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The Girl with the Louding Voice

On sale

1st October 2020

Price: £9.99

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Selected: Paperback / ISBN-13: 9781529359275

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***Out now: Abi Daré’s new novel AND SO I ROAR***


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THE NEW YORK TIMES AND TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER
SHORTLISTED FOR THE DESMOND ELLIOTT PRIZE FOR FICTION
RECOMMENDED BY MALALA YOUSAFZAI, ELIZABETH DAY, ANDI OLIVER AND DOLLY PARTON
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I don’t just want to be having any kind voice . . .
I want a louding voice.

At fourteen, Adunni dreams of getting an education and giving her family a more comfortable home in her small Nigerian village. Instead, Adunni’s father sells her off to become the third wife of an old man. When tragedy strikes in her new home, Adunni flees to the wealthy enclaves of Lagos, where she becomes a house-girl to the cruel Big Madam, and prey to Big Madam’s husband. But despite her situation continuously going from bad to worse, Adunni refuses to let herself be silenced. And one day, someone hears her.
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A story of courage that will win over your heartStylist
Daré‘s characters leap off the page, powering this funny, luminous and heart-swelling tale’ Daily Mail
Such a vibrant, tender, beautiful novel . . . I fell in love with her, and fell in love with the book’ Elizabeth Day

Reviews

Sainsbury's Magazine
Resilience and beauty of language are at the heart of this story of domestic slavery
Independent
Adunni's humour and fierce determination to change her destiny shine through this remarkable book
Rosamund Lupton, author of SISTER and THREE HOURS
A stunning novel - original, beautiful and powerful. I was utterly captivated by Adunni and her mesmerising louding voice
Imbolo Mbue, author of HOW BEAUTIFUL WE WERE
A bold new storyteller . . . Abi Daré's fearless debut is a celebration of girls who dare to dream and those who help them unfurl their wings so that they might soar
Tara Conklin, author of THE HOUSE GIRL
Adunni's voice weaves and dances its way across the pages with a rhythm that captivated me, astonished me and, more than once, broke my heart
Kirkus
Heartbreaking and inspiring. Daré provides a valuable reminder of all the young women around the world who are struggling to be heard and how important it is that we listen to them. A moving story of what it means to fight for the right to live the life you choose
Jeanine Cummins, author of AMERICAN DIRT
A character for the ages. Adunni is a girl who narrates her own suffering with levity, who paints depth and texture and beauty into her Nigerian homeland, who tenderly cultivates her own humanity even while everything around her seeks to thwart it. She is an ambassador for girls everywhere. She is important, funny, brave, and enduring. Abi Daré has written an unforgettable novel, by the strength of her own louding voice
Timothy Harrison, Vogue
A dazzling year for debut novelists . . . This 2018 Bath Novel Award winner takes a long, hard look at modern slavery through the eyes of 14-year-old Adunni
Cosmopolitan
A true original, this will open your eyes
Irish Tatler
Abi Daré's book is compulsive reading
Stylist
A story of courage that will win over your heart
Herald
A powerful debut novel . . . Compelling . . . Readers will fall in love with Adunni . . . The writing is addictive and deeply evocative. A beautiful debut from a talented author
Daily Mail
Winning comedy sparkles through the grimness . . . it's the vividly alive characters that keep you hooked, all the way to Daré's rousing, heart-swelling conclusion
Sunday Times
A bravely determined heroine
Independent
Gives an eloquent voice to the victims of modern slavery
Radio Times
Pick the novel up now
New York Times Book Review
A brave, fresh voice . . . Daré draws the reader in with a vivid character whose dire circumstances are contrasted with her natural creativity . . . Unforgettable
Guardian
The story told in this novel is an important one . . . The Girl with the Louding Voice joins a long and fine tradition of issue-led novels that have sparked conversations resulting in social change
Mail on Sunday
Narrated by Adunni herself in a brilliantly sustained broken English, this ultimately uplifting debut novel shines a penetrating light on the barbaric practices of child labour and child marriage
Harper's Bazaar
Abi Daré makes a sparkling literary debut . . . and marks the appearance of a strong and stylish new talent
Daily Express
Compelling and captivating . . . an unforgettable novel and, in Adunni, the author has created a truly unforgettable voice
Sunday Post
Despite the heartbreaking subject matter, this is a story of hope . . . a compelling read
Eithne Farry, Sunday Express
Incredible . . . packs an emotional punch
Jo Whiley, Radio 2 Book Club
It's an amazing book . . . I heartily recommend
Mirror
This is a compelling, captivating and unforgettable debut
Observer
An impressive debut novel
Preti Taneja
A virtuosic study of female loss, determination, and of the subversive potential of words . . . It magnificently reveals how language constructs us as humans. With immense skill, Daré creates an irresistible energy and powerfully sustains it on every page
i
Adunni's humour and fierce determination to change her destiny shine through this remarkable debut novel
Daily Mail
Daré's characters leap off the page, powering this funny, luminous and heart-swelling tale
Sam Jordison, Guardian
Abi Daré is a writer who not only knows how to create a powerful sensory impression, but also one who can really work the rhythm, texture and music of language. The words jump off the page . . . The Girl with the Louding Voice never feels like standard fare. It's lifted not only by the verve of its prose, but also its touching explorations of friendship and solidarity. It has an emotional connection that remains strong even in the final pages
Elizabeth Day, author of FRIENDAHOLIC
A vibrant, tender, beautiful novel
Entertainment Weekly
Inspiring . . . explores a spirit and hope that cannot be contained even in the grimmest of circumstances
Malala Yousafzai
In Nigeria, and around the world, girls are fighting for their right to learn. I'm grateful to Abi for showing the challenges Nigerian girls face and showcasing the power of their voices
New York Times
A courageous story
Kiley Reid, author of SUCH A FUN AGE
I'm a big fan of hyper-realistic dialogue and using the sounds of a world to shape the energy of a novel, and so I was immediately drawn to The Girl with the Louding Voice . . . Adunni is a youthful, dynamic guide with serious bite and poetic language
Elizabeth Gilbert, author of CITY OF GIRLS
Gorgeous, devastating and unforgettable. I am enraptured by this book
Maggie O'Farrell, Red Magazine
The book character I love the most is . . . Abi Daré's brilliant Adunni