The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré
About this book:
The unforgettable, inspiring story of a teenage girl growing up in a rural Nigerian village who longs to get an education so that she can find her “louding voice” and speak up for herself. A simultaneously heartbreaking and triumphant tale about the power of fighting for your dreams. Despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in her path, Adunni never loses sight of her goal of escaping the life of poverty she was born into so that she can build the future she chooses for herself – and help other girls like her do the same. Her spirited determination to find joy and hope in even the most difficult circumstances imaginable will “break your heart and then put it back together again” even as Adunni shows us how one courageous young girl can inspire us all to reach for our dreams…and maybe even change the world.
Verdict:
WOW. Just wow. This book is beautiful, full of heart, and packed with lessons. When I first picked up The Girl with the Louding Voice, it felt very out of my comfort zone. The writing style was a bit shocking at first: Daré writes with broken English / a different dialect. Certain words are spelled differently and the grammar is not correct, to lend authenticity to a Nigerian girl's voice. This definitely took a while to get used to...we don't see this much in contemporary fiction. But once I got into the groove of it, the book was almost poetic. Daré's gift for manipulating dialogue and inner monologue really shines.
The same can be said for the care that went into crafting her characters. Adunni is an incredibly dynamic and interesting character that I felt immediately drawn to. I was rooting for her, crying with her, and anxiously turning the pages to see what would happen. What was really awesome about this was that I had almost nothing in common with Adunni--we live in different countries with different social norms, and she experienced trauma that I am blessed not to have experienced. What we did have in common was an urge to better ourselves and make the most of our education and brainpower. Adunni craves to learn and to find her voice, and that's a message I think many of us can relate to.
Finally, I want to talk a bit about the important messages in this book. The objectification of women in Adunni's village was eye-opening, heartbreaking, and educational all at the same time. Daré handled the topic with care and context. Other topics covered include sex trafficking, physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault and abuse, classism, and sexism. It sounds like too much for one book, but Daré deftly weaves the topics together into a meaningful and powerful story.
Additional Reading:
I was so glad this book got so much recognition and media attention. I often find myself unsure of Jenna's TODAY Book Club picks, but this one was more than worthy. Here are a few articles I've read since the book's release that I would highly recommend to readers interested in this book and the author:
About the Author:
Abi Daré grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and has lived in the UK for eighteen years. She studied law at the University of Wolverhampton and has an M.Sc. in International Project Management from Glasgow Caledonian University as well as an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck University of London. The Girl with the Louding Voice won The Bath Novel Award for unpublished manuscripts in 2018 and was also selected as a finalist in 2018 The Literary Consultancy Pen Factor competition. Abi lives in Essex with her husband and two daughters, who inspired her to write her debut novel.
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