Adunni

Adunni is the main character and narrator of this novel. Adunni is a 14-year-old girl living in a small rural village in Ikati, Nigeria. She lives with her father, who she calls Papa, and her two brothers, Kayus and Alao, who she calls Born-Boy. Adunni’s beloved and powerful mother is recently deceased after a long illness, leaving Adunni with a deep sorrow of loss because her mother supported her dreams to become an educated, self-reliant and autonomous woman. Throughout the novel, despite all odds seeming to be against her, Adunni develops and maintains a strong sense of self and of clarity of mind, never losing sight of her goals and dreams.

The story follows Adunni through a series of domestic situations she has been forced into, including an arranged marriage and a slave-trade for young girls into domestic servitude. Because of her youthful vulnerability at the beginning...