A review by simplymegy
Stay with Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The blurb at the back of this book tells a story of a married couple in 1980s Nigeria. Akin and Yejide are unable to have a child. In a society where a childless marriage is unacceptable and polygamy is not, Akin is forced to take on a second wife. And so begins the saga of their married life..

I wanted desperately to rate this higher. I loved Adebayo’s prose. I loved how the Nigerian culture and politics came alive and I was able to draw some parallels to my own culture so I found it interesting and relatable. I admire the courage to tackle sensitive topics such as infertility and the tribulations of marriage. 

What I didn’t love was the characters and the depressing plot. It baffles me how this married couple could be soulmates, and yet 99% of their problems would not exist if only THEY TALKED TO EACH OTHER. The events in their life were lows after lows that after some time, it just didn’t seem realistic anymore. The blurb is also a bit misleading in the sense that it makes you think it is a tale of a husband with two wives, like a Thousand Splendid Suns kind of thing. It’s not.

Thankfully, it was still a good ending.