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A review by minimicropup
The Nigerwife by Vanessa Walters
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Perceptive. Philosophical. Eloquent.
🇳🇬☀️🌧️ Set in the Victoria Island region of Lagos, Nigeria. The story unfolds during summer and the rainy season.
POV: We alternate between the perspectives of one character before their disappearance and that of their relative travelling to Nigeria from the UK to find them.
Mood Reading Match Up:
-Deep dives into family dynamics, exploring different aspects of African identity, expatriate experiences, and cultural contrasts
-True crime-style mystery centred on a missing person
-Complex romantic drama with themes of secret lives and mismatched relationships
-Rich exploration of themes like ‘behind closed doors’, femininity, motherhood, marriage, tradition versus rebellion, love, freedom, and sacrifice.
—
🐺 Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐕
✏️ Writing: The prose is beautifully crafted. It has a heavy reliance on dialogue to drive the plot and scenes, so if that’s not your favourite it could be more difficult to stay engaged.
🫥 Characters: All the characters are intriguing to learn about, gradually becoming relatable and evoking empathy or frustration.
🗺️ Worldbuilding: The description of Lagos is atmospheric and experiential, offering in-depth insights into the sounds, smells, sights, and local culture.
🔥 Fuel: The story is character-driven, focusing on Nicole’s life leading up to her disappearance and the subsequent search to uncover the truth.
🐢 Pacing: The narrative is dialogue-heavy, interspersed with monologues recalling past conversations. It feels like a drama, with distinctive character voices and opinions. It sometimes feels slow, particularly when characters are philosophical or exploring commentary, but I never found it uninteresting or lazy. I can see how it can be tiresome if you are here mainly here for the mysteries and thrills though!
That ending…I need to know more! Hoping for a follow-up novel!
🤔 Random Thoughts: The novel excellently portrays the complexities of gender roles and expectations, showing how these can be both protective and destructive. It delves into the reasons behind the enforcement of traditions and their impacts on modern society.
I think it was a thought-provoking and immersive read, offering a multifaceted view of Nigerian life and the complexities of interpersonal relationships.
🎧 Audio: The audiobook narration is outstanding, with clear distinctions between characters and accents. Narrators brought the characters to life and despite the timeline switching and large-ish cast of characters I never felt lost or confused.
—
Content Heads-Up: Death. Missing spouse. Loss of adult child. Infidelity. Domestic violence. Gaslighting, mental abuse. Slavery (recalled, character opinions). Sexual content (consentual; mentioned, insinuated). Infidelity (on page; descriptive). Toxic gender dynamics. Racism (internalized, externalized; colourism).
Rep includes: Nigerian and Carribean immigration, history, and cultural outlooks; foreign wives of Nigerian men.
Format: Library Audio via Libby.
“Reviews are my musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶 refined by my AI Bestie ✨”
🇳🇬☀️🌧️ Set in the Victoria Island region of Lagos, Nigeria. The story unfolds during summer and the rainy season.
POV: We alternate between the perspectives of one character before their disappearance and that of their relative travelling to Nigeria from the UK to find them.
Mood Reading Match Up:
-Deep dives into family dynamics, exploring different aspects of African identity, expatriate experiences, and cultural contrasts
-True crime-style mystery centred on a missing person
-Complex romantic drama with themes of secret lives and mismatched relationships
-Rich exploration of themes like ‘behind closed doors’, femininity, motherhood, marriage, tradition versus rebellion, love, freedom, and sacrifice.
—
🐺 Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags 🐕
✏️ Writing: The prose is beautifully crafted. It has a heavy reliance on dialogue to drive the plot and scenes, so if that’s not your favourite it could be more difficult to stay engaged.
🫥 Characters: All the characters are intriguing to learn about, gradually becoming relatable and evoking empathy or frustration.
🗺️ Worldbuilding: The description of Lagos is atmospheric and experiential, offering in-depth insights into the sounds, smells, sights, and local culture.
🔥 Fuel: The story is character-driven, focusing on Nicole’s life leading up to her disappearance and the subsequent search to uncover the truth.
🐢 Pacing: The narrative is dialogue-heavy, interspersed with monologues recalling past conversations. It feels like a drama, with distinctive character voices and opinions. It sometimes feels slow, particularly when characters are philosophical or exploring commentary, but I never found it uninteresting or lazy. I can see how it can be tiresome if you are here mainly here for the mysteries and thrills though!
That ending…I need to know more! Hoping for a follow-up novel!
🤔 Random Thoughts: The novel excellently portrays the complexities of gender roles and expectations, showing how these can be both protective and destructive. It delves into the reasons behind the enforcement of traditions and their impacts on modern society.
I think it was a thought-provoking and immersive read, offering a multifaceted view of Nigerian life and the complexities of interpersonal relationships.
🎧 Audio: The audiobook narration is outstanding, with clear distinctions between characters and accents. Narrators brought the characters to life and despite the timeline switching and large-ish cast of characters I never felt lost or confused.
—
Content Heads-Up: Death. Missing spouse. Loss of adult child. Infidelity. Domestic violence. Gaslighting, mental abuse. Slavery (recalled, character opinions). Sexual content (consentual; mentioned, insinuated). Infidelity (on page; descriptive). Toxic gender dynamics. Racism (internalized, externalized; colourism).
Rep includes: Nigerian and Carribean immigration, history, and cultural outlooks; foreign wives of Nigerian men.
Format: Library Audio via Libby.
“Reviews are my musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶 refined by my AI Bestie ✨”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Racism
Minor: Slavery