A review by midnightmarauder
Stay with Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Stay with Me follows a Nigerian couple, Yejide and Akinyele (Akin for short), who have been trying for a baby for quite a while. But, when every attempt has failed, Akin's family pressures him to take on another wife, which he reluctantly agrees to. The book outlines the pair as they navigate through this new issue. 

In Nigerian culture, pregnancy is heralded as an important part of womanhood. So, when a woman cannot get pregnant, they are seen as less than. That was the case for Yejide. She was talked about by the members of her community and all the blame was placed on her, even though we later find out that

Akin is the infertile one

. She ends up visiting a "healer" who has her go through a ritual that would "help her get pregnant", and she experiences pregnancy symptoms soon after, which end up actually being

pseudocyesis

. This devastates her, so Akin takes it upon himself to help her get pregnant by

getting his brother to sleep with his wife at least once while she's ovulating

. Her pregnancy ends up being a success, and she gives birth to their daughter, Olamide.