The Girl With The Louding Voice by Abi Daré

This book is remarkable. It’s remarkable because of the story it tells. It’s remarkable because of the knowledge you gain from it. It’s remarkable because of the emotions it draws out of you. It’s a showstopper, no doubt about it.

Adunni is a young Nigerian girl who is still mourning the loss of her mother, since she passed, her father has barely kept their home going, To us readers, he’s a complete utter waste of a man who is too lazy to work and enjoys drinking far too much. To Adunni, he is her father, she loves him even with his faults but when he tells her he’s sold her off to a local businessman as a wife to cover the rent, her heart fractures. This is not what her mother would have wanted,

Her husband is old and worst of all, she’s his third wife. Wife one despises Adunni as soon as she arrives but wife two’s maternal instincts kick in as she sees this vulnerable young woman in front of her.

Adunni’s life has changed beyond her imagination but this is only the start of her new journey. Daré takes the reader on such a compelling and moving adventure as Adunni continues to fight for what her mother wanted for her to have: an education.

From village life to city life, I learnt so much about Nigeria through Adunni’s eyes and Daré’s facts on the country at the start of a chapter, it was truly eye opening.

I have read quite a lot of coming-of-age stories but none have affected me quite like this one. It’s the kind of story that makes you stop and go WOW. It felt like I physically saw Adunni’s transformation from girl to woman before my eyes, it was incredibly powerful. 

The characters are so vividly depicted, whether they are good or bad people, you feel like you get to really know them throughout this story. Two of my absolute favourites were Ms Tia and Kofi, if you’ve read the story I’m sure you’ll know why they standout!

This is a story that might feel unusual to read when you first start it due to the broken english used, but you’ll find quite quickly that this makes no difference, and you’ll be reading this as easily as other books.

This is a beautifully written story with rich atmospheric moments weaved into every page, that will capture your heart and leave you thoughtful for the future.

The Girl with the Louding Voice is out now in hardback and eBook versions from Sceptre

Until next time, Chloé x

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