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The Son of the House
2019 novel by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Son of the House is a family saga novel written by the Nigerian author Cheluchi Onyemelukwe. Her debut novel, it was first published by Parrésia Publishers (in Nigeria) and Penguin Random House South Africa in 2019.[1][2][3][4]
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Plot
The Son of the House is focused mainly on Nwabulu, who was sent out by her step mother to work as a servant. She falls in love with a boy from a wealthy family who impregnates her and then denies the pregnancy. Nwabulu is sent back to the village where she was married to a man whose grandmother is eager to get a grandson.
Meanwhile, there is also an independent teacher named Julie who has fallen in love with a wealthy man married man named Eugene who wants nothing more than a son.
When both women are kidnapped they tell each other their stories and find that they have more in common than they once thought.
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Theme
The novel revolves around polygamy, patriarchy in Africa, and the subordinate position which most women are kept in Africa.
Reception
A reviewer at Publishers Weekly described the novel as an "...intimate study of the issues facing contemporary Nigeria..." and that "...her masterly storytelling makes this consistently entertaining."[4] Quill and Quire described it as a "...roller coaster of emotions that Nwabulu experiences with perfectly executed cliffhangers to her chapters."[1] CBC Books acknowledged that the "...debut is set against four decades of vibrant Nigeria, celebrating the resilience of women as they navigate and transform what still remains a man's world."[5] The novel has been compared to Buchi Emecheta's The Joys of Motherhood.[6]
Awards and recognition
Other honors
- 35 Canadian books to check out in summer 2021 by CBC Radio.[10]
- The Top Nigerian Books Of 2019 by Channels Television.[11]
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References
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