Habiba

by Razinat T Mohammed (Editor)

It is believed that even silence will whisper when pushed to the wall. Saleh's love and respect for his mother, Hamsatu, is not only detrimental to his own life but also injurious to his family life. Hamsatu makes all the decisions in his life. She becomes despotic and decides who her son should marry and the type of children his wife should bear. Habiba is just thirteen when her grandmother, Hamsatu brings in a suitor, Zubairu, a contemporary of her late husband. Although Saleh wishes to send all his children to school, a rainstorm renders him hopeless as his mother takes ill and eventually dies. After his mother's death, Saleh's bankruptcy compels him to take a loan from the elderly Zubairu on condition that failing to repay the loan means handing his daughter, Habiba, in marriage to Zubairu. Habiba is helpless, as it turns out that she is not just paying for the wrongs of her father but has to carry the responsibility of his abandoned wife and children by remaining married to Zubairu who is willing to assist them as long as she plays his game. Radiant Mohammed brings to the fore the socio-cultural plight and challenges that bedevil impoverished northern Nigerian families and compel parents to scuttle their children's educational ambitions at very tender ages in favour of marriage. Consistently, Mohammed nails the dilemma of the young Habiba between loving and hating the adults in her life that have caused her pain, and the desire to avenge her lost youth and ambitions.

176 pages, Paperback

First published December 29, 2013

Reviews

[BernieMck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good read, that takes place in Nigeria. The family that this book portrays, has a head of household that doesn’t know his role, living in a society where misogyny is the way of life. Some of the included themes are forced marriages, child brides, grief, and financial woes. The end of the book was a total surprise, one that I didn’t see coming.

[Fireside · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting descriptions
does a good job at showing the helplessness of people and how it can drive them to extremes
i thought the writing lacked in complexity and some plot points were abandoned easily. Overall it was a good experience