The Middle Daughter

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Chika Unigwe’s novel The Middle Daughter centers a wealthy Nigerian family. The father owns a printing business, the mother is a doctor in the public health system and they have three daughters- one is currently in America studying and the other two attends a private school in Nigeria. They are a very happy family, filled with hope and happiness for the future… that is until one night they get a call from America that changes the trajectory of their family and upends life as they know it.

The Middle Daughter by Chika Unigwe - Publishers Weekly The Middle Daughter by Chika Unigwe - Publishers Weekly

First let me say- I was warned twice before reading this book that is was very heavy and covered dark themes that will leave your soul aching. I am not sure I was prepared enough because in reading this I got very angry. The writing of this book will have you feeling a lot of different ways and I guess that is the mark of a good writer.The Middle Daughter is an emotionally charged exploration of the ways in which a woman may fall victim to conventions designed to ensnare her. Chika Unigwe is a writer of great conviction and superior insight . . . Nani’s story drew me in from the start and pulled me under right up until the end’ AMINATTA FORNA I did not respond. Nobody hurts you like the people who know you the best. But nobody knows you the least like people who think they know you best.” A modern reimagining of the myth of Hades and Persephone within a Nigerian family, The Middle Daughter charts Nani’s journey to freedom and homecoming. The Middle Daughter is a social novel written by Chika Unigwe and published by Dzanc Books in 2018. [1] Unigwe drew her inspiration from the story of Hades and Persephone. [2] Characters [ edit ]

Unigwe’s latest novel, a family’s tragedy is interwoven In Unigwe’s latest novel, a family’s tragedy is interwoven

Udodi’s death was the beginning of the raging storm but at that moment, we thought that the worst had already happened, and that life would treat us with more kindness. The May 2023 issue of World Literature Today ponders “The Future of the Book,” featuring a marquee interview with Azar Nafisi and contributions by others on the subject of books and book culture. The book review section rounds up the best new books from around the world, and additional interviews, poetry, short fiction and creative nonfiction, culture essays, a postcard from the former Yugoslavia, and an outpost from Berlin make the May issue your perfect summer reading companion. Nani, the protagonist, is a sad and clearly traumatized woman whose life falls into the hands of her controlling husband. Unfortunately, much of the story doesn’t feel credible. In many ways, Nani comes across as plain stupid instead of being confused by grief, misunderstood by family, and consequently falling for a beguiling manipulator.Absorbing and tender, Chika Unigwe’s The Middle Daughter is a finely-drawn portrait of a young woman’s resilience in the face of violence and grief”

The Middle Daughter by Chika Unigwe | Goodreads The Middle Daughter by Chika Unigwe | Goodreads

if you hate men don’t read this book because it’ll make you hate them even more! jokes aside, this was one of the most heartbreaking books i’ve read lately; 17 year old nani’s world is plunged into darkness as she loses her father and sister. experiencing loss after loss, her heartache is only multiplied when she meets ephraim, the “man of God” who almost feeds off of her grief and despair. not to mention a mother who’s years have hard work have hardened what should be a soft heart for her daughters to seek refuge in. there were so many times where i had to physically put this book down let out a sigh of exasperation at the actions of not only nani but also ephraim, because one thing i’ll never understand is how someone can do evil to a person yet claim to love them. but i’m getting ahead of myself, just read the book!! I absolutely loved the bond between Nani and her father, very beautiful. And the courage of Nani. Walking away from abuse is never easy but confronting the abuser takes courage and she had it! But, when you have a parent who parents hard, whose soft edges are eroded by the work that she does, it's not hard to understand Nani whose shame and silence, forces her to make a life-altering choice with devastating consequences.

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I didn't like Nani. I think the intention was to show her as an individual who doesn't know how to deal with the grief of losing her sister and father in death, is misunderstood by her mother and remaining sister, and as a result, falls into the hands of a beguiling and controlling man. But there's nothing in the story that makes this believable to me. a b c Ejiaka, Delight. " The Middle Daughter by Chika Unigwe". World Literature Today . Retrieved 25 August 2023.

The Middle Daughter by Chika Unigwe | Review - Littafi Books The Middle Daughter by Chika Unigwe | Review - Littafi Books

Doda’s death and Mother’s insistence on not letting her in-laws and many others “betting on her to fail” get their wish is the trigger for the cataclysm that eclipses their joy. Mother sets up a business that would bring her enormous wealth, but ultimately puts her at odds with Nani. Ugo is torn between familial and maternal love while Nani, blindsided by grief, falls prey to the machinations of an itinerant preacher. Chika Unigwe writes with a moral urgency nourished by a nuanced understanding of the human condition and a prose that is elegantly calibrated. And for all the dark turns her work takes, it is suffused with warmth, hard won wisdom and a deep compassion.” When Nani is only seventeen, she loses her beloved sister and father. Misunderstood by the rest of her family, she is beguiled by an itinerant preacher, a handsome self-proclaimed ‘man of God’ who seems to offer all the answers. But instead of building a better future with him, Nani is forced too soon into a challenging womanhood with an oppressive husband. I have to admit right off that this book was a hard read for me. But first, let’s start with the good.In the end, the book bored me. I think a lot The Middle Daughter is set in contemporary Enugu in the heart of eastern Nigeria. It revolves around a family who suffered tragic loss and the ways their trauma-coping mechanisms complicate life, while commenting on Nigeria’s upper-middle-class echelon and the dichotomy of moving up or down the social ladder through marriage. It explores the vulnerability of grief and fragility of relationships. It takes a cursory look at the family unit and considers how pressure can pull apart a once steady family structure, while shedding light on the health-care system, women’s reproductive rights, “surrogacy,” and baby factories in Nigeria. The first line of the novel, “I fear the man who is my husband,” is bench-pressing so many thematic weights. It layers a sense of foreboding by piquing the reader’s curiosity and foreshadowing events connected to abuse. The story opens with news of Udodi’s death, the first daughter, who pursued higher education in the United States and crashed in an accident a week before her return to Enugu. After her death, the family is thrown into irreconcilable grief that feels impossible to escape. Unigwe writes, “Udodi’s death was the beginning of the raging storm but at that moment, we thought that the worst had already happened, and that life would treat us with more kindness.” I could not stop reading Chika Unigwe's enchanting novel, The Middle Daughter. Her tender exploration of family blessings and woes is magical!’ UWEM AKPAN Together with the way Chika Unigwe sets up her characters, the writing style is another aspect I think is really very strong. It was easy to follow and read fast, without losing the beauty in the language. Again: beautiful!