Stay with Me deals with the marriage of Akin and Yejide, in Nigeria, who are struggling to have a child of their own and after unsuccessful attempts and huge societal pressure, bring in a new wife. This is how the novel opens.
While the characters aren’t always likeable, they are written remarkably well. Yejide seeps into you through the pages and the pain she suffers through not being able to be a true “woman” by bearing a children is absolutely heart-breaking. Akin, her husband, and the second wife are also complex characters and make this an intriguing three dimensional plot that keeps you immersed in their world.
Adebayo has written a really impressive cast of characters that feel very authentic and real. Their conversations, struggles, and identities are easy to imagine in real life.
A beautiful and inspiring debut – my second choice for the Baileys Prize winner.
About Ayobami Adebayo
AYOBAMI ADEBAYO‘s stories have appeared in a number of magazines and anthologies, and one was highly commended in the 2009 Commonwealth short story competition. She holds BA and MA degrees in literature in English from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, and has worked as an editor for Saraba Magazine since 2009. She also has an MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia, where she was awarded an international bursary for creative writing. She has received fellowships and residencies from Ledig House, Sinthian Cultural Centre, Hedgebrook, Ox-Bow School of Art, Ebedi Hills and the Siena Art Institute. She was born in Lagos, Nigeria.
Find out more about Ayobami here.
Find out more about the Baileys Prize here.
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