The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré

I'm late to the party reading The Girl with the Louding Voice but I'm so grateful my friend Sandie sent me her copy. Thanks, Sandie!

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Warning: Some plot points are mentioned in this review. If you're concerned about spoilers, please skip down to the recommendation line. 

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The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré is about a young teenager named Adunni who lives in a village in Nigeria. Adunni has been the mother to her younger brother and running the household since their mother died. Her elder brother is now the income earner but doesn't contribute quite enough to keep them well-fed or pay for her schooling. And, her father is pretty much a worthless no-account who drinks and sits on the couch pretending his TV works (it does not). 

When Adunni's father can't meet the rent, he sells her to a man who already is married for the bride price, which he plans to use to pay the rent. Because child marriage is not unusual, some of her friends are even a little envious while Adunni is crushed. She was hoping to eventually return to school. Adunni is only about 13, at this point, and her father had promised her mother on her mom's death bed that he would make sure Adunni got an education and didn't marry young. 

With no way out, Adunni reluctantly gets married and is taken to the home of her new husband, a taxi driver with two wives, 3 children, and another baby on the way. Adunni is expected to produce a baby boy or two. When tragedy strikes and Adunni is worried that she'll be blamed, she makes a run for it and ends up in the home of a friend of her mother, who gets Adunni in touch with her brother. He will take her to Lagos and get her a job. 

Will Adunni ever see her family, again? Is she doomed to work exhausting hours and accept either beatings or constant pregnancy? Is there any way she can escape the dangers of her life and return to school? 

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End spoiler warning

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Highly recommended - Such a terrific read and you can't help but love Adunni. Although she is ignorant and ends up being trafficked (highlight this word if you want to see what happens to her), she's not stupid. She's just not knowledgeable about the world outside her little village. The book is written as she speaks (in very ungrammatical English) and although anyone who is a regular at Bookfoolery will know I have a passionate hatred for vernacular, it's surprisingly readable. So, for once it didn't bother me at all. In spite of the horrors she experiences, which can be difficult to read, Adunni is upbeat and even kind of funny. I can't imagine ever forgetting this character; she is amazing. And, for those who are a little terrified of the book, it does end on a high note. 

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