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In Our Own Ways
After a childhood in the backwaters of a Nigerian fishing town, up-and-comer Senami Mausi is proud of the man he has become. His sprawling compound is his castle and the beautiful Fadaka, daughter of the wealthy Silva family, is his queen. Thanks to the right pedigree and connections, Fadaka and Senami are living an enviable life.
However, cracks begin to appear in their marriage when they struggle to get pregnant. Family and the secrets behind the eventual conception threaten to destroy them. The joy from the arrival of the long-awaited child is short-lived as their marriage crumbles.
A master of self-reinvention, Senami disappears into thin air, taking the child and leaving Fadaka behind to pick up the pieces of her shattered reality. As the days stretch, Fadaka faces two choices: stay home and rebuild or fight for what is rightfully hers.
However, cracks begin to appear in their marriage when they struggle to get pregnant. Family and the secrets behind the eventual conception threaten to destroy them. The joy from the arrival of the long-awaited child is short-lived as their marriage crumbles.
A master of self-reinvention, Senami disappears into thin air, taking the child and leaving Fadaka behind to pick up the pieces of her shattered reality. As the days stretch, Fadaka faces two choices: stay home and rebuild or fight for what is rightfully hers.
420 pages, Paperback
Published October 31, 2025
About the author
Yejide Kilanko
12 books183 followersA writer of fiction and poetry, Kilanko’s debut novel, Daughters Who Walk This Path, a Canadian national bestseller, was longlisted for the 2016 Nigeria Literature Prize.
Her work includes a novella, Chasing Butterflies (2015), two children’s picture books, There Is An Elephant In My Wardrobe (2019), and Juba and The Fireball (2020). Her short fiction is in the anthology, New Orleans Review 2017: The African Literary Hustle. Her latest novel, A Good Name, is available now
Kilanko lives in Ontario, Canada, where she practices as a social worker.
Her work includes a novella, Chasing Butterflies (2015), two children’s picture books, There Is An Elephant In My Wardrobe (2019), and Juba and The Fireball (2020). Her short fiction is in the anthology, New Orleans Review 2017: The African Literary Hustle. Her latest novel, A Good Name, is available now
Kilanko lives in Ontario, Canada, where she practices as a social worker.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 11, 2026
4.5 ⭐️ for me, truly enjoyed the entire story until it got to the second kidnapping part. It felt a bit far-fetched for me, plus the story left me with 2, 3 questions unanswered. Besides that, really enjoyed it and couldn’t put the book down.
June 16, 2026
Explores a good slice of its subject matter
November 24, 2025
"How long would it take before Senami felt secure in who he was?"
the book introduces us to Senami and his desperate attempt to change his destiny.
I don't want to spoil it because I'm the first person posting a review but it was a page turner and I was sad it finished too quickly.
As always, Yejide is an auto buy for me and she did not disappoint.
the book introduces us to Senami and his desperate attempt to change his destiny.
I don't want to spoil it because I'm the first person posting a review but it was a page turner and I was sad it finished too quickly.
As always, Yejide is an auto buy for me and she did not disappoint.
March 22, 2026
The summary of this book for me is Jeremiah 17:9 - “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”
Ms Kilanko is an excellent writer, and I enjoyed this work of hers as always. So glad for the resolution at the end, although I would have loved to see Senami actually suffer.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ms Kilanko is an excellent writer, and I enjoyed this work of hers as always. So glad for the resolution at the end, although I would have loved to see Senami actually suffer.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 4, 2026
A 5 star read in so many ways.
I had to take a breather after I was about 1/4 into reading this book.
I needed to detach and mentally prepare myself for the rest.
Yejide Kilanko writes very raw stories that expose our societies for what they truly are, especially parts of our societies that are spoken about in hush tones.
The major theme of this book is infertility in men but there's also intimate partner abuse, sexual violence, toxic family relationships and betrayal.
Like in other Yejide Kilanko books, there's also the triumph of sisterhood and female friendships and I think that's what got me through the book considering how heartbreaking the story was.
It's a very poignant read!
I can't believe how horrible Senami is, what a horrible, despicable and selfish man.
I had to take a breather after I was about 1/4 into reading this book.
I needed to detach and mentally prepare myself for the rest.
Yejide Kilanko writes very raw stories that expose our societies for what they truly are, especially parts of our societies that are spoken about in hush tones.
The major theme of this book is infertility in men but there's also intimate partner abuse, sexual violence, toxic family relationships and betrayal.
Like in other Yejide Kilanko books, there's also the triumph of sisterhood and female friendships and I think that's what got me through the book considering how heartbreaking the story was.
It's a very poignant read!
I can't believe how horrible Senami is, what a horrible, despicable and selfish man.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2026
If you thought Eziafa from A Good Name was a despicable character, or Ephraim from The Middle Daughter was vile, oh, let me introduce you to the male character in this book: the almighty Senami Mausi. Good God! The evil and atrocities this man commits are almost unbelievable.
The story follows Senami, who marries Fadaka, the daughter of the wealthy Silva family. Several years into the marriage, the couple are still childless. After years of struggling with infertility, Fadaka eventually becomes pregnant and gives birth. But shortly after the birth, Senami disappears into thin air, taking the child with him and leaving Fadaka to pick up the pieces of her shattered reality.
I had a good reading experience with this book, and there were so many moments that had me clutching my head and shouting into the air, “Senami, you’re a despicable human being!”
You know that prayer our aunts and uncles always say: “May we never marry our enemy.” If you read this book, you’ll understand the weight of that prayer.
I loved how the book explores the ways patriarchy is deeply ingrained in our society, the fragility of the male ego, and male infertility. I also found it interesting how society has conditioned many people to see infertility as a woman’s burden, when male infertility is often just as significant. The female friendships and the bond between the women were beautifully portrayed.
That said, I found Ms Kilanko’s writing style a little off in this book compared to some of her other works. The story also felt slightly overextended, and I think certain parts could have been trimmed.
Overall, this was a good read, and I’d definitely recommend it. I rated it 3.8⭐ based on my reading experience.
The story follows Senami, who marries Fadaka, the daughter of the wealthy Silva family. Several years into the marriage, the couple are still childless. After years of struggling with infertility, Fadaka eventually becomes pregnant and gives birth. But shortly after the birth, Senami disappears into thin air, taking the child with him and leaving Fadaka to pick up the pieces of her shattered reality.
I had a good reading experience with this book, and there were so many moments that had me clutching my head and shouting into the air, “Senami, you’re a despicable human being!”
You know that prayer our aunts and uncles always say: “May we never marry our enemy.” If you read this book, you’ll understand the weight of that prayer.
I loved how the book explores the ways patriarchy is deeply ingrained in our society, the fragility of the male ego, and male infertility. I also found it interesting how society has conditioned many people to see infertility as a woman’s burden, when male infertility is often just as significant. The female friendships and the bond between the women were beautifully portrayed.
That said, I found Ms Kilanko’s writing style a little off in this book compared to some of her other works. The story also felt slightly overextended, and I think certain parts could have been trimmed.
Overall, this was a good read, and I’d definitely recommend it. I rated it 3.8⭐ based on my reading experience.
July 4, 2026
Finished this book in less than 24 hours!
Reminds me a lot of stay with me - by Ayobami Adebayo. Almost similar mad men, and similar vulnerable women.
I have so much to say, but one thing is clear - Senami did not suffer enough. Infact, he has not suffered enough.
It is pathetic how women bear the brunt of infertility when studies show that men play a significant part.
From the beginning, it was obvious that Senami was a social climbing, pathetic person but you know what they say about love, it is indeed blind. Always targeting high flying women.
Call me classist but there’s an insecurity that comes with former “dirt poor” people. Insecurity, greed and wickedness. All they want to do is just grab! Jesus Christ.
Anyways. 4 ⭐️, solid writing, some very unnecessary fillers, but I can live with them.
Reminds me a lot of stay with me - by Ayobami Adebayo. Almost similar mad men, and similar vulnerable women.
I have so much to say, but one thing is clear - Senami did not suffer enough. Infact, he has not suffered enough.
It is pathetic how women bear the brunt of infertility when studies show that men play a significant part.
From the beginning, it was obvious that Senami was a social climbing, pathetic person but you know what they say about love, it is indeed blind. Always targeting high flying women.
Call me classist but there’s an insecurity that comes with former “dirt poor” people. Insecurity, greed and wickedness. All they want to do is just grab! Jesus Christ.
Anyways. 4 ⭐️, solid writing, some very unnecessary fillers, but I can live with them.
April 20, 2026
In Our Own ways by Yejide Kilanko was a fantastic read. The book starts with a phenomenal proverb that you may forget as you go into the book but it explains the book in its entirety. “A bimo ko gbon, a ni ko ma saa ku, ki ni pa omo bi aigbon” which is loosely translated as “We gave birth to a foolish child but we are only praying for him not to die. What kills a child more than lack of wisdom?”
I didn’t finish the book as fast as I wanted because I was reading it concurrently with other books but it was still a good read. It gets to a point where you are just waiting for what will happen which made it drag a bit for me but I guess they were building up a story. You can argue that there are also a few unnecessary fillers in the book but it didn’t take away anything from the book.
I didn’t finish the book as fast as I wanted because I was reading it concurrently with other books but it was still a good read. It gets to a point where you are just waiting for what will happen which made it drag a bit for me but I guess they were building up a story. You can argue that there are also a few unnecessary fillers in the book but it didn’t take away anything from the book.
March 13, 2026
It was a brilliant story, it will stay with me for a long time.
I wish our main character, Fadaka did more but I like how the author wove the entire story. I hope it is a story that is not happening to real women in real-life. I really hope so.
I wish our main character, Fadaka did more but I like how the author wove the entire story. I hope it is a story that is not happening to real women in real-life. I really hope so.
April 1, 2026
I wish Senami suffered more at the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews