The Middle Daughter

"Exactly. So, Hades abducted Persephone and tricked her into marrying and loving him. The Middle Daughter centres on a wealthy Nigerian family who, at the offset, are very, very happy and filled with hope. But they get a call one night and tragedy has befallen them. The focus of the book is on the middle daughter, Nani, after she loses her oldest sister and father in quick succession. Her world spins off its axis and, isolated and misunderstood by her grieving mother and sister, she’s drawn to this charismatic preacher who offers her a new place to belong. All too soon, that comes with complications. She finds herself tethered to an abusive husband, to children she loves but can’t fully comprehend, and she has to find the courage to break free and get her life back. This is a big book with a lot going on: domestic abuse, abduction, illegal baby trading. You find yourself at times, like, shouting at the page. The character does things you really wouldn’t do yourself. So Nani can be quite frustrating. But that’s reality! And, again, she has been shaped by her experiences and circumstances. It’s another great book by Chika Unigwe."