Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Classism, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Excrement, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Terminal illness, Vomit, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, and Torture
Adunni is forced to marry an old man (Morufu) at the age of 14. He regularly rapes her in an attempt to get her pregnant and has done this twice before with two other women. Adunni also undergoes a second near-assault with Big Daddy near the end of the novel.
The eating disorder is not an intentional one but rather the continuous mentioning that Adunni is starved by Big Madam.
Big Daddy and Adunni's papa are alcoholics
Adunni is bullied verbally, emotionally, and physically by Labake and Big Madam. She is bead reguarly and the beatings are described in detail. Big Madam is beaten physically by her husband regularly. There is classism directed at Adunni and the other workers from the rich women in the social club. They mock her English and accent.
Adunni's mother dies of a terminal illness offscreen and grieves her throughout. Tia's mother also has a terminal illness that nearly kills her.
Adunni's description of Big Madam could be considered fatphobic.
There are mentions of excrement (and vomit) in Iya's home when Iya shoves Adunni in the room to escape her father and by the end of the novel when Tia asks if the beatings have stopped.
There are mentions of pregnancy throughout the book. Adunni is expected to get pregnant with Morufu's baby. She takes a pill to negate pregnancy. Pregnancy is mentioned amongst her friends when she sees them and with her husband's other wives. Khadija is pregnant in the novel and ends up dying due to complications with birth. Tia is constantly teased about not having children and decides she'd like to have children later in the novel after meeting Adunni . SHe is tortured by some religious leaders under the guise of having a bath to help along the pregnancy.
trafficking/slaver: Adunni is trafficked by Mr. Kola, Iya's brother, when she is trying to run from Morufu. The majority of the novel takes place in this location she has been trafficked to where she works as a servant or 'chainless slave' as Adunni calls it.