Lagos

Lagos is a Nigerian city that features in several of the short stories. In "Birdwoman," for example, Felicity has lived in Lagos for many years. She originally moved here from her village because she needed to escape her hyper religious parents and her abusive cousin. Although she owns and operates a successful tailoring business here, Felicity is unhappy. The city is bustling and energetic, but these aspects of the setting weigh rather than inspire Felicity.

In "The Dusk Market," Lagos feels similarly difficult to navigate for Salewa. Not unlike Felicity, Salewa also moved to Lagos alone to start a new, independent life for herself. However, ever since leaving her village and arriving in the city, she has felt invisible. Because no one knows who she is, she often feels that she is not grounded in reality. For this reason, Salewa's relationship with the city changes after she starts...