#58: Where is Nicole?

A Review of The Lagos Wife (formerly The Nigerwife) by Vanessa Walters

When Nicole disappears after a boat trip, her estranged aunt, Claudine jumps on a plane to Lagos to find out the truth and possibly find her. The Lagos Wife (formerly The Nigerwife) follows Nicole’s life before her disappearance and Claudine’s quest to find her. It is the author’s third book, published in 2023.

“She hoped she wouldn’t get to the house too late to ask questions. She didn’t want to have to wait until tomorrow. Another night with Nicole still missing, no word on whether she was alive or dead, was bad enough. But at least Claudine would be there. Waiting for news thousands of miles away back in London, powerless to help, unable to do anything but watch the flies creep from one end of the window to the other, had been unbearable.”

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Before her mysterious disappearance, Nicole had the seemingly perfect life: a rich husband, a grand waterfront house on Victoria Island in Lagos and two lovely children. She had moved from London to live with Tonye (and his high-class family) and joined a community of foreign wives.

At first, Nicole’s husband and his family seem unfazed by her disappearance and preoccupied with planning a wedding but with time, Claudine discovers that nothing is at it seems and the Oruwari family have secrets of their own to protect. Even the household staff were afraid to speak to Claudine.

“But who knew? Lagos was a strange place where friends and even family members lied about travel plans in case it led to them being kidnapped. Sometimes people concealed pregnancies or other exciting news for fear of spiritual sabotage. Also, keeping up appearances was paramount.”

As Claudine asked questions and did her digging, she was confronted with how little she knew about Nicole’s life in Lagos. All her questions and leads led nowhere as she navigates patriarchal traditions and exposure to a completely different culture. As she dives deeper into the web of secrecy and lies surrounding her niece and husband’s family, she is also forced to revisit her own past.

Nicole was unhappy and in her marriage, which she felt was controlled by her husband’s parents, and considered leaving but that would be impossible with the children. She got a job with her friend and even started seeing someone but it was not enough, she was still considering her options when she disappeared.

“Tonye had quipped once about throwing her into the lagoon. He was just joking, but it had struck her at the time that he could do exactly that and continue with his life.”

The author explores themes of family drama, marital struggles, social and cultural challenges, police corruption … She deftly captures the dynamics of living in Lagos and the Nigerian culture at large.

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Have you read this book? What did you think about it? Leave a comment, maybe? 😊

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