The Girl with the Louding Voice: A Read with Jenna Pick (A Novel)

Abi Daré

Feb 2020 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

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, 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.

Ratings and reviews

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 for those who complete the book, Adunni turns out to be quite an amazing, spirited, intelligent and caring 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 book is so lovely and describes how people suffer but still never give up ,I also love the fact Abi Dare used broken English because she says "how good or bad your English is doesn't determine your intelligence"

Could not put it down. Read it in two days. The African "English" is priceless. It's a tragic story but funny in places.

About the author

Abi Daré is the author of The Girl with the Louding Voice, which was a New York Times bestseller, a #ReadWithJenna Today Show book club pick, and an Indie Next Pick.  She grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and went on to study law at the University of Wolverhampton and has an MSc in International Project Management from Glasgow Caledonian University as well as an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck, University of London. Abi lives in Essex, UK with her husband and two daughters, who inspired her to write her debut novel.