Abi Daré
The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré unfolds in the first-person point of view of Adunni, a precocious fourteen-year-old girl who grows up in a small Nigerian village.
The novel opens with Adunni assuming responsibility for the household chores after the death of her mother. She takes care of her father and two brothers. Faced with financial difficulties, her father took her out of school and then married her off to a local taxi driver in exchange for a substantial dowry. Adunni is his third wife and is expected to bear him sons. She befriends Khadija, the second wife, but when Khadija dies in childbirth, Adunni runs away to Lagos where she is sold in domestic service as a housekeeper for Big Madam. Adunni is exploited, abused, and beaten. With the help of Big Madam’s chef, with guidance from Big Madam’s driver, and with tutoring from a helpful neighbor, Adunni obtains a scholarship to complete her education and achieve her life-long dream of becoming a teacher.
The strength of this novel lies in Adunni’s voice. Her broken English, the unusual juxtaposition of her words, her diction, her mixed up sentence constructions, her vibrant sensory impressions, her prolific use of colorful imagery, and the sing-song rhythm of her language leap off with the page with exuberance and a fresh vitality.
Despite all the hardships she experiences in her young life, Adunni remains resilient and steadfast. Her spirit is indomitable, her fierce determination infectious, her louding voice delicious. She is fortunate to encounter individuals who recognize her potential and help her along the way. Their presence balances out those who oppress and victimize her. In the midst of her pain and suffering, her spirit is buoyed by those who offer friendship, solidarity, and support.
Adunni’s unique narrative voice adds authenticity to her story. The reader experiences the world through Adunni’s eyes and her very potent sense of smell. Her eye for detail and sensory impressions immerses the reader in the sights, sounds, smells, and texture of life in her village and, later, in Lagos. Her vivid portrayal of characters and candid observations about their appearance, mannerisms, and the pungent odors emanating from their bodies bring them to life. Her generosity of spirit and compassion for the suffering of others never falters.
The predictable outcome of the novel does little to detract from a compelling story told in the narrative voice of an unforgettably delightful and precocious young girl whose louding voice soars triumphantly.