Abi Daré's sensational debut novel, The Girl with the Louding Voice--a Jenna's Book Club choice--was the story of heroine Adunni's introduction to chaotic, sense-bombarding Lagos. Now, And So I Roar recounts her mentor Tia's wake-up call to life in Adunni's native village of Ikati, a place with no running water, little food, and traditions tied to ending drought. While readers need not have read Daré's first book, their experience will be the richer for it, as Daré builds out a stunning contrast between the urban and rural areas of Nigeria in 2015.
This gripping second novel starts in Lagos right where the first one ended, and alternates between Tia's and Adunni's points of view. Smart, strong, and with an unwavering sense of justice, 14-year-old Adunni is excited about attending school in Lagos on a scholarship. Adunni has left Big Madam's home, where she had been human trafficked and forced to work as the woman's housemaid after fleeing a marriage she'd been sold into by her father in Ikati. Tia, a lawyer married to a physician, played a key role in getting Adunni out of that situation. But Tia has no idea what she's gotten into.
As different as her characters initially seem--Tia is wealthy and has every advantage, while Adunni comes from nothing and appreciates every kindness that comes her way--Daré does an exceptional job of demonstrating their similarities and the universal need for love and growth as human beings. The plot twists and turns, taking readers back to Ikati with Adunni and Tia, and exposing both betrayals from intimates and generosities from strangers. Readers will hope for more from this accomplished author. --Jennifer M. Brown, reviewer