‘The Girl With the Louding Voice’ is the story of 14-year-old Adunni, a little girl determined to acquire education at all costs, knowing that it was her ticket to a good life.
Born into a patriarchal society and home, Adunni knew she would face challenges in pursuing her dreams. The dream of Adunni’s mother was to see Adunni have a decent education and she was determined to do anything to ensure this happened. Unfortunately, she died when Adunni was14 years old.
Following her mother’s death, Adunni was married off to an older taxi driver, Muruf, as a third wife to bear Muruf a male child. This was never achieved as Adunni, through the help of Kadijah, Muruf’s second wife used herbal medications to prevent pregnancy. On the other hand, Kadijah who was pregnant hoped to bear a son for Muruf.
With the birth of her child almost due, Kadijah requested Adunni to accompany her to visit her midwife. Unknown to Adunni, this was a trip to visit Kadijah’s ex-lover for a mandatory ritual before she gives birth, given that her pregnancy was his and not Muruf’s. Unfortunately, Kadijah died before the ritual was performed and Adunni had to run for fear of being accused of murder and killed for a crime she did not commit.
Adunni runs to her mother’s friend who helped her to the city of Lagos, where she starts a new life as a maid. Despite the hardship of life as a maid, Adunni remained resilient in achieving her dream of being educated so she could educate other people. She got the support of her employer’s friend, Tia, who helped her secure the Ocean Oil Scholarship to pursue her education.
Have you read the book “The Girl with the Louding Voice” by Abi Dare?
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