The Secret Life of Baba Segi's Wives (2010) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 0 stars

“Loved this book. Very different. Life of women in today's Nigeria thru stories of one mans wives.”

• Rated 4 stars

“www.maryokekereviews.blogspot.com”

• Rated 3 stars

“Set in present day Nigeria, this book begins when Baba Segi can't seem to get his fourth wife pregnant. Young and college educated, Bolanle had her own reasons for agreeing to become one of Baba Segi's wives. She imagined helping with the children and perhaps teaching the other wives to read. But the wives are so jealous and intimidated that Bolanle's days are a misery, and her nights with Baba Segi a trial as he tries to pound a baby into her. When she scoffs at a trip to the prophet or witch doctor, Baba Segi agrees to take Bolanle to the hospital for advice.

The book's perspective skips around between Bolanle, Baba Segi and the other wives, so we learn how each one came into the marriage and how invested each is in retaining the power and authority she's eked out of the relationship. Given that the differences in education were a big deal for at least two of the wives, I thought Shoneyin might have done a better job differentiating their voices. You have to read a while into each chapter to see what's being said to figure out who's saying it, there's no difference in vocabulary or phrasing to act as clue. All are equally (and maybe gratuitously) coarse. My other quibble is that while the situation works for the novel, the various motivations of the characters to bring the story to this point don't always make sense - Bolanle's in particular. That said, Shoneyin's not shy about exploring the juxtaposition of primitive and modern in Nigerian society, which is what fascinates me about books set in Africa. I'll definitely look for her next book. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“Both sad and humourous.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Good book but very predictable.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Good plot, but too many swear words, darn it. I don't want to describe the plot for risk of giving it away. I did enjoy reading it.”

• Rated 4 stars

“Just read it, you will enjoy it!”

• Rated 3 stars

“For some reason, I liked this book more after I finished it, than I did while I was reading it. The spare style made it hard for me to really love any of the characters, as they seemed removed from their own lives. The book allowed a glimpse into a polygamous household in modern day Nigeria. I found this very interesting. The women deal with their husband, (Whom they often address as, "My Lord"), by appearing to be passive, when they are actually scheming and manipulative. Into this mix arrives a new (4th) wife, who is modern and university educated. Her arrival sets into motion a series of events that will change this family profoundly.”

• Rated 3 stars

“Big Love African style.”

• Rated 5 stars

“Good.”