people beside us, but we have to navigate that arduous path alone.
"Doda slouched, carrying his grief on his shoulders. Mother’s was in her eyes, in the way they settled on you without seeing you. Ugo cried so much it seemed as if she would never stop. Grief never ends but it loses its rawness."
Apart from the self-isolating nature of grief, Chika Unigwe also highlights the deadly, destructive sting of self-righteousness and the use of religion for twisted aims. This is personalized chiefly in Ephraim's persona. He totes his Bible around and quotes it frequently, yet his actions are as distant from biblical as the gulf between Earth and Mars. He rapes Nani and forces her into a marriage by adroitly using holy writ to scare her into submission. He lusts for Nani's family’s wealth and desires pastoral responsibilities to enrich himself. He beats Nani to teach her “lessons in obedience,” even burning her with an iron in a bid to "prevent her from sin." Ephraim claims to be a man of God, but his actions make it obvious he is very much a travesty of anything godly.
Furthermore, the bonds of family are evident in this riveting novel. Nani's sister and mother fail to understand her grief, leading to her being estranged from them. Nevertheless, along with her Aunty Enuka, they come through for her at her darkest moment, offering her their support and strength.
Religion in particular is never an easy topic to discuss given its dogmatic nature. A notable aspect I loved about the novel is the author's bold desire to venture into the dark world of self-seeking religious practices and the scars they leave on unfortunate victims, in addition to the vile business of baby factories in Nigeria.
This novel took me on a rollercoaster of emotions; it had me misty-eyed at the disintegration of Nani's family, fuming with anger at Ephraim's maltreatment of Nani, and tense with expectation at the showdown between Nani and Ephraim towards the end of the story. I'd recommend this book any day. Beautiful piece of writing!
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