The Girl with the Louding Voice

Such a hard, yet beautiful read. Adunni is 15, and despite the obstacles of being a young girl with no voice, she manages to overcome heartache, pain, and horrible mistreatment.

She has a fountain of strength inside her heart and even when people tell her she is nothing she smiles, has an open and loving soul and manages to see good in people.

Talk about a beautiful soul and a well written story. Highly recommend this one.

Abi Daré’s debut novel The Girl with the Louding Voice is a beautifully rendered, achingly real portrait of Adunni, a young woman finding her strength and shaping her destiny in modern day Nigeria. Adunni’s voice weaves and dances its way across the pages with a rhythm that captivated me, astonished me and, more than once, broke my heart. Brava to Daré for bringing this compelling character out of the shadows and into our lives.

Reading this story was like willing a beautiful bird with broken wings to mend and soar. Stunning story, poignant historical touchstones, and voice full of heart. Five stars.

This book was so wonderfully written. The characters come to life in both a sad, and inspiring way. I wanted to fight for Adunni, and hug her

“I don’t just want to be having any kind voice…I want a louding voice.”

A story of courage, perseverance, determination. Adunni is a special character and this is a special book!

Thanks to Net Galley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me an ARC copy of this novel that I freely chose to review, and I am happy I’ve been given this opportunity.
This is one of those books best enjoyed by immersing yourself in it. It is one of those novels that you can see with your mind’s eye and you can imagine being right next to the protagonist (it is narrated in the first person by Adunni, a fourteen year old girl with a very special voice) as the action happens, and you’d love to be able to advise or help her, to protect her from some of the things she has to go through and to warn her at times when she does something foolish. This is not a novel constructed for an analytical mind, where everything fits in neatly; all the characters are consistent throughout; there is not a paragraph of excess information; and where clichés and common places are avoided like the plague. Reading it, I got the feeling that this was a book written with the heart (and the author, in the acknowledgements, explains her process quite well), and it pulls at one’s heartstrings. It’s an emotional experience.
In this debut novel, we witness the coming of age of the main character, Adunni, who has to experience things that will be completely alien to most readers (we might have read about them, but, thankfully, many of us have never been exposed to them). Although this is no mystery novel, I won’t go into a lot of detail about the plot. There is child marriage, physical and sexual abuse, exploitation and servitude (she calls it “slavery without the chains” and it is quite an apt description), cheating and lies, poverty and desperation, and a fascinating look at Nigeria and at the huge contrasts there, from outright poverty to extreme wealth. We have a mix of rural customs and traditions with high-tech and modernity, and a society where women are still subservient to men, and where education, rather than a right, is a privilege, especially if you’re a woman.
Adunni is a wonderful character. She has lost her mother to illness when we meet her, and she has become a mother to her younger brother, but still misses her own mother, who instilled in her the importance of getting an education and having her own voice. Unfortunately, her father does not keep his promise to his dead wife and decides to try to solve his financial difficulties by marrying his daughter to a much older man (she is to be the man’s third wife, as he wants to have a son, and that has not happened yet). Nobody seems to understand her reluctance to marry, as many of her friends see this as an opportunity, their best option and their fate. You won’t be surprised if I tell you her marriage proves to be a harrowing experience, although she gets on well with the man’s second wife, who becomes a friend and mother-figure to her. Unfortunately, things go from bad to worse, she has to run away and ends up as a servant to a rich woman in Lagos. I wouldn’t say she jumps from the frying pan to the fire, but there is little to choose from between the two situations. What makes Adunni particularly endearing is the fact that through all her troubles she remains optimistic. She gets scared at times, she freezes and does not know what to do (and often takes rushed decisions she lives to regret), she talks too much and gets herself into trouble often (even when she thinks ‘I shouldn’t say that’, she often says it anyway), but even though she does not always do what is best for her, she tries hard to help others and at times puts herself at risk to defend others. She is also eager to learn and will take any opportunity to try, sometimes with hilarious results. She is innocent regarding certain things (she understands how rural society and things in her village work, but is totally naïve as to the workings of a great city), and also gives everybody the benefit of the doubt, always thinking the best of people, even after they disappoint her time and again. She misunderstands many things (she does think her English is much better than it really is, and her attitude towards the language endeared her to me, also a non-native English speaker), but she is never afraid to ask or question what she doesn’t understand, even when her questions are not welcomed. More than anything, she is a credible fourteen year old, who thinks she knows more than she knows, who has had to grow fast because of her circumstances, but still misses and needs her mother.
There are many other characters, most pretty memorable. If we think of the story like the typical quest (the hero’s journey concept), there are some characters who get in the way of Adunni achieving her dream, many horrendous (her husband, big Chief, Kola, his husband’s first wife and Florence, her boss, although we get to understand that they are also victims of their circumstances), some misguided or unable to see beyond the conventions (like her father), and others who help her move on, like Ms Tia and Kofi. Ms Tia made me think of a fairy godmother (and there is plenty of Cinderella in the story and other readers have mentioned similarities to other books), but we do get to learn about her personal circumstances as well, and the relationship benefits both of them, as Ms Tia also learns things about herself in the process. Although the plot is not original, and yes, there are many similarities with other stories and books, the character’s voice and the way she touches everybody around her make it a compelling story and a delight to read.
I’ve mentioned that Adunni narrates the story in the first-person, but she uses broken English that can be jarring to begin with (as an English teacher I couldn’t help but keep correcting her grammar in my head), but I think it communicates clearly the character’s circumstances, and serves her well to analyse and wonder at the world around her. She is very witty and comes up with some wonderful similes and comparisons when she first comes to the city, a completely new experience for her. And she can communicate her feelings and describe them beautifully, even with her limited English. For example, at the beginning of the book, when her father is telling her about his plans for her marriage, she thinks: ‘But sometimes, like today, the sorrow climb out of my heart and stick his tongue in my face.’ Her mother’s advice to her is probably the most quoted fragment of the book: ‘Your schooling is your voice, child. It will be speaking for you even if you didn’t open your mouth to talk. It will be speaking till the day God is calling you come.’ And, if you’re wondering where the title comes from… ‘I don’t just want to be having any kind voice… I want a louding voice.’ I know some readers have found the writing style off-putting, so I definitely recommend anybody thinking of purchasing and reading the book to check a sample first.
Some readers have complained about the ending. They feel it seems a bit too neat, rushed, and it does not seem to fit in with the rest of the story, but this is one of these books where you’re rooting for a character, and a hopeful and positive ending is the minimum she deserves. As I said, there is something of the fairy tale in the story, but the character works hard, studies, makes a big effort, and grows and evolves, without losing her hope and her enthusiasm, and hey, I enjoyed the ending. It might not feel realistic, but this is not that kind of novel.
I recommend this novel to readers interested in learning more about Nigeria and happy to accompany a delightful main character in her journey. She goes through some terrible experiences, so this is not an easy read, but it is a rewarding one. Make sure the writing style works for you, but if it does and you like the sound of it, go for it. It will pull at your heartstrings, and you’re likely to find a new favourite author. I will be eagerly waiting for her next book.

It took me nine days to finish what is a comparatively short book. Even in the middle of the COVID-19 Quarantine, with plenty of reading time. Why? Because this is a hard story to read. Very Hard! And I kept wanting to put it down and escape.

THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE will take you deep inside Nigeria (the most populous country in Africa.) From life in a small rural village (where young girls are routinely married off -aka sold – in exchange for a guarantee of a more stable food supply) to life in the main city of Lagos, where even business success and affluence provides neither a guarantee of political stability nor happiness. It’s a country straddling the divide between ancient customs and culture and the technological and social advancements of the modern world.

The story centers on 14 year old Adunni — whose beloved mother has recently died, forcing her to abandon the success she has had in school to take care of her father and two brothers. Living in desperately impoverished circumstances, she nonetheless dreams of returning to her education and eventually becoming a teacher. Unfortunately, opportunities are few in a rural village, especially for young girls. And so, for the good of the family, Adunni’s future takes a new direction that her father determines will be best for all.

It turns out to be a harrowing journey for Adunni, still a child with little control over her circumstances. Along the way, there is hunger, human trafficking, physical abuse, and sexual harassment. That’s the part that made this novel difficult to read. There are also friendships, protectors, and advocates.

The author has been extremely creative in the voice she gives Adunni, which adds to her believability and makes this read VERY distinctive. And Adunni turns out to be quite an amazing person!

Bottom line: I am glad to understand more now about a country I never learned much about. I have been reminded of how vastly different life experiences are for children, depending on the geographical accident of their birth location. But I also had to confront the horrible experiences children sometimes face when resources are scarce, when they are powerless, and where a single female life is undervalued. So, be warned.

This is a wonderful book that speaks of the difficulties of today girls and women still face in some countries to just get an education. The status women fight for daily to just be considered a human being and not property. It’s a story of rich vs poor, greed and generosity, love and hopefulness. Truly a greatly written, informative book with a wonderful lesson to all born in freedom.

This is such a beautifully simple tale, almost naive in its telling, but the message behind the story is strong & compelling. Adunni is a wonderful character, positive in the face of adversity & hardship, always looking forward & believing that tomorrow will be better than today. As we follow her journey from the rural Nigerian village of Ikati to the diverse streets of Lagos, the reader’s heart will swell with anticipation, willing Adunni to reach her goal.

Wow, a book that actually lives up to the hype. I discovered this via ‘Between The Covers’ on BBC and purchased it. It sat for a while before I finally got around to reading it, but once started it was difficult to put down.

There are many wonderful reviews of the book, so I will only say that this is a compelling read that invites you into the world of the main character and narrator, Adunni.

Though she is living an altogether miserable existence, her youthful wisdom and her belief in herself, coupled with her enthusiasm for life prevents the book from sinking into the morose.

In Adunni, Dare has created a character that you will fear for, cheer for and grow to love before you turn the last page.

I am going to say that this was my favourite read so far this year and leave it at that.