Whew where do I start with this one?! This story follows two families in very different financial circumstances in Nigeria. Eniọlá, the son of a former teacher who lost his job, desperately wants to pursue an education while his family’s options dwindle. Wúràọlá, on the other hand, is a doctor from a wealthy family who is struggling to fulfill her family’s wishes of an advantageous marriage.

Adébàyọ̀’s style is to provide a slow start with a lot of buildup. But the way everything eventually comes together and the tension building on the page is just exquisite. She does so many things so well. I loved getting smaller sections from other characters’ perspectives, providing a fuller background to the present moment. The foils of the younger sisters to each of the main characters was brilliant and evoked so many emotions in me as a reader. There are a lot of messages here about class, education, politics, mental health, societal expectations, patriarchy, family, and ultimately, power.

*CW* Multiple explicit scenes of domestic violence are difficult to read, as well as the mindset of the woman in between the attacks, justifying it to herself to stay in the relationship.