AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A READ WITH JENNA TODAY SHOW BOOK CLUB PICK! “Brave, fresh . . . unforgettable.”—The New York Times Book Review “A celebration of girls who dare to dream.”—Imbolo Mbue, author of Behold the Dreamers (Oprah’s Book Club pick) Shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize and recommended by The New York Times, Marie Claire, Vogue, Essence, PopSugar, Daily Mail, … the Desmond Elliott Prize and recommended by The New York Times, Marie Claire, Vogue, Essence, PopSugar, Daily Mail, Electric Literature, Red, Stylist, Daily Kos, Library Journal, The Everygirl, and Read It Forward!
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, The Girl with the Louding Voice is 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” (Jenna Bush Hager on The Today Show) 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.
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I give any book 100 pages to capture my interest. At that point I chuck it if it doesn’t measure up. This one was failing miserably until page 98. Then things changed.
The beginning was very depressing. The main character speaks in very broken English, and while I understood why the author chose to write that way, it was extremely distracting for me. I’m not familiar with African culture, and I began to wonder when this story was set — at least the 1950s or 60, because there were motor vehicles and canned soda. It wasn’t until about mid-way through that it became apparent it was 2014!
There is strong social commentary here — how different, and yet how NOT different all of the female characters were. Thought provoking — and still depressing.
Wow! This book reminded me of just how privileged I am to be a female in America. Adunni wants nothing more than to go to school, instead she is sold into marriage at 14yrs old. Although Adunni is put into some unthinkable situations, she still dreams of making a better life for herself. Your heart will break for Adunni, but you’ll also become her biggest cheerleader along the way!
This story is not for the light of heart and does have some tough situations and could trigger some readers.
: If you have the opportunity to listen to this on audiobook, I highly recommend it! The narrator even has a Nigerian accent, which really brings Adunni and her story to life!
Soooo good! I didn’t want it to end!
What an amazing, heartbreaking, and inspirational read! The voice of this narrative was so vivid. It’s written in a way that you can actually hear the African accent in your mind, which makes the book so immersive. The book follows Adunni, a 14 year old whose mother has died, and although her culture is clearly very patriarchal, it was clear that the women are the true backbone of her society. Throughout the story, we get a glimpse of how women keep things from crumbling around them, and in their absence, we see how things begin to crumble.
Adunni’s story is genuinely heartbreaking, especially when you consider she’s 14 years old. But this book was so amazing, it set the tone of perseverance and hope amidst grave circumstances and held that tone from beginning to end. A tone I think the world over could learn and benefit from right now!
There were parts of this book so powerful, they stuck with me. There’s one character Adunni meets who befriends her along the way who experiences something horrific. She comes back to Adunni after the fact more determined than ever to help her, and Adunni can’t fathom why. She tells Adunni that she got but a simple taste of what Adunni has to live every single day, just a taste of Adunni’s life. I literally cried during this scene, and trust me when I say this is not a spoiler, this barely grazes the surface of this particular part of the book.
Needless to say, this was an amazing story that I highly, highly recommend.
LOVED this book. A must read for all women. Pro education and pro following your dreams. Plus, I learned a lot about Nigeria and the culture.
A coming of age tale like none other you’ll read this year, narrated by a young woman you’ll never forget. Beautiful, bracing, and arguably as transformative a journey for the reader as for the book’s brave heroine.
A bold new storyteller… Abi Daré’s fearless debut is a celebration of girls who dare to dream and those who help unfurl their wings so that they might soar.