BOOK OF THE MONTH
Stay with Me: A novel
A New York Times Notable Book - "A thoroughly contemporary--and deeply moving--portrait of a marriage.... In the lineage of great works by Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie." --The New York Times Book Review Ilesa, Nigeria. Ever since they first met and fell in love at university, Yejide and Akin have agreed: polygamy is not for them. But four years into their marriage--after consulting fertility doctors and healers, and trying strange teas and unlikely cures--Yejide is still not pregnant. She assumes she still has time--until her in-laws arrive on her doorstep with a young woman they introduce as Akin's second wife. Furious, shocked, and livid with jealousy, Yejide knows the only way to save her marriage is to get pregnant. Which, finally, she does--but at a cost far greater than she could have dared to imagine. The unforgettable story of a marriage as seen through the eyes of both husband and wife, Stay With Me asks how much we can sacrifice for the sake of family.
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Community Reviews
This book did so many things to me.
It touched a rarely discussed topic dear to my heart - sickle cell anemia disease.
It was authentic, almost tangible and my goodness Ayobami can weave tales!
Loved this book! It was way more heartbreaking and tender than I expected & the *drama*. Oh my goodness.
I devoured this book in a day. Was exactly what I needed - absorptive, colourful, with humour and depth. A true rating would be 3.5 but I’ll round up rather than down because debut young female Nigerian authors deserve that.
I loved this book for a few reasons - gave a sneak peak into life in Nigeria and I really enjoyed the intertwined real political / social commentary throughout the novel.
But most of all I loved it for the story and the characters. It was a beautiful, and painful, true love story. They were so frustratingly HUMAN. I found myself getting mad at them for not speaking to one another, for making stupid mistakes, for avoiding difficult truths rather than risk losing things or appearing foolish. And then I realised oh yeah I do that.
All round recommend.
I loved this book for a few reasons - gave a sneak peak into life in Nigeria and I really enjoyed the intertwined real political / social commentary throughout the novel.
But most of all I loved it for the story and the characters. It was a beautiful, and painful, true love story. They were so frustratingly HUMAN. I found myself getting mad at them for not speaking to one another, for making stupid mistakes, for avoiding difficult truths rather than risk losing things or appearing foolish. And then I realised oh yeah I do that.
All round recommend.
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