The Secret Lives of the Four Wives

by Lola Shoneyin

Overview

African-born poet Lola Shoneyin sheds a fascinating light on the little-known world of polygamy in modern-day Nigeria, in her powerful and thought-provoking debut novel, The Secret Lives of the Four Wives (previously titled The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives). Fans of The 19th Wife and HBO’s Big Love will be enthralled by this riveting tale of a prosperous African family thrown into turmoil when the patriarch adds a young, well-educated fourth wife into the mix who threatens to expose the other wives’ deepest, darkest secrets.

“Alternately funny, shocking, and sad . . . a complex depiction of family and culture in modern-day Nigeria.
—Sacramento Book Review

“A magical writer. . . . [A] delicious story.”—Huffington Post

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061946387
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	07/05/2011
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	273,070
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

In addition to her award-winning novel, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, Lola Shoneyin has written three volumes of poetry, So All the Time I Was Sitting on an Egg, Song of a Riverbird, and For the Love of Flight, as well as three children’s books: Mayowa and the Masquerade; Do As You Are Told, Baji; and Iyaji, the Housegirl. Shoneyin is the founder of Book Buzz Foundation, which organizes the Ake Arts & Book Festival. She also runs Ouida Books, a publishing house and one of the most vibrant bookstores in Nigeria. Shoneyin lives in Lagos, Nigeria.

Editorial Reviews

Set in contemporary Nigeria, poet Shoneyin's first novel draws us into the complex family dynamics of Baba Segi, his seven children, and his four wives: the controlling Iya Segi, meek and submissive Iya Tope, vindictive Iya Femi, and Bolanle, his university-educated wife. Bolanle's apparent inability to conceive a child sets off a series of events and revelations that significantly impact every member of the household.Verdict Using alternating narration, Shoneyin quickly gains the readers interest in this warts-and-all depiction of a culture that will be unfamiliar to many. Each wife finds her own way to assert her power and desire within the confines of a patriarchal system; in some cases, with disastrous consequences. Book clubs and readers in general interested in exploring dynamic characters and events, and who can tolerate some sex and violence, will find this a strong choice. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 3/15/10.]—Christine DeZelar-Tiedman, Univ. of Minnesota Lib., Minneapolis

Library Journal