The Girl with the Louding Voice

Genre: Fiction

This is the story of Adunni, a fourteen year old, Nigerian girl. All she wants in life is to go to school, get a job and make her own money. But her family is poor. Adunni's mother, who was her biggest supporter and wanted her to be in school, died and so Adunni is helping her father raise her younger brother. Soon, Adunni's father does the one thing he promised his wife on her death bed, that he wouldn't` do. He promises Adunni's hand in marriage to a wealthy man in the village in order to pay his debts and have enough money to raise his youngest boy and his oldest son. Adunni's hellish journey doesn't end here. Adunni will find a new home where very bad things happen, but, here she will also find kindness in the house's chef, the next door neighbor and others. This is a story of learning that help comes in many forms and that if you only open your mind to the possibilities, those kindnesses might just save your life.

It's been a while since I've read a book that has moved me quite so much. You will love Adunni and will want her to come out of her terrible situation. The title of the book refers to Adunni having a say in what happens to her in her life, a loud voice. I love that reference in the story and was thinking that, in the real world, some of us will find that voice early on in life, and others only later. But, it's a reminder that even in the worst of circumstances, you get to have a say over what happens in your life. It's a great lesson from a great book. I listened to this book and loved the audio version.