The Son of the House is a family saga novel written by the Nigerian author Cheluchi Onyemelukwe. Her debut novel, it was first published by Parrésia Publishers (in Nigeria) and Penguin Random House South Africa in 2019.[1][2][3][4]

The Son of the House
First edition (Nigeria)
AuthorCheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onubia
LanguageEnglish
GenreLiterary fiction, family saga
PublisherPenguin Random House LLC
Parrésia Publishers
Publication date
2019
Publication placeNigeria
Media typePrint (Paperback)
Pages304
ISBN978-1-4597-4708-1

Plot

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The Son of the House is focused mainly on Nwabulu, who was sent out by her step mother to work as a servant. She falls in love with a boy from a wealthy family who impregnates her and then denies the pregnancy. Nwabulu is sent back to the village where she was married to a man whose grandmother is eager to get a grandson.

Meanwhile, there is also an independent teacher named Julie who has fallen in love with a wealthy man married man named Eugene who wants nothing more than a son.

When both women are kidnapped they tell each other their stories and find that they have more in common than they once thought.

Theme

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The novel revolves around polygamy, patriarchy in Africa, and the subordinate position which most women are kept in Africa.

Reception

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A reviewer at Publishers Weekly described the novel as an "...intimate study of the issues facing contemporary Nigeria..." and that "...her masterly storytelling makes this consistently entertaining."[4] Quill and Quire described it as a "...roller coaster of emotions that Nwabulu experiences with perfectly executed cliffhangers to her chapters."[1] CBC Books acknowledged that the "...debut is set against four decades of vibrant Nigeria, celebrating the resilience of women as they navigate and transform what still remains a man's world."[5] The novel has been compared to Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood.[6]

Awards and recognition

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Year Prize Cat Res Link
2019 Sharjah International Book Fair Won [3]
2020 SprinNG Women Authors Prize Won [7]
2021 Giller Prize Shortlisted [8]
Nigeria Prize for Literature Won [9]

Other

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References

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  1. ^ a b Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onubia (7 June 2021). "Review: The Son of the House". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  2. ^ Ikhide Ikheloa (18 October 2019). "Book Review | Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia's The Son of the House | Ikhide Ikheloa". Brittle Paper. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Nigeria's Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia Wins At Sharjah International Book Fair". Channels Television. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Fiction Book Review: The Son of the House by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia. Dundurn, $18.99 trade paper (304p) | ISBN 978-1-4597-4708-1". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  5. ^ Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia (25 January 2021). "Book Review: The Son of the House". Dundurn Press. CBC Radio. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  6. ^ Uduak-Estelle Akpan (2 May 2021). "The Son Of The House: Cheluchi Does Impeccable Work Here, While Entertaining, Educating, And Appealing To One's Sense Of Morality – Book Review". OkadaBooks. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  7. ^ Chukwuebuka Ibeh. "Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onubia wins inaugural SprinNG women authors prize". Brittle Paper.
  8. ^ Adina Bresge (5 October 2021). "Two-time runner-up Miriam Toews among authors on Giller Prize shortlist". The Globe and Mail.
  9. ^ Damiete Braide (30 October 2021). "BREAKING: Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia wins Nigeria Prize for Literature 2021". The Sun Nigeria Newspaper.
  10. ^ CBC Books (30 June 2021). "35 Canadian books to check out in summer 2021". CBC Radio. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  11. ^ "Afonja, Be(com)ing Nigerian – The Top Nigerian Books Of 2019". Channels Television. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 5 September 2021.