The Girl with the Louding Voice is a 2020 coming of age novel and the debut novel of Nigerian writer Abi Daré.[1] It tells the story of a teenage Nigerian girl called Adunni who becomes a maid and struggles with many things growing up, including her limited education, poverty and her inability to speak up for herself.[2][3] The book was published by Sceptre, an imprint of Hodder.
 First edition (UK) | |
| Author | Abi Daré |
|---|---|
| Audio read by | Adjoa Andoh |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Publisher | Sceptre (UK) E. P. Dutton (US) |
Publication date | 2020 |
| Publication place | Nigeria |
Writing process
editAbi Dare stated that she first had the idea for the novel when she read a news article about a 13 year house help who had hot water poured on her by her Madam. Daré also stated that the book was partly inspired by her daughters and her years living in rural Nigeria. It was written over a period of 3 years with her using non-standard English, and some borrowed words from Pidgin English, in the novel. Dare's reason for using non-standard English was that she believes that standard English is not a measure of intelligence.[4]
Plot
editAdunni is a 14-year-old girl from a poor home who lives in a small town near the city of Lagos. She wishes to get an education but she cannot due to lack of funds. When things start getting sour, her father Papa marries her off, against her wishes, to Morufu as his third wife in order to use her bride price for the family upkeep. Her husband rapes her repeatedly. Later, she runs to Lagos where she is employed by Big Madam who exploits and enslaves her and abuses her many times, but Adunni is determined to face all these problems when she makes up her mind that education is the only way to be free from her oppressions.
Themes
editThe Girl with the Louding Voice deals with women's voice, the ability to speak up and the drive toward pushing to get to one's dream as showcased by the main character Adunni.[5] The novel has also been noted for its realistic depiction of sexism, poverty in Nigeria, child labor and child marriage in Nigeria, issues that the main character battles with in order to get education.[6]
Reception
editThe book received several positive reviews.[7] It was a New York Times Bestseller, a February 2020 'Read with Jenna' choice[8][9] and a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime pick.[10] According to the review aggregator Book Marks, the book received "positive" reviews based on 6 critic reviews with 5 being "positive" and 1 being "mixed".[11] In Books in the Media, a site that aggregates critic reviews of books, the book received a 
(3.89 out of 5) from the site which was based on 3 critic reviews. [12]
The book was shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize for first time novelists.[13] It was recommended by several Media outlets including The New York Times, Vogue and Essence.[14][15] A starred review by Kirkus Reviews called it "Heartbreaking and inspiring."[16]
References
edit- ^ "The Girl with the Louding Voice". www.goodreads.com. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
- ^ León, Concepción de (2020-02-01). "For Her Debut, Abi Daré Confronts 'Dreams and Intelligence That We Kill'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
- ^ "Curtis Brown". www.curtisbrown.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
- ^ "Abi Dare on Nigeria and daughterhood". Lithub.com. Retrieved 2020-07-07.
- ^ "Book Club Series - The Girl with the Louding Voice". Women for Women International. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
- ^ "Review: The Girl with the Louding Voice". New African Magazine. 2021-03-17. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
- ^ Hart, Madailein (2020-04-10). "Mad about books: 'The Girl with the Louding Voice' by Abi Daré". The New Hampshire. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
- ^ "Read with Jenna: 'The Girl with the Louding Voice' author chats on TODAY". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
- ^ Larratt, Stephanie (February 3, 2020). "Jenna Bush Hager announces February book club pick". TODAY.com. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
- ^ "BBC Radio 4 - The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Daré - Available now". BBC. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
- ^ "The Girl with the Louding Voice". Book Marks. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ "The Girl with the Louding Voice Reviews". Books in the Media. Archived from the original on 25 Oct 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ "The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré: 9781524746025". PenguinRandomHouse. Retrieved 2020-07-22.
- ^ "25 New Books by Black Authors to Buy Now". Vogue. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
- ^ "18 Books To Read At Home Over Your Holiday Break". Essence. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
- ^ THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE | Kirkus Reviews.