''The Girl with the Louding Voice'' is a 2020 coming of age novel and the

debut novel A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...

of Nigerian writer Abi Daré. It tells the story of a teenage Nigerian girl called Adunni who becomes a maid and struggles with many things growing up, including her limited education, poverty and her inability to speak up for herself.

Writing process

Abi Dare stated that she first had the idea for the novel when she read a news article about a 13 year house help who had hot water poured on her by her Madam. Daré also stated that the book was partly inspired by her daughters and her years living in rural

Nigeria Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...

. It was written over a period of 3 years with her using non-standard English, and some borrowed words from

Pidgin English Pidgin English is a non-specific name used to refer to any of the many pidgin languages derived from English. Pidgins that are spoken as first languages become creoles. English-based pidgins that became stable contact languages, and which have ...

, in the novel. Dare's reason for using non-standard English was that she believes that standard English is not a measure of intelligence.

Plot

Adunni is a 14-year-old girl from a poor home who lives in a small town near the city of

Lagos Lagos (Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 fo ...

. She wishes to get an education but she cannot due to lack of funds. When things start getting sour, her father Papa marries her off, against her wishes, to Morufu as his third wife in order to use her bride price for the family upkeep. After a rape experience, she runs to Lagos where she is employed by Big Madam who abuses her several times and turns her into a slave but Adunni is determined to face all these problems when she makes up her mind that education is the only way to be free from her oppressions.

Themes

''The Girl with the Louding Voice'' deals with women's voice, the ability to speak up and the drive toward pushing to get to one's dream as showcased by the main character Adunni. The novel has also been noted for its realistic depiction of

poverty in Nigeria Nigeria had one of the world's highest economic growth rates, averaging 7.4% according to the Nigeria economic report that was released in July 2019 by the World Bank. Following the oil price collapse in 2014–2016, combined with negative produc ...

and

Child marriage Child marriage is a marriage or similar union, formal or informal, between a child under a certain age – typically 18 years – and an adult or another child. * * * * The vast majority of child marriages are between a female child and a mal ...

two issues that the main character battles with in order to get education.

Reception

The book received several positive reviews, became a ''New York Times'' Bestseller, is a 'Read with Jenna' choice and a

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

Book at Bedtime ''Book at Bedtime'' (''A Book at Bedtime'' until 9 July 1993) is a long-running radio programme that is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 each weekday evening between 22.45 and 23.00. The programme presents readings of fiction, including modern classics, ...

'' pick. Published by

Sceptre A sceptre is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia. Figuratively, it means royal or imperial authority or sovereignty. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The '' Was'' and other ...

, an imprint of Hodder, it was shortlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize for first time novelists. It was recommended by several Media outlets including ''The New York Times'', ''Vogue'' and ''Essence''. A starred review by '' Kirkus Reviews'' called it "Heartbreaking and inspiring."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Girl with the Louding Voice 2020 Nigerian novels 2020 debut novels Novels set in Nigeria Novels set in Lagos Feminist books Sceptre (imprint) books E. P. Dutton books