The Stillborn (Longman African Classics)
"It is well to dream...as long as we live, we shall continue to dream. But it is also important to remember that like babies dreams are conceived but not all dreams are born alive. Some are aborted. Others are stillborn." Zaynab Alkali's first novel,The Stillborn, follows the dreams of three Nigerian village women: Li, Awa, and Faku. All three wish to marry; each envisions her own satisfying future. Enchanted by tales of city life, Faku marries, moves to the city, and becomes the second wife of a polygamous husband. Awa marries the local school's headmaster and proclaims she will "not need to go to the city. The city will come to us." Progress does come to the village but brings unexpected consequences for Awa. Li, the book's central character, marries her dashing lover but waits years in her village for him to come and collect her, only to discover that life with him is worse than life without. Each woman faces a changing world that presents both potential loss and a chance for freedom as traditions collapse and new ones form.The Stillbornsharply criticizes the sexism of traditional Nigerian society and the lack of roots in the new, city-based culture, while at the same time it praises the strength and determination of these three women who choose different paths into unhappiness and must find their own ways out.-- For great reviews of books for girls, check outLet's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. --From500 Great Books by Women; review by Erica Bauermeister