Book Review: The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare with Reading Reactions and Full Plot Summary

This post contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org which supports independent book stores around the country while giving you the convenience of ordering online. I receive a small percentage of sales made through these links.

The Girl with the Louding Voice

by Abi Daré
Published: February 4th 2020
Genres: Adult Fiction
Format: Paperback (400 pages)
Source: Purchased

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.

Reading Reactions is a new book review style I am experimenting with. It was inspired by my newfound love of Twitch. Watching someone experience my favorite video games for the first time was pure joy and I wanted to bring that same joy to reading. I will share a summary of the whole book chapter by chapter as well as my thoughts and favorite quotes in chronological order. That way, if you haven’t read the book you can understand the context of my reactions. And if you are currently reading the book, you won’t get spoiled.

I had a few people tell me that after reading my reactions (when I first posted this review on Instagram stories), that they decided to pick it up and read it themselves. I can’t tell you how happy that makes me! So whether you have read this book or not, I hope this new review style brings you some joy and that there’s something in this new review format for everyone.

Chapters 1-4

Adunni’s papa is marrying her off at age 14 to pay for rent. Adunni’s life has gotten worse since her mother died. She misses her mother so much. Her mom earned most of the money for the family by selling food. Adunni is hurt and confused by this turn of events. “I rub my chest, where too many questions is causing a sore” (pg 19). I love how she explained that. I’ve felt exactly what she is talking about.

Even though her mom was their main and maybe only source of income (what the crap does her dad do???) she still gave food to those in need. “Adunni, you must do good for other peoples, even if you are not well, even if the whole world around you is not well.” (Pg 9). Her mother sounds like a good person and now I’m sad that she died. Adunni is devastated by this marriage arrangement and is going to miss her younger brother. She visits her friend Enitan to see if she will help her get out of the marriage but Enitan thinks she should be happy and wishes she could get married, too. (That was not the reaction I was expecting. I would have plotted with Adunni to get her out of it.)

Adunni is going to miss school. She won’t be allowed to go anymore once she is married. Adunni was older than the other kids at school because she started late and they made fun of her. She said “Learning is not having age. Anybody can learn.” (Pg 19) I love that quote. She learns “A is for apple” at school even though she’s never seen an apple in her life. I know it’s small but it’s really bothers that they don’t get to learn about things relevant to them.

Adunni remembers a few years ago a rich foreigner visiting. He was going to marry her mother but she hadn’t gone to school so his family said no. Her mother values education because of this and says the best quote in the book:

“‘Your schooling is your voice, child. It will be speaking for you even if you didn’t open your mouth to talk. It will be speaking till the day God is calling you come.’ That day, I tell myself that even if I am not getting anything in this life, I will go to school. I will finish my primary and secondary and university schooling and become teacher because I don’t just want to be having any kind voice…I want a louding voice.”

-Abi Dare, The Girl with the Louding Voice pg 25

Adunni tells her papa she doesn’t want to get married and reminds him that he promised her DYING MOTHER on her DEATH BED that he wouldn’t marry her off for money but he doesn’t care. He says promises don’t pay rent. RAGE. PURE RAGE IS NOW COMING OUT MY EARS. I hope his dead wife haunts him.

Chapters 5-10

Adunni’s friend, Enitan, is helping her get ready for the wedding. She hopes the wedding might get canceled but feels hopeless. She tries to be positive and see the good in the marriage but she can’t.

At the wedding, her father says to her new husband, “This is your wife now, from today till forever, she is your own. Do her anyhow you want. Use her till she is useless!” (Pg 37) (Ew. I hate him.) The new couple drives off. Adunni doesn’t want to talk to him during the drive and he gets mad. (I also hate him.)

They arrive at her new husband’s house so he can introduce her to his other two wives (Yes Adunni is the third wife which just emphasizes for me how unnecessary this marriage is). Adunni meets his first wife, who calls her a husband snatcher. They go in the house to meet the second wife. (I was holding out hope that this wouldn’t actually happen but here we are. I think my hope finally died at this point in the story.) Adunni meets the second wife Khadija. Morufu, their husband, is around 60 (!!) years old. He says the rule in the house is children and wives don’t talk back to him. (Gross). Adunni meets all the kids and the oldest is the same age as her. Morufu married Adunni because he wants sons. All his kids are girls so far. He explains the sleeping arrangements to all the wives and Adunni is confused when he says she will sleep in his room BECAUSE SHE’S 14. Khadija comforts her and gives her a tour of the house.

If you are reading the book yourself, just be aware that there is a trigger warning for rape in Chapter 8. My review does not go into detail about chapter 8. Chapter 8 is short and can be skipped if you wish.

After the house tour, Khadija takes Adunni to Morufu’s room. She’s terrified and tells Morufu that she just wants to sleep. I can’t bring myself to say what happens next but I think you know.

Adunni wakes up the next morning in pain and Khadija helps her. Adunni promises herself not to cry for a stupid old man like Morufu. Four weeks have passed. The house is full of abuse. Morufu abuses Adunni, the children, and the other wives. Labake, the first wife, abuses Adunni as well. Khadija is the only one who is kind to her.

Adunni tells Khadija that she doesn’t want to have kids. Khadija says she didn’t want kids either but loves her children now. Adunni isn’t convinced. “How will a girl like me born childrens? Why will I fill up the world with sad childrens that are not having a chance to go to school? Why make the world to be one big, sad, silent place because all the childrens are not having a voice?” (Pg 59) When Adunni tells Khadija that she’s terrified of having kids, she gives her birth control and says Morufu must never find out.

Chapters 11-15

Khadija, the second wife, sends Adunni on an errand to the river so she can see her friends. Morufu, the husband, usually won’t let her leave but today is a rare day that he’s gone. Adunni is happy to see her friends but is most happy to see her little brother. (I’m incredibly sad when I think about how much friends meant to me at this age and how hard it must be for her to never see anyone.)

Kike, the oldest daughter of Morufu, is protecting Adunni from the beatings Kike’s mother (the first wife) gives her. Kike helps her because now she has to get married young, too. (They are close in age. HIS DAUGHTER AND HIS 3RD WIFE ARE CLOSE IN AGE *barf*). They bond because they both want an education but can’t get one. I just want to hug them both and take them to school and let them be young, happy girls.

Khadija wants Adunni to come with her to see a midwife but is oddly vague about it. Adunni is not dumb. She knows something is up. Khadija is desperate to have a boy because Morufu says he will stop giving money to her parents and siblings, who live in poverty, if she doesn’t. Khadija tells Adunni to go find a man, not a midwife, when they reach the town they traveled to. Adunni is so confused and she describes her confusion like this: “So I stand there, looking like a big fool, waiting for the thing I am finding to find me.” (Pg 87) (I love the way Adunni says things. It’s endearing and insightful. Sometimes you have to stop looking and wait for understanding.) Turns out this man she went to get is the real father and has told Khadija there is a curse that only a ritual washing in the river will get rid of. Adunni wants none of this ritual nonsense and wants to take her to a midwife.

Adunni is scared that Khadija is going to die.

“Death can take form of anything. It clever like that. Today, it can take form of a car, cause a accident; tomorrow it can shape hisself as a gun, a bullet, a knife, a coughing-blood sickness.”

-Abi Dare, The Girl with the Louding Voice pg 93

Whoa. That is deep. I had never thought of death that way but it’s so true. Adunni has to take Khadija to the river alone because the “foolish man” (excellent nickname by Adunni for the real father) has a wife. He meets them at the river but he forgot the special curse-breaking soap and says he will come back. (I can feel it. This dude is not coming back.) Adunni sings a song to comfort Khadija while they wait. The song is about how if you want to become a lawyer….wait hang on. The AUTHOR is a lawyer. Is this book based on her life?! (Excuse me while I read the author interview and biography in the back of the book). According to the author interview, no it’s not based on her life. Kind of. The author grew up in Nigeria and had maids in her house. She got to know a few who she based Adunni’s life on. Read the whole interview for yourself. It’s fascinating.

Sorry, back to the plot. Khadija dies by the river while Adunni sings to her. I have no words for how tragic that is.

Chapters 16-24

Grief stricken, Adunni goes to the “foolish man’s” house to tell him Khadija is dead. But his wife answers and says he is traveling. They argue until someone calls Adunni a thief and she runs away. Adunni runs to her father and tells him everything. He wants to tell the chief about it but Adunni is scared the chief will blame her.

“Papa say nothing will happen to me, but Papa make a promise to Mama and he didn’t keep the promise. How will he keep his promise now to save me from this troubles?”

– Abi Dare, The Girl with the Louding Voice pg 105

He won’t. RUN GIRL. And she does.

She runs to the next village and goes to Iya’s house, the old woman her mom used to help and give food to. Adunni wants to stay and help the old woman. Iya says no because she is going to die soon (that’s sad). Then Adunni’s papa bangs on the front door (I’m so stressed right now). Adunni hides in the bathroom. Her father sends her little brother to look for her. Her brother sees her but says she isn’t there. It’s bittersweet.

I’m on the edge of my seat now. Must know what happens next.

Iya’s brother, Kola, visits. Iya asks him to find Adunni a job like the other girls he helps. He agrees and takes her to Lagos. Adunni has never left her village and has culture shock in Lagos. She was most shocked by the poverty.

“In Ikati, we don’t have begging childrens. Even if the mama and papa of a child is not having moneys, they don’t send their children to beg. They wash and clean and pick dustbin, and the girls will marry and the mama and papa will collect bride-price and use to eat, but the childrens don’t beg for food.”

– Abi Dare, The Girl with the Louding Voice pg 136

Adunni’s way of describing the things she sees in Lagos make me laugh – “gray smoke from the buttocks of the car” (pg 135).

The writing was so vivid that I had to Google what Lagos looked like to see how close it was. I imagined it exactly like this picture above. The writing is truly stunning.

Kola takes her to Big Madam’s mansion where he got her a job and says she must do what she’s told as the new housemaid. Adunni is sent inside and meets the chef, Kofi, who is from Ghana. He’s nice to her unlike Big Madam, who comes back in the house to boss everyone around.

Chapters 25-33

Kofi, the chef, gives Adunni a tour of the house. (I’m a little distracted by all the cool books that Adunni is listing that she sees in the library. “Things Fall Apart” caught my eye, so I added it to my TBR pile. I love adding books to my TBR from other books.)

The previous maid was named Rebecca and no on will say exactly what happened to her (I find this very sus). Adunni meets Big Daddy, Big Madam’s husband, who comes in after Big Madam fell asleep from her foot massage. “She is just eating the air and snoring.” (pg 165) Haha I can just see Big Madam’s head tilted back with mouth wide open while she’s asleep in a chair. Adunni has the best descriptions.

Adunni describes her relentless and exhausting chores. A lot of the work seems redundant like hand washing garments then putting them in the washer. Adunni is only fed one meal a day. Big Madam is abusive to her. To hide from the abuse, she reads books in the library.

Adunni has to work extra hard this week because there is a party. While she’s helping Kofi with the party in the kitchen, he gives her an ad for a scholarship application.

Adunni serves food to the guests at the party. The women make fun of her. One woman is nice to her. Adunni drops the food tray and Big Madam hits her in the head with a shoe. Tia, the woman who was nice to her, helps her with her injury. They talk and become friends.

Big Madam is traveling and warns Adunni to stay away from Big Daddy. (Yikes.)

Adunni has a hard time understanding the accents of the other servants in the house.

“At first I wasn’t understanding him, but now it is not too much a problem. Everybody in the whole world be speaking different. Big Madam, Ms. Tia, Kofi, Abu, even me, Adunni. We all be speaking different because we all are having different growing-up life, but we can all be understanding each other if we just take the time to listen well.”

– Abi Dare, The Girl with the Louding Voice pg 208

Adunni is a treasure.

Adunni asks Tia to be her reference for her scholarship application. Tia says yes and agrees to tutor her as well while Big Madam is gone. Their tutoring session is ADORABLE. Adunni learns about Tia and that she lived in the UK.

Adunni: “I didn’t know that peoples like you can be living in the Abroad […]”

Tia: “What, you only see white people when you watch the news?[…] Actually” she sigh, low her voice, make it somehow sad, “you have a point.”

– Abi Dare, The Girl with the Louding Voice pg 218

Diversity matters.

Chapters 34-41

An update on Adunni’s tutoring:

“Honest, honest, English is just a language of confusions.”

– Abi Dare, The Girl with the Louding Voice pg 221

Haha! But yes, it is.

Talking with Adunni has changed Tia’s mind about not wanting to have kids. When they first met, Tia was against having kids and now she hopes she might be pregnant.

Big Daddy comes back from his trip and is CREEPY. Adunni asks for a lock on her door and Big Madam screams at Big Daddy because she knows exactly what that means.

Tia asks Big Madam if Adunni can come to the market with her. Big Daddy wants “gratitude” from Adunni for talking Big Madam into say yes. BARF. Adunni manages to get away from him. (This time. Ahhhh!! I can tell this is going to get worse).

Tia picks up Adunni to go to the market. Adunni helps Tia haggle with the market sellers by speaking Yoruba, which is why Tia wanted her to come in the first place. Tia is sad because she is not pregnant. Tia gives Adunni a book and phone to help with their tutoring sessions. Her kindness makes Adunni cry.

Adunni explains to Tia why education is so important to her:

“My mama say education will give me a voice. I want more than just a voice, Ms. Tia. I want a louding voice. I want to enter a room and people will hear me even before I open my mouth to be speaking. I want to live in this life and help many people so that when I grow old and die, I will be living through the people I am helping. […] The girls in my village don’t have much chance for school. I want to change that, Ms. Tia, because those girls, they will grow up and born many more great people to make Nigeria even more better than now.”

– Abi Dare, The Girl with the Louding Voice pg 263

I loved the idea of living through those you help. I love the writing so much.

Adunni is afraid to write her scholarship essay, but she follows Tia’s advice to write her truth. So Adunni does:

“Then I swim deep inside the river of my soul, find the key from where it is sitting, full of rust, at the bottom of the river and open the lock. I knell down beside my bed, close my eyes, turn myself into a cup, and pour the memory out of me.”

– Abi Dare, The Girl with the Louding Voice pg 275

I love the beautiful imagery in that quote.

Chapters 42-52

Big Madam takes Adunni to the fabric store/fashion empire that she owns. Adunni meets another house maid, Chisom, who mentions Rebecca (the maid who worked before Adunni at Big Madam’s house) was getting big before she disappeared. (I was not expecting a mystery story line in this book but I’m loving it).

Adunni goes to church with Big Madam. Adunni sees Chisom again, who is treated nicely by her Madam which Adunni didn’t realize was possible.

Tia is still not pregnant. Adunni goes with Tia to the Miracle Center for a ritual bath because Tia’s mother-in-law thinks it will help her get pregnant. After a blessing from the prophet, they send Tia to the river where they beat her with branches instead. Adunni and the mother-in-law are horrified and don’t know what to do (I’m equally horrified). After the beating, Adunni says:

“They pull Ms. Tia up, scoop water from the river edge, and pour it on Ms. Tia’s body, ever so gentle, as if to say, Sorry, sorry we flog you.”

– Abi Dare, The Girl with the Louding Voice pg 310

I guess that’s the bath part??

Adunni is angry when they leave. She finds the whole thing sexist.

“I want to ask why the doctor didn’t come too. Why didn’t he come and get a beating like his wife? If it takes two people to make a baby, why only one person, the woman, is suffering when the baby is not coming? […] Why are the women in Nigeria seem to be suffering for everything more than the men?”

– Abi Dare, The Girl with the Louding Voice pg 312

That’s a good question. Followed closely by why are they beating people at all????

Adunni comforts Tia. Tia’s husband is mad at his mother for what happened and reveals that he can’t have children.

Adunni realizes she is a modern slave “with no chain” because Mr. Kola (Iya’s brother who found her the job) kept all her money and never returned to give it to her, like he promised. (MORE RAGE)

Abu, the driver, gives Adunni a letter that Rebeca (the previous maid) wrote before she left that he found in the car. Rebecca was pregnant from Big Daddy but the letter doesn’t finish. (Does this story remind any one else of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier? The mysterious character that we never meet and no one will talk about what happened to?)

Big Daddy tries to rape Adunni but Big Madam catches him.

Adunni hears Big Madam crying in the house and goes to help her with her wounds that she probably got from Big Daddy beating her before he left. Adunni doesn’t know for sure. Big Madam isn’t her friend. In fact, this is the first time Adunni does anything for her without being ordered to.

Chapters 53-56

Big Madam calls Adunni to her bedroom, something she has never done for anyone. Big Madam can’t understand how Big Daddy can go to church and still be the way he is.

“‘Because God is not the church,’ I say, keeping my chin down, my voice low. I want to tell her that God is not a cement building of stones and sand. That God is not for all that putting inside a house and locking Him there. I want her to know that the only way to know if a person find God and keep Him in their heart is to check how the person is treating other people, if he treats people like Jesus says – with love, patience, kindness, and forgiveness.”

– Abi Dare, The Girl with the Louding Voice pg 339

Big Madam locks Big Daddy out of the house for the first time ever despite a long history of abuse and infidelity towards her. He honks at the gate like a spoiled brat (It’s hilarious). Big Daddy is completely reliant on her since she makes all the money.

Each chapter has a fact about Nigeria at the beginning. They are all really fascinating, but this is my favorite one:

“Fact: A 2003 study of over sixty-five countries suggested that the happiest and most optimistic people in the world live in Nigeria.”

– Abi Dare, The Girl with the Louding Voice pg 348

These facts about Nigeria before all the chapters are all true and they paint a fascinating picture of Nigeria. It’s full of poverty, excessive wealth, but also happiness and optimism like that quote says. I learned a lot about Nigeria from reading this book. I saw the country for the first time from the point of view of someone who lived there, instead of an outsider looking in.

Big Madam calls the police to frame Big Daddy for Rebecca’s disappearance, but when the police officer says he wants to question them both, she changes her mind and drops the whole thing. The officer leaves without putting anyone in jail (how disappointing).

Adunni got the scholarship!! She’s getting out of here!

Big Madam tells Adunni what happened to Rebecca (the previous maid) before she leaves for school. Rebecca had a miscarriage probably caused by Big Daddy. Big Madam says she drove her to the hospital and dumped her off with some money afterward and told her to never come back. Adunni doesn’t know if she can believe Big Madam who gets pissed when Adunni questions her. So I guess we will never really know exactly what happened to Rebecca.

Chapter 56

The writing in this chapter uses present tense which Tia taught Adunni earlier. Adunni was convinced she would never be able to learn it, and here she is using it over and over in Chapter 56 (I’m not crying. You’re crying). Tia takes Adunni to her new school and tells her they are going to adopt.

And that’s the end.

Wait. It’s over? But how does Adunni do in school? Does Big Madam take Big Daddy back? Kofi, the chef, says that Big Madam won’t keep her business if she isn’t married. Why? Is it against the law or will people not support her because they are sexist? Does Adunni get to see her brother again? Does she become a teacher or something else? Does she get a happy marriage? Does Tia like being a mom? How can this be over? Where’s book 2? I’m not ready for this story to end.

I guess this is the part where I get to make up what happens next since I have so many questions. I want Adunni to excel at school, reunite with her brother, become happily married and be a beloved teacher. I can see her advocating for young girls to save them from going through what she went through. I hope Big Madam gets some therapy, divorces Big Daddy and her business does better than ever. And I bet that Tia becomes a great mom. All of that would make a lame book 2, but if Abi Dare ever does write a sequel I will definitely read it because I know it will be way better than my version. But at least in my head, they are all now living happily ever after.

Thanks so much for reading my review! If you made it to the end, I would love to hear your feedback. Did you like this new review style? What would you want me to change? I would also love to hear your thoughts about the book! Leave your feedback or thoughts about the book in the comments or connect with me on social media (I love using Instagram.