Buchi Emecheta was a Nigerian-born novelist, based in the UK. Renowned gender equality advocate, she has authored more than 20 books.
Below, Eelive.ng highlights four of Buchi Emecheta’s novels you should add to your reading list:
SECOND CLASS CITIZEN
Second Class Citizen is a 1974 novel by Nigerian writer Buchi Emecheta. A story of a resourceful Nigerian woman who overcomes strict tribal domination of women and countless setbacks to achieve an independent life for herself and her children, the novel is often described as semi-autobiographical, with the journey from Nigeria to London following closely Emecheta’s own trajectory as an author.
THE BRIDE PRICE
The Bride Price was the first novel Emecheta wrote, but its original version was lost when her husband threw the manuscript on the fire. This act of destruction proved to be the last straw in an abusive marriage that she subsequently left. She later re-wrote the novel, and it was published in London in 1976.
The novel centres on the problems of women in post-colonial Nigeria. Buchi dedicated this novel to her mother, Alice Ogbanje Emecheta.
THE SLAVE GIRL
The Slave Girl serves as Buchi Emecheta’s fourth novel. It won the Jock Cambell Award from the New Statesman in 1978.
The Slave Girl tells the story of Ogbanje Ojebeta who, following the death of her parents is sold into domestic slavery. She finds solace among her fellow slaves but learns the painful lessons of what it means to be owned by another. As she grows into a woman she longs for freedom and for a family of her own. She realises that she must ultimately decide her own destiny, and when the opportunity arises, makes a choice that we as modern readers might find surprising.
JOYS OF MOTHERHOOD
Joys of Motherhood which details child slavery, motherhood, female independence and freedom through education gained recognition through critics and honours.