My thoughts:
And yet again, here I am with a book I’ve had forever that I finally read and absolutely loved. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to climb into this book and save Adunni. Or at least give her a big hug. She is an unforgettable character and narrator, and I don’t think I’ve been this moved by a character’s journey in a very long time.
Adunni is a fourteen-year-old Nigerian girl who knows what she wants. A chance to learn and become a teacher so she can help girls like herself. But as the only daughter of a broke father, she’s a valuable commodity. She’s pulled from school and sold as a third wife to an old man in exchange for four goats, two bags of rice, some chickens, and a new TV. That’s what her life amounts to in her father’s eyes.
When an accident happens while living in her new home, Adunni is secretly sold again. This time as a domestic servant to a wealthy household in Lagos. A place filled with even more pain for Adunni. And why won’t anyone talk about Rebecca, the girl who held Adunni’s job before her?
Her entire life Adunni has been repeatedly told that she is nothing. That she, and her voice, don’t matter. But Adunni refuses to be silenced. She will prove that she, and all the girls who are sold as she was, deserve to have their voices heard.
This book is filled with sadness. There’s no getting around that. Adunni endures things that no child should ever have to endure. It’s harsh, and there were moments where I had to put the book down because it was almost too much.
But this book is also filled with hope. So much hope. Adunni never gives up. She holds onto her dream of getting an education. She holds onto her belief that she deserves more. And along the way, she finds pockets of love from people who see her and remind her that she matters.
The writing is perfect. Daré nails Adunni’s voice in a way that feels completely authentic. Adunni speaks in broken English, and instead of making her harder to understand, it makes her more real. It felt like she was telling me her story herself, sitting right across from me. The voice is so strong that you never question it. You never feel like you’re reading a book. You feel like you’re listening to Adunni.
The book doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities of poverty, child marriage, and exploitation. It shows how systems fail girls like Adunni over and over again. How they’re seen as burdens. How they’re traded like livestock. How their dreams are crushed before they even have a chance to breathe. But it also shows that even in the darkest circumstances, hope can survive with a sliver of kindness.
Like Celie in The Color Purple, Adunni is a character that will live in my heart for a long time. She’s brave without being fearless. She’s a girl who has been told her entire life that she’s worthless, and yet she keeps fighting. Not because she’s some perfect hero, but because she refuses to believe the lies people have told her about who she is.
This is one of those books that stays with you. It’s heavy and heartbreaking, but it’s also beautiful and uplifting. And Adunni is a character I will never forget. Read it. You won’t be sorry. This book is powerful, necessary, and absolutely worth your time.
