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| Cassavarepublic.biz |
Life is never the same for Baba Segi and his wives after he seeks medical advice to understand why his youngest, newest, university-educated wife, Bolanle, is unable to conceive. It is easy to dismiss this as another Naija-style cautionary tale about the horrors of polygamy. In fact, it is much more than that. It is a novel about hard choices, deceit, family intrigue and reconciliation. It is also about the resilience of family and what it really means to be a parent. Lola Shoneyin has skillfully created five characters through whom the plot is revealed with not a little humour. The novel has all the elements I look for in a story: a cracking plot that crescendoes in the middle, a satisfying conclusion and plenty of character development.
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Lola Shoneyin (second right) poses with two members of my
book club Angie Rarieya (second left)
and Kari Mutu (far right) and me (far left). This picture was
taken during the 2012 Storymoja Hay Festival in Nairobi, Kenya where she spoke about "...Baba Segi's Wives". |
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