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caitoburnett's review against another edition
5.0
katko123's review against another edition
4.0
Before I started reading this book I have read about Nigeria where the story is set. The main problem is overpopulation. It used to be 16.6 million people in 2013 and it'd expected to be over 50 million in next 30 years. It is normal to have 4 wives (as Koran allows) and at least 11-15 children in one family. As a result the wildlife has decreased and the drought became an everyday problem.
Having all that in mind reading a story where a woman is under a huge pressure to conceive ... well it wasn't easy.
It's a beautiful tale about love, loss, sacrifice and a fight between modern and tradition. Social relations and traditions I found particularly interesting.
sade's review against another edition
4.0
One of the greatest lies ever sold to women is "LOVE" and how women are supposed to bend over backwards, break themselves if need be for love...
This book had me up in my feelings because you really hear about this kind of things happening. How women are made to feel less than because they aren't mothers. It was especially painful for me reading about Yejide because she had no-one in her corner.. No one to tell her this isn't love and that she deserves better.
My one negative with this book was that I didn't like that a whole lot of pages were devoted to political commentary at that time in Nigeria. Mainly because it just didn't seem to gel and was sort of jarring really to have that much political commentary.
All in all a really fantastic read, that I would recommend to everyone.
Also p.s Tomi Adeyemi could really use this as a sort of reference on how to write Yoruba in books and also what constitutes Yoruba names.
papasteff's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
almond327's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
shimmery's review against another edition
4.0
reydeam's review against another edition
4.0
An emotionally stirring, intelligently written story told with sympathetic characters that struggle with their infertility; Yejide and Akin make choices and decisions with lasting consequences.
I was immediately drawn to Yejide and Akin’s world as they told their story from their different POVs. Their lives and struggles felt real. Their choices and actions were raw which I am sure was met with dislike by many readers. At times, I felt a weight on my shoulders from their decisions. Their trajectories, however, did not cause me to dislike them but only to embrace their story even more.
Stay with Me goes beyond the struggles of infertility to give a deeper look into love, the fragility of relationships under stress, the weight of societal and family expectations along with the effects of broken communication, betrayal, and loss. It’s a story well painted with words with an ending that was beautifully written. A ray of hope was seen.
Side note: I listened to the audiobook edition of this story. The narrator was fantastic; narrated by Adjoa Andoh. I appreciated her Nigerian accent which added depth and a greater sense of the story.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
atan1101's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Violence, and Infidelity