There are many intricate parts and occurrences in the society that many people vehemently refuse to talk about for their “safety”. The ludicrous and inhumane acts done by certain people effortlessly fall into this category.
Adanna by Adesuwa Nwokedi is a novel that delved into one of such aspects. This book was outrightly recommended to me by a friend on Wednesday. My point of argument was the fact that I was currently reading a book and I also had a few others in my to-read list, so Adanna was going to be at the bottom of that list.
Who was I even kidding? Immediately I got hold of the book, I couldn't just put it down until I finished it. Undoubtedly, many people would need to see a therapist after such a read but for me, it was some form of an eye opener.
This is a haunting yet captivating story of a young woman–Adanna–who is married off to a man three times her age. She endures all forms of abuse for two decades.
During the course of Adanna's stay in her husband's house, she embarks on the journey of self discovery and self acceptance, knowing pretty well that her supposed childhood died the very day she accepted to follow chief Nsofor home as his bride.
After her husband's murder, she is a key suspect and so are the man's three children who had one or more things to gain from his death. The rest of the book ropes readers in as everyone is eager to find out who would dare murder the most powerful and influential man in the society.
The book falls under the crime mystery/thriller genre because every chapter of the book has some form of crime, mystery or thrill on it.
The author’’s writing style is very evocative as she paints vivid pictures and memories. I also observed that the characters are well developed and relatable, making it easier for readers to be invested in their journeys.
I must also give the author accolades for her ability to evoke strong emotions as she left no detail out when stating how things were done. On many occasions, I could sense the distress from Adanna's tone after going through an unfathomable experience or the sparkle in her eyes whenever she was shown the tiniest form of love.
Asides from the fact that this book delved into the darker aspect of Nigerian culture and society, it also portrayed one aspect of the Nigerian culture that indigenes take very seriously; language. I couldn't help but notice the sprinkles of the Igbo language during the course of my reading. Although I'm not part of the Igbo tribe, this was intriguing for me because I admire the language so much and readily jump on any opportunity to learn it. To me, this created some form of balance which goes to show that for every good side, there is equally a bad side.
There were many times I just wished I could get hold of certain characters from the book and actually talk sense into them. On several occasions, some characters acted so rashly and on other occasions, they chose to be oblivious to the glaring truth in front of them. Take Akanna, Chief Nsofor's eldest son, for example; he was the most impulsive and hot headed character in the book. Still, people had to put up with him because of the kind of power he wielded.
Judging from the fact that I didn't want to put the book down till I was done, I can say that this was one very addictive book and the multiple mini-climaxes were just as mind blowing as the final climax. I like how the novel ended. After every single thing Adanna endured, she at least still got a reason to smile at the end.
Without mincing words, this book can steer up so many emotions in a person, emotions you didn't even know were there. However, it's an absolutely interesting read. If you are not comfortable reading about abuse or trauma faced by another person, then I suggest you shouldn't read this book. But if you're open to learning new things and seeing certain things through the eyes of another, then this book is for you. It is guaranteed to get you out of a reading slump and maybe a bit emotional too.
Love🤍
