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Title: Girl with the Louding Voice, The
Authors: Dare, Abi
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 312
Year: 2020
Language: English
Description: Daughter... wife... servant... 14-year-old Adunni has little say in how her life is playing out, but one thing is certain: come what may, she is determined to break free from the expectations Nigerian society has set down for her.

Narrated in Adunni's distinctive colloquial voice, this is an engaging coming-of-age story of an irrepressible young woman resisting a life of exploitation and holding fast to her dream of being educated.

Categories: Fiction, Culture/Ethnic/Racial, Gender Issues, Human Rights, Relationships, Social commentary/perspectives, Nigeria, 2022 Titles

Reviews

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By: CHCH 481 2024-03-04 11:33:10
4 
A good read. Interesting characters. A good insight into life for women in Nigeria. We all felt very privileged to live in New Zealand.

By: LOWER 009 2024-01-23 12:24:33
4.5 
Some of our group started the book but decided they didn't like it. The ones who finished it really enjoyed it.

By: BLENH 013 2024-01-23 11:32:29
4 
Very enjoyable and an interesting look into the lives of women in rural Nigeria.

By: OAMAR 002 2023-11-01 14:51:28
5 
Loved this book and had a great discussion.

By: FEILD 004 2023-11-01 12:48:11
3.5 
Some of the group found the language difficult at first. The book created some great discussion. A worthwhile read.

By: ASHB 027 2023-10-18 09:46:01
4.5 
This generated a lot of discussion around the role of women and attitudes to class in Nigeria and other places. Excellent.

By: GISB 012 2023-09-11 13:26:29
4.5 
Our group really enjoyed the book and found it of great interest with many topics vigorously discussed. A brilliant way to learn more about the plight of women still in modern Nigeria.

By: AUCK 293 2023-08-21 13:29:52
4.5 
This is a beautifully written, inspiring story. Adunni, the main character, is such an inspiring young girl, part adult but still with some 14 year old thoughts and ways. Once again we see that all you need is one special person to believe in you and care for you, to change your life. We all loved this book.

By: MORRI 001 2023-06-28 09:50:41
4.5 
Everyone enjoyed this book and the writer's style. It is a book of two halves with some members preferring one half to the other. Wide-ranging discussion predominantly on the place of women in some societies.

By: NELS 050 2023-03-27 14:24:07
4.5 
A story of hope through extreme hardships. An enlightening read.

By: CHCH 155 2023-03-13 20:17:16
3.5 
Our view of Africa's richest country (2014) was despair for the females. Education could make such a difference for the whole country. Strong women needed as leaders. An easy read once past the pidgeon English.

By: WHAKA 019 2023-02-27 12:34:27
4 
Everyone agreed on a 4 for this one. Found it an interesting read and many said they learnt a lot from it.

By: DUNED 001 2022-12-01 12:51:03
5 
The book generated lively discussion. Superbly written with real gems of insight and expression. Very hard to put down, especially wanting the best for Adunni.

By: HOKITIK 004 2022-10-03 20:46:31
3 
Most of the group found the book didn't live up to expectation. We all managed the pidgeon English in various ways, and finished the story, but many found a disconnect between the language and the knowledge held by the main character, and some struggled with the opportunities presented as being very 'lucky' and maybe unrealistic. It is probably the least favourite text we have had this year.

By: NAP 023 2022-09-21 13:44:01
4.5 
This story told in the first person vernacular was a poignant reminder of the disgraceful treatment of women in African society. It highlighted the disparity between the lives of the very wealthy in Nigeria and their treatment of young women. Adunni's story touched us all.

By: WELL 021 2022-08-29 10:26:25
4.5 
Big thumbs up for 'The Girl With the Louding Voice'!

By: CHCH 125 2022-08-03 12:00:54
5 
Widely enjoyed by our group. Very eye-opening to think that girls in some cultures, even today, can be oppressed in this way and so badly treated.

By: AUCK 411 2022-03-30 15:16:06
4.5 
It was a fabulous read. We couldn't put the book down. It was a gritty, powerful and emotional story. We would love to know how Adunni's education went, but alas, we will have to leave that up to our imaginations.

By: AUCK 143 2022-03-09 12:47:46
4 
This book was enjoyed by the group. Although the themes were distressing, the book was deft in the descriptions and always had an upbeat feel. There was never any doubt that Adunni would succeed in life.

By: WELL 226 2021-11-26 12:47:50
4 
Some group members found this book hard going. Seeing the world through Adunni's eyes, and the slight change in language was moving.

By: METH 001 2021-11-15 10:30:17
4.5 
The whole group loved this read and would thoroughly recommend.

By: NIGHT 001 2021-10-22 14:31:58
5 
A beautifully told, sad, powerful, and ultimately hopeful story. Most of the group enjoyed this. Some struggled with the pidgeon English, while others relished the use of it, and the overall feeling it invoked.

By: HAMIL 029 2021-08-04 16:27:00
5 
The general opinion was that this is the best book we've had from BDS for years. It is a story of courage and resilience, and gives a credible insight into the lives of Nigerian women of every level of society and the huge differences in wealth in Nigeria. The girl of the title is a delightful character and her voice is clearly heard. One or two in the group found it hard to get used to the broken English, but most of us found it interesting, charming, not hard to read, and at times very funny and clever - and the language does move closer to standard English as the novel progresses.

By: AUCK 342 2021-06-02 14:29:51
4.5 
We all loved this book.

By: WELL 219 2021-03-31 14:07:49
4 
Our reviews ranged from 3 stars to 5 stars. Everyone took a while to warm up to the way it was written:-)

 
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