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The Girl with the Louding Voice
On sale
5th March 2020
Price: £12.99
The most uplifting debut of 2020
‘Unforgettable‘ New York Times ‘Impressive‘ Observer ‘Remarkable‘ Independent ‘Important‘ Guardian ‘Captivating‘ Mirror ‘Luminous‘ Daily Mail ‘Sparkling‘ Harper’s Bazaar ‘Beautiful‘ Herald
THE NEW YORK TIMES AND TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE FOR FICTION
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I don’t just want to be having any kind voice . . .
I want a louding voice.
At fourteen, Adunni dreams of getting an education and giving her family a more comfortable home in her small Nigerian village. Instead, Adunni’s father sells her off to become the third wife of an old man. When tragedy strikes in her new home, Adunni flees to the wealthy enclaves of Lagos, where she becomes a house-girl to the cruel Big Madam, and prey to Big Madam’s husband. But despite her situation continuously going from bad to worse, Adunni refuses to let herself be silenced. And one day, someone hears her.
__________________________________________________
‘A story of courage that will win over your heart‘ Stylist
‘A true original, this will open your eyes‘ Cosmopolitan
‘Abi Daré has written an unforgettable novel, by the strength of her own louding voice.’ Jeanine Cummins
‘Unforgettable‘ New York Times ‘Impressive‘ Observer ‘Remarkable‘ Independent ‘Important‘ Guardian ‘Captivating‘ Mirror ‘Luminous‘ Daily Mail ‘Sparkling‘ Harper’s Bazaar ‘Beautiful‘ Herald
THE NEW YORK TIMES AND TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE FOR FICTION
___________________________________________________
I don’t just want to be having any kind voice . . .
I want a louding voice.
At fourteen, Adunni dreams of getting an education and giving her family a more comfortable home in her small Nigerian village. Instead, Adunni’s father sells her off to become the third wife of an old man. When tragedy strikes in her new home, Adunni flees to the wealthy enclaves of Lagos, where she becomes a house-girl to the cruel Big Madam, and prey to Big Madam’s husband. But despite her situation continuously going from bad to worse, Adunni refuses to let herself be silenced. And one day, someone hears her.
__________________________________________________
‘A story of courage that will win over your heart‘ Stylist
‘A true original, this will open your eyes‘ Cosmopolitan
‘Abi Daré has written an unforgettable novel, by the strength of her own louding voice.’ Jeanine Cummins
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Reviews
A stunning novel - original, beautiful and powerful. I was utterly captivated by Adunni and her mesmerising louding voice.
A bold new storyteller . . . Abi Daré's fearless debut is a celebration of girls who dare to dream and those who help them unfurl their wings so that they might soar
Adunni's voice weaves and dances its way across the pages with a rhythm that captivated me, astonished me and, more than once, broke my heart
Heartbreaking and inspiring. Daré provides a valuable reminder of all the young women around the world who are struggling to be heard and how important it is that we listen to them. A moving story of what it means to fight for the right to live the life you choose.
The Girl With the Louding Voice is a character for the ages. Adunni is a girl who narrates her own suffering with levity, who paints depth and texture and beauty into her Nigerian homeland, who tenderly cultivates her own humanity even while everything around her seeks to thwart it. She is an ambassador for girls everywhere. She is important, funny, brave, and enduring. Abi Daré has written an unforgettable novel, by the strength of her own louding voice.
2020 [is] a dazzling year for debut novelists . . . This 2018 Bath Novel Award winner takes a long, hard look at modern slavery through the eyes of 14-year-old Adunni
A true original, this will open your eyes
Abi Daré's book is compulsive reading
A story of courage that will win over your heart
A powerful debut novel . . . Compelling . . . Readers will fall in love with Adunni . . . The writing is addictive and deeply evocative. A beautiful debut from a talented author
Winning comedy sparkles through the grimness . . . it's the vividly alive characters that keep you hooked, all the way to Daré's rousing, heart-swelling conclusion
A bravely determined heroine
Gives an eloquent voice to the victims of modern slavery
Pick the novel up now
Resilience and beauty of language are at the heart of this story of domestic slavery
Adunni's humour and fierce determination to change her destiny shine through this remarkable book.
[A] brave, fresh voice . . . Daré draws the reader in with a vivid character whose dire circumstances are contrasted with her natural creativity . . . Unforgettable
The story told in this novel is an important one . . . The Girl with the Louding Voice joins a long and fine tradition of issue-led novels that have sparked conversations resulting in social change.
Narrated by Adunni herself in a brilliantly sustained broken English, this ultimately uplifting debut novel shines a penetrating light on the barbaric practices of child labour and child marriage
Abi Daré makes a sparkling literary debut . . . and marks the appearance of a strong and stylish new talent
Compelling and captivating ... an unforgettable novel and, in Adunni, the author has created a truly unforgettable voice
Despite the heartbreaking subject matter, this is a story of hope ... a compelling read
Incredible . . . packs an emotional punch
It's an amazing book... I heartily recommend
This is a compelling, captivating and unforgettable debut
An impressive debut novel
A virtuosic study of female loss, determination, and of the subversive potential of words . . . It magnificently reveals how language constructs us as humans. With immense skill, Daré creates an irresistible energy and powerfully sustains it on every page
Adunni's humour and fierce determination to change her
destiny shine through this remarkable debut novel.
Dare's characters leap off the page, powering this funny, luminous and heart-swelling tale
Abi Daré is a writer who not only knows how to create a powerful sensory impression, but also one who can really work the rhythm, texture and music of language. The words jump off the page . . . The Girl with the Louding Voice never feels like standard fare. It's lifted not only by the verve of its prose, but also its touching explorations of friendship and solidarity. It has an emotional connection that remains strong even in the final pages