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The Son of the House
Pulsing with vitality and intense human drama, Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia’s debut is set against four decades of vibrant Nigeria and celebrates the resilience of women as they navigate and transform what remains a man’s world.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2019
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6960 people want to read
About the author
Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia
2 books58 followersCheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia is a lawyer, academic, and writer. She holds a doctorate in law from Dalhousie University and works in the areas of health, gender, and violence against women and children. Cheluchi divides her time between Lagos and Halifax.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 477 reviews
March 7, 2022
I was engaged by this compelling debut by Nigerian author Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia from the start. Two women are kidnapped. With hands and feet bound, they begin to talk of their life stories. Julie is well off and comes from an educated family, while Nwabulu’s life has been anything but easy. Orphaned at an early age, Nwabulu begins work as a housemaid at the age of ten. Her stepmother is not kind, calls her a witch, and tells her that she is bad luck. Indeed, before long into these pages, I, too, began to think that Nwabulu’s affinity with bad luck was too dark a cloud for any child to survive. Yet, she has an inner core that will not give over. Her spirit grows in spite of difficulties along with her intellect and curiosity.
Nigerian culture is patriarchal, with men making the decisions and leaving their homes, lands, and businesses to their male heirs when they die. A woman’s security depends on giving her husband a son, thus the title of the book. Julie’s life is also about survival, but it’s social survival and standing in the community. Even though she comes from a higher social class, the most important facets of her life are determined by her father, then her husband. In this culture, as the author describes it, polygamous marriages are also allowed. The custody of a child always goes to the father and the father’s family. It is hard to fathom how tightly bound by their culture many of these women must feel. Julie will win her husband through a great deception. Within the marriage and feeling the constraints of Nigerian culture, she will make the decision to continue deceiving him.
Surviving trauma, as well as the sequela of grief, are two themes in this novel. The grief is deep and wide. Female friendships provide not only consolation but a viable path forward. Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia writes with a lovely storytelling voice. Her writing is neither greatly embellished nor overly descriptive but has the overarching tone of a great fable. One of the lessons is that hard work is rewarded. Another is that we may find ourselves within the circle of life.
"It's the circle of life, and it moves us all, through despair and hope, through faith and love, 'till we find our place, on the path unwinding.” Elton John
Nigerian culture is patriarchal, with men making the decisions and leaving their homes, lands, and businesses to their male heirs when they die. A woman’s security depends on giving her husband a son, thus the title of the book. Julie’s life is also about survival, but it’s social survival and standing in the community. Even though she comes from a higher social class, the most important facets of her life are determined by her father, then her husband. In this culture, as the author describes it, polygamous marriages are also allowed. The custody of a child always goes to the father and the father’s family. It is hard to fathom how tightly bound by their culture many of these women must feel. Julie will win her husband through a great deception. Within the marriage and feeling the constraints of Nigerian culture, she will make the decision to continue deceiving him.
Surviving trauma, as well as the sequela of grief, are two themes in this novel. The grief is deep and wide. Female friendships provide not only consolation but a viable path forward. Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia writes with a lovely storytelling voice. Her writing is neither greatly embellished nor overly descriptive but has the overarching tone of a great fable. One of the lessons is that hard work is rewarded. Another is that we may find ourselves within the circle of life.
"It's the circle of life, and it moves us all, through despair and hope, through faith and love, 'till we find our place, on the path unwinding.” Elton John
May 23, 2021
Very strong debut that you wont be able to put down!
Son of the House opens and we meet two women who were just kidnapped. We are taken into a tiny room and stuck there. To pass the time Nwabulu suggests that they tell each other their life story, Julie is not too keen on this because she knows how the story will end.
Set in Nigeria, we meet young Nwabulu, her father dies and she lives with her Step-Mother whose main goal is to get rid of her. She is taken to live with a family to help care for their child and home. While there she gets to go to school and live a somewhat free life, that is until she falls in love with a boy, get pregnant and is turned out. Nwabulu must start life back from scratch, on her own with her child.
While this is all taking place we met Julie, a woman whose got no intentions of settling down. She is a teacher who lives alone and is happy to reap all the benefits of being the outside woman of Eugene. While her mother wishes she would change her ways she knows that this life works best for her. That is until her brother and father dies and her mother’s only wish is for a grandchild. Julie’s priorities begin to shift, she now craves a home and to be Eugene’s husband- how will that work out when she cannot seem to have a child?
Filled with twist, turns and life in present day Nigeria, Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia’s debut is shows up the beauty and resilience of strong women. I love the family dynamics, history and culture that is played out in the book. You cannot help but cheer and grief for these women as they come into their own. I felt the writing was believable and thoroughly engaging.
I think my only drawback would be the ending.... fam.... that is how you gonna leave us? The disrespect!
If you are looking for a very strong debut novel that will keep you invested, this is it!
Son of the House opens and we meet two women who were just kidnapped. We are taken into a tiny room and stuck there. To pass the time Nwabulu suggests that they tell each other their life story, Julie is not too keen on this because she knows how the story will end.
Set in Nigeria, we meet young Nwabulu, her father dies and she lives with her Step-Mother whose main goal is to get rid of her. She is taken to live with a family to help care for their child and home. While there she gets to go to school and live a somewhat free life, that is until she falls in love with a boy, get pregnant and is turned out. Nwabulu must start life back from scratch, on her own with her child.
While this is all taking place we met Julie, a woman whose got no intentions of settling down. She is a teacher who lives alone and is happy to reap all the benefits of being the outside woman of Eugene. While her mother wishes she would change her ways she knows that this life works best for her. That is until her brother and father dies and her mother’s only wish is for a grandchild. Julie’s priorities begin to shift, she now craves a home and to be Eugene’s husband- how will that work out when she cannot seem to have a child?
Filled with twist, turns and life in present day Nigeria, Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia’s debut is shows up the beauty and resilience of strong women. I love the family dynamics, history and culture that is played out in the book. You cannot help but cheer and grief for these women as they come into their own. I felt the writing was believable and thoroughly engaging.
I think my only drawback would be the ending.... fam.... that is how you gonna leave us? The disrespect!
If you are looking for a very strong debut novel that will keep you invested, this is it!
March 15, 2022
“The Son of the House” begins strong - starting with the Prologue in 2011….
“We must do something to pass the time, I thought. Two women in a room, hands and feet tied.”
“I could not see how we could escape. Both our legs and hands were still tied up in knots that I could not imagine getting free if I had another hundred years. Even if we managed to get free of our knots, there was only one door out of the small room. I heard the click of a padlock every time they came and went. The only window could not fit one of my thighs, let alone my entire body. Nor could I run to save my life; even if I was not so heavy, there was the other matter of my bad knees. There would be no breakfast like one seen in the movies”.
“Perhaps we would get out alive, like other people I had heard of. At least they had taken off our blindfolds. My friend Obiageli had told me of a man whose blindfold was left on for 11 days. Imagine, eleven days of darkness and blindness”.
As this story unfolds….we’re told personal tales from two very different type of Nigerian-kidnapped-women: Nwabula and Julie ‘share’ with each other - tied and bound- while they wait for their ransom to be paid.
Nwabulu, a house-cleaning girl since the age of ten, dreams of becoming a typist. Both her parents died and she had one hell of a wicked stepmother.
Julie — a more educated and privileged women — lives alone, dates a man name Eugene and his happy enjoy the gifts he buys her — but she has no intention on marrying him.
Both women had interesting stories. They were women I cared for.
They ‘had’ to be strong and resilient. The culture they grew up in was repressive.
I enjoyed their voices and learning a little more about the ethnic origins- Igbo people and Nigerian family traditions.
Although this story is filled with sadness - loss - fear - grief - and death -
the author leaves us with hope that both these women were breaking ground — taking control of their lives and choices — beginning to successfully deal with the limitations put on them.
This is the first time I’ve read anything by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe (a mouthful to pronounce) ….the Nigerian Canadian author.
I looked up information about Onyemelukwa. She’s a health lawyer, academic, and writer.
I watched a YouTube/ interview with Onyemelukwa…
She’s a beautiful vibrant passionate woman.
She won the Nigeria Prize for a literature award in 2021.
This is a really beautiful inspiring debut about women who primarily lived in a man’s world…but times are a changing!
“We must do something to pass the time, I thought. Two women in a room, hands and feet tied.”
“I could not see how we could escape. Both our legs and hands were still tied up in knots that I could not imagine getting free if I had another hundred years. Even if we managed to get free of our knots, there was only one door out of the small room. I heard the click of a padlock every time they came and went. The only window could not fit one of my thighs, let alone my entire body. Nor could I run to save my life; even if I was not so heavy, there was the other matter of my bad knees. There would be no breakfast like one seen in the movies”.
“Perhaps we would get out alive, like other people I had heard of. At least they had taken off our blindfolds. My friend Obiageli had told me of a man whose blindfold was left on for 11 days. Imagine, eleven days of darkness and blindness”.
As this story unfolds….we’re told personal tales from two very different type of Nigerian-kidnapped-women: Nwabula and Julie ‘share’ with each other - tied and bound- while they wait for their ransom to be paid.
Nwabulu, a house-cleaning girl since the age of ten, dreams of becoming a typist. Both her parents died and she had one hell of a wicked stepmother.
Julie — a more educated and privileged women — lives alone, dates a man name Eugene and his happy enjoy the gifts he buys her — but she has no intention on marrying him.
Both women had interesting stories. They were women I cared for.
They ‘had’ to be strong and resilient. The culture they grew up in was repressive.
I enjoyed their voices and learning a little more about the ethnic origins- Igbo people and Nigerian family traditions.
Although this story is filled with sadness - loss - fear - grief - and death -
the author leaves us with hope that both these women were breaking ground — taking control of their lives and choices — beginning to successfully deal with the limitations put on them.
This is the first time I’ve read anything by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe (a mouthful to pronounce) ….the Nigerian Canadian author.
I looked up information about Onyemelukwa. She’s a health lawyer, academic, and writer.
I watched a YouTube/ interview with Onyemelukwa…
She’s a beautiful vibrant passionate woman.
She won the Nigeria Prize for a literature award in 2021.
This is a really beautiful inspiring debut about women who primarily lived in a man’s world…but times are a changing!
May 6, 2021
You know how sometimes you finish a book and immediately miss the characters? That was me with this book — I miss Julie, but I especially miss Nwabulu.
It's 2011 in Nigeria, and the two women are kidnapped and held in cramped conditions. They are different in many ways. Almost immediately, we go back to the 1970s and spend time with each woman. We experience Nwabulu's harsh and often traumatic years of later childhool as a housemaid for often unfair employers, reluctant to return to her village where her widowed stepmother sees her as a curse. As a teen she falls for the son of her housemaid friend's madam, and a secret affair begins, which will change her life. We then meet Julie in her 30s, living independently and unmarried while having an affair with a wealthy and generous married man. Her mother's deathbed wish is for her to change that, and so she hatches a plan to fulfil her mother's request.
After spending the majority of the book in the 70s and early 80s, we go back to 2011 and meet the older Nwabulu and Julie, and see them meet for the first time and develop an unlikely friendship in the months leading up to their kidnapping.
The book took a while to grab me, although it was interesting from the beginning. But the characters slowly drew me in and made me truly care about them. When it suddenly becomes apparent that they are connected in ways they don't even realise, beyond the fact that they've been kidnapped together, it is genuinely shocking. When meeting the 2011 versions of the characters, I was surprised at how intense my reactions were to how their lives had progressed over the decades.
This isn't a book full of twists and turns. There is a solid plot, however it is the character exploration which drives the story. This isn't a happy book. There are moments of real devastation, and yet it doesn't come close to being misery porn. There is joy and hope too. It's very human.
It's a story about womanhood, motherhood, family, and the patriarchy throughout decades of changing culture in Nigeria. In both of the key timeline points, the country seems on the cusp of big change, and discussions of colonial culture vs traditional culture crop up several times.
I wasn't ready for the book to end when it did. It leaves the reader on a semi-cliffhanger, although not an unsatisfying one. Rather than feeling cheated as I often do when things don't feel fully concluded, I instead felt free to imagine the next chapters of the story how I'd like to see them.
It's 2011 in Nigeria, and the two women are kidnapped and held in cramped conditions. They are different in many ways. Almost immediately, we go back to the 1970s and spend time with each woman. We experience Nwabulu's harsh and often traumatic years of later childhool as a housemaid for often unfair employers, reluctant to return to her village where her widowed stepmother sees her as a curse. As a teen she falls for the son of her housemaid friend's madam, and a secret affair begins, which will change her life. We then meet Julie in her 30s, living independently and unmarried while having an affair with a wealthy and generous married man. Her mother's deathbed wish is for her to change that, and so she hatches a plan to fulfil her mother's request.
After spending the majority of the book in the 70s and early 80s, we go back to 2011 and meet the older Nwabulu and Julie, and see them meet for the first time and develop an unlikely friendship in the months leading up to their kidnapping.
The book took a while to grab me, although it was interesting from the beginning. But the characters slowly drew me in and made me truly care about them. When it suddenly becomes apparent that they are connected in ways they don't even realise, beyond the fact that they've been kidnapped together, it is genuinely shocking. When meeting the 2011 versions of the characters, I was surprised at how intense my reactions were to how their lives had progressed over the decades.
This isn't a book full of twists and turns. There is a solid plot, however it is the character exploration which drives the story. This isn't a happy book. There are moments of real devastation, and yet it doesn't come close to being misery porn. There is joy and hope too. It's very human.
It's a story about womanhood, motherhood, family, and the patriarchy throughout decades of changing culture in Nigeria. In both of the key timeline points, the country seems on the cusp of big change, and discussions of colonial culture vs traditional culture crop up several times.
I wasn't ready for the book to end when it did. It leaves the reader on a semi-cliffhanger, although not an unsatisfying one. Rather than feeling cheated as I often do when things don't feel fully concluded, I instead felt free to imagine the next chapters of the story how I'd like to see them.
February 21, 2022
Another tremendously good debut! Bravo Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia!🙌
I absolutely loved Son of the House. It held my attention from the first page to the last, and unlike many of the books I've read—even the best 5-star reads—my attention did not wane for even a second! It was incredibly interesting, and maybe that's the clue to why I love to read about Africa. It's an enormous continent containing so many diverse populations and numerous ethnic nationalities. That's obviously led to myriad customs, traditions, and beliefs, and I find them all so fascinating! Unfortunately, women don't usually fare too well in most; men always seem to be the ones who come out way ahead. Still, their customs are quite captivating and this novel contains many of them.
It's the story of Nwabulu and Julie. One born to a rural farming family of little means; the other led a charmed urban life as the daughter of a well-to-do principal and teacher. They've had vastly disparate experiences but when finally they meet in the twilight of their lives they learn they have more in common than either could ever have imagined. It's an incredible story of two remarkable women who couldn't be more different—their ups and downs and all-arounds. But there is just so much to this story, and I don't want to give any of it away.
I truly hope this book finds its way into your hands. I know you'll never forget it.
Five bright, ever-twinkling stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I absolutely loved Son of the House. It held my attention from the first page to the last, and unlike many of the books I've read—even the best 5-star reads—my attention did not wane for even a second! It was incredibly interesting, and maybe that's the clue to why I love to read about Africa. It's an enormous continent containing so many diverse populations and numerous ethnic nationalities. That's obviously led to myriad customs, traditions, and beliefs, and I find them all so fascinating! Unfortunately, women don't usually fare too well in most; men always seem to be the ones who come out way ahead. Still, their customs are quite captivating and this novel contains many of them.
It's the story of Nwabulu and Julie. One born to a rural farming family of little means; the other led a charmed urban life as the daughter of a well-to-do principal and teacher. They've had vastly disparate experiences but when finally they meet in the twilight of their lives they learn they have more in common than either could ever have imagined. It's an incredible story of two remarkable women who couldn't be more different—their ups and downs and all-arounds. But there is just so much to this story, and I don't want to give any of it away.
I truly hope this book finds its way into your hands. I know you'll never forget it.
Five bright, ever-twinkling stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
March 4, 2022
“……two women doing their best in the world.” In 2011, two Nigerian women have been kidnapped and are being held for ransom. As their families scramble to come up with the ransom money, the women decide to pass the time by telling each other their life stories. The kidnapping is definitely not the focus of this book. It is not a thriller, and we learn the details of the kidnapping only at the end of the book. What matters here is that these two, resilient women are wonderful to know.
Nwabulu is the younger woman and we hear her story first, starting in 1972. After her father dies her step mother forces her to become a servant when she is 10 years old. A string of difficult and, at times, heart breaking, incidents follow, including her marriage to a dead man. Julie’s story comes next, starting in 1973 when she is a teacher having an affair with a wealthy married man. A huge secret both enhances and defines her life. Part three of the book describes how the women got to know each other and happened to be together when the kidnapping occurs. Their seeming differences melt away into a bond that was believable and very touching.
This was an excellent debut novel. Each woman had her own voice. Their experiences and reactions were realistic and I learned something about life in Nigeria. Nene Nwoko also did a very good job narrating the audiobook. 4.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Nwabulu is the younger woman and we hear her story first, starting in 1972. After her father dies her step mother forces her to become a servant when she is 10 years old. A string of difficult and, at times, heart breaking, incidents follow, including her marriage to a dead man. Julie’s story comes next, starting in 1973 when she is a teacher having an affair with a wealthy married man. A huge secret both enhances and defines her life. Part three of the book describes how the women got to know each other and happened to be together when the kidnapping occurs. Their seeming differences melt away into a bond that was believable and very touching.
This was an excellent debut novel. Each woman had her own voice. Their experiences and reactions were realistic and I learned something about life in Nigeria. Nene Nwoko also did a very good job narrating the audiobook. 4.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
January 25, 2022
Pulsing with vitality and intense human drama, Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onoubia's debut is set against four decades of vibrant Nigeria, celebrating the resilience of women as a navigate and transform what remains a man's world.
The beautiful writing transported me to Nigeria and I was drawn into the lives of Nwabulu, a housemaid since the age of ten, and Julie, an educated and privileged modern woman.
This book kept me up past my bedtime!
5 shining stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onoubia is a lawyer, academic, and writer. She holds a doctorate in law from Dalhousie University and works in the areas of health, gender, and violence against women and children. She divides her time between Lagos, Nigeria and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The beautiful writing transported me to Nigeria and I was drawn into the lives of Nwabulu, a housemaid since the age of ten, and Julie, an educated and privileged modern woman.
This book kept me up past my bedtime!
5 shining stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onoubia is a lawyer, academic, and writer. She holds a doctorate in law from Dalhousie University and works in the areas of health, gender, and violence against women and children. She divides her time between Lagos, Nigeria and Halifax, Nova Scotia.
November 9, 2024
يمكن تكون قصة مكررة اتهرست في ١٠٠ فيلم عربي قديم قبل كده..
ويمكن فيها شوية مصادفات مبالغ فيها زي الأفلام الهندي..
بس الحقيقة إنها شدتني اوي.. فيها حاجات كثير مثيرة للتأمل.
رواية من الأدب النيجيري
القصة عن امرأتين مختلفتين تماما لكن القدر يجمع بينهما بشكل درامي..
المرأة وما تتعرض له طوال حياتها من ظلم وقهر مهما اختلف وضعها الثقافي والاجتماعي...
الحياة التي تبتسم لنا أحيانا بعد طول انتظار..
النضج الذي يدفعنا للعفو والغفران..
اجمل ما في الرواية علاقة صداقة متينة هونت على بطلات الرواية الكثير من مرارة الحياة، وإن لم تخل من بعض المؤامرات الشريرة 😄😄😄
ويمكن فيها شوية مصادفات مبالغ فيها زي الأفلام الهندي..
بس الحقيقة إنها شدتني اوي.. فيها حاجات كثير مثيرة للتأمل.
رواية من الأدب النيجيري
القصة عن امرأتين مختلفتين تماما لكن القدر يجمع بينهما بشكل درامي..
المرأة وما تتعرض له طوال حياتها من ظلم وقهر مهما اختلف وضعها الثقافي والاجتماعي...
الحياة التي تبتسم لنا أحيانا بعد طول انتظار..
النضج الذي يدفعنا للعفو والغفران..
اجمل ما في الرواية علاقة صداقة متينة هونت على بطلات الرواية الكثير من مرارة الحياة، وإن لم تخل من بعض المؤامرات الشريرة 😄😄😄
February 1, 2021
I feel awful rating this book so low, and I certainly didn’t expect it beforehand. I fell for the cover, the colors, the women, all radiating so much power. And I read some books by Nigerian authors, I just finished Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, and that was so, so powerful! And somehow, I expected The Son of the House to be as powerful. But I didn’t feel power or strength; actually, I just felt too little while reading this story despite its important themes like the role of women in Nigerian society, the role of men related to women, and the importance for Igbo men to have sons.
First of all, the kidnapping is just a very small part of the story. This book is about Nwabulu, a housemaid, and Julie, educated, whose live intertwine and who get kidnapped together. While held captive, they tell each other about their past, starting 40 years earlier. Both women have been through a lot. The story starts when Nwabulu is ten years old and has to work as a housemaid.
The story is a quick read, but it felt flat to me. Nwabulu is sexually assaulted in one of the first chapters, and that should be shocking, but I didn’t feel anything. For me, the story just continued, Nwabulu working as a housemaid again, meeting a rich boy, falling in love for the first time, and so on. The same with Julie’s story, the description of her family, her father and brother's death, the decisions she makes afterward. There were harrowing moments, and as a woman and mom, I wanted to feel the pain. But again, I didn’t. Although the themes are powerful and the writing was good, I just found myself reading, getting bored, instantly happy with the few dialogues and some detailed moments, and then bored again. Only the last 1/3 of the story felt more like I was pulled into the story. Overall, the story was too distant for me (although written in first person) and it lacked depth and emotion to my opinion. Other reviewers gush about this book, so it’s probably on me. If you’re thinking about reading this book, check out the more positive reviews.
I received an ARC from Dundurn Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2021
Rating: 3.5
I enjoyed this novel about two kidnapped Nigerian women of different generations who have time to tell their stories to each other as they wait for their families to cough up the ransom money that will free them. There is lots of good old-fashioned coincidence here, but the strength of the novel lies in the rich details provided about Nigerian culture and women’s experience of it. A strong debut and a worthy book to appear on Canada’s 2021 Giller Prize shortlist.
I enjoyed this novel about two kidnapped Nigerian women of different generations who have time to tell their stories to each other as they wait for their families to cough up the ransom money that will free them. There is lots of good old-fashioned coincidence here, but the strength of the novel lies in the rich details provided about Nigerian culture and women’s experience of it. A strong debut and a worthy book to appear on Canada’s 2021 Giller Prize shortlist.
October 14, 2021
I enjoyed the first half of this book and then the second half happened. My biggest issue is that the author seemed way more invested in one character (Nwabulu) than she was in the other (Julie), and sadly I felt the same way. The latter’s section felt rushed and less nuanced. It’s a good story but I wasn’t in love with the execution. I pretty much felt every part of Nwabulu’s struggles, but Julie’s characterization came off as one note. This book succeeds at exploring class and gender especially in a Nigerian setting; the pressures on women to marry and raise a family and what it means to bear a son. I must say that the novel’s title is a brilliant one. This novel was eye-opening and entertaining, but, and I rarely say this, it could’ve benefitted being 100 pages longer.
One weird but necessary thing to note: This book is obsessed with body weight, especially when it comes to plus size characters. It’s mentioned when describing every character, mostly with derision (I’m not exaggerating). I’m wondering if it’s there for commentary or if it’s one of the author’s tics, you tell me.
One weird but necessary thing to note: This book is obsessed with body weight, especially when it comes to plus size characters. It’s mentioned when describing every character, mostly with derision (I’m not exaggerating). I’m wondering if it’s there for commentary or if it’s one of the author’s tics, you tell me.
December 7, 2023
A riveting story of loss, survival, and love. Nuanced and compelling, The Son of the House follows two women as they face grief, injustice, and come of age against the backdrop of misogyny and trauma, growing into themselves, forming friendships, and coming together in a shocking conclusion. Honest and raw, this novel explores what it means to be a mother, what it means to be a friend, and how we pave the ways for our children, no matter the cost. Bursting with longing and emotion, and compelling in its open discussions on womanhood for all of its beauty and tragedies, this is a story that is universally felt; it is a love letter to every woman who has been dealt a loss so great it shapes her world, every woman who has wanted more, who has loved and been loved in turn, who has cared for others, and who has given her heart despite its pains.
November 20, 2023
Одразу кажу: ця книжка навряд чи підійде для відпочинку. Вона навантажує, а не розраджує. Але й дуже багато дає тому читачеві, котрому цікаво брати саме таке.
По-перше, вона чимало розповідає про Ніґерію. Її мову, культуру, звичаї, теперішнє життя, побут і навіть трохи політику. Чи знали ви, наприклад, що дорослі жінки в Ніґерії носять імена своїх дітей? Матінка Нкемділім — це жінка, старшу дочку котрої звуть Нкемділім. Матінка Натан — жінка, сина котрої звуть Натан. Як звуть саму жінку, вже й не згадують.
Таких деталей про життя ніґерійців читач дізнається багацько. Якщо вам, як і мені, таке цікаво, вже тільки це зробить цю книжку цінною для вас.
По-друге, ця книжка — рідкісний представник female gaze. Тут є і персонажі, і персонажки, однак книжка — саме про жіночий досвід. І про стосунки жінок між собою. Найрізноманітніші. Вчинки чоловіків тут важать, і слова чоловіків важать, але все-таки є другорядними порівняно з вчинками і словами жінок. Мені, феміністці, це було дуже цікаво й дещо дивно читати, тому що я все-таки досі не звикла до такого ракурсу. Цінний і незвичний досвід.
Про що тут, стисло і без спойлерів. Книжка починається з того, що двох жінок викрадають бандити. Вони хочуть отримати за них викуп. Жінки нудяться і починають розважатися, розповідаючи одна одній історії свого життя (хоча, забігаючи вперед, одна з них не могла не розуміти, чим це закінчиться; схоже, вона просто скористалася нагодою). Життя в них дуже різне: одна з дитинства поневірялася по чужих хатах, працюючи прислугою, друга, донька директора школи, виросла в достатньо заможній, хоча й не безпроблемній, родині. Таким чином, ми бачимо дуже різне життя, дуже різний досвід. І дуже різні соціальні ролі жінок.
Книжка зачіпає багато соціально значущих тем, таких як бідність, домашнє насильство, сімейні цінності в найбільш консервативному розумінні цього слова у протиставленні з більш прогресивними, педофілія та її сприйняття в традиційному суспільстві, репродуктивний тиск, тощо, тощо, тощо.
Перекладено дуже гарно, непогано вичитано, я побачила буквально два чи три хибодруки.
По-перше, вона чимало розповідає про Ніґерію. Її мову, культуру, звичаї, теперішнє життя, побут і навіть трохи політику. Чи знали ви, наприклад, що дорослі жінки в Ніґерії носять імена своїх дітей? Матінка Нкемділім — це жінка, старшу дочку котрої звуть Нкемділім. Матінка Натан — жінка, сина котрої звуть Натан. Як звуть саму жінку, вже й не згадують.
Таких деталей про життя ніґерійців читач дізнається багацько. Якщо вам, як і мені, таке цікаво, вже тільки це зробить цю книжку цінною для вас.
По-друге, ця книжка — рідкісний представник female gaze. Тут є і персонажі, і персонажки, однак книжка — саме про жіночий досвід. І про стосунки жінок між собою. Найрізноманітніші. Вчинки чоловіків тут важать, і слова чоловіків важать, але все-таки є другорядними порівняно з вчинками і словами жінок. Мені, феміністці, це було дуже цікаво й дещо дивно читати, тому що я все-таки досі не звикла до такого ракурсу. Цінний і незвичний досвід.
Про що тут, стисло і без спойлерів. Книжка починається з того, що двох жінок викрадають бандити. Вони хочуть отримати за них викуп. Жінки нудяться і починають розважатися, розповідаючи одна одній історії свого життя (хоча, забігаючи вперед, одна з них не могла не розуміти, чим це закінчиться; схоже, вона просто скористалася нагодою). Життя в них дуже різне: одна з дитинства поневірялася по чужих хатах, працюючи прислугою, друга, донька директора школи, виросла в достатньо заможній, хоча й не безпроблемній, родині. Таким чином, ми бачимо дуже різне життя, дуже різний досвід. І дуже різні соціальні ролі жінок.
Книжка зачіпає багато соціально значущих тем, таких як бідність, домашнє насильство, сімейні цінності в найбільш консервативному розумінні цього слова у протиставленні з більш прогресивними, педофілія та її сприйняття в традиційному суспільстві, репродуктивний тиск, тощо, тощо, тощо.
Перекладено дуже гарно, непогано вичитано, я побачила буквально два чи три хибодруки.
November 10, 2021
Really enjoyed this novel right from the opening pages, the intrigue set up by the fact that these two have just been kidnapped from within their car in a residential street.
They know this kind of thing can happen and the woman who was driving castigates herself for having taken that road.
Since they are going to be spending time together, they decide to share their stories.
Their lives are very different, and both equally fascinating and riveting to read about, the first woman, having lost her mother when she was born and soon after her father (after he has remarried) seems to go from one terrible situation to another, no one looking out for her, perceived negatively by her stepmother, she finds a situation finally that suits her, only to fall pregnant and be sent back again to the village. The boy she gets pregnant to, is the fist instance we become aware of the significance of "the son of the house".
The second woman is single and having an affair with a married man, she has one brother and he is supposed to be the example and support of his family according to how their father has raised them He makes this her responsibility, on his death bed - we begin to realise that all these stories and these women's lives revolve around the elevation of and presence of 'the son of the house'.
It's a riveting read and an insight into Nigerian culture, into how women navigate a patriarchal society and not only survive but the lengths to which they will go to meet those cultural/societal expectations, and how they find ways to rise above it all.
This was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize 2021, a Canadian literary prize.
The author lives in Canada but is of Nigerian origin.
I loved the book and thought the characters were intriguing and the sense of place evocative.
They know this kind of thing can happen and the woman who was driving castigates herself for having taken that road.
Since they are going to be spending time together, they decide to share their stories.
Their lives are very different, and both equally fascinating and riveting to read about, the first woman, having lost her mother when she was born and soon after her father (after he has remarried) seems to go from one terrible situation to another, no one looking out for her, perceived negatively by her stepmother, she finds a situation finally that suits her, only to fall pregnant and be sent back again to the village. The boy she gets pregnant to, is the fist instance we become aware of the significance of "the son of the house".
The second woman is single and having an affair with a married man, she has one brother and he is supposed to be the example and support of his family according to how their father has raised them He makes this her responsibility, on his death bed - we begin to realise that all these stories and these women's lives revolve around the elevation of and presence of 'the son of the house'.
It's a riveting read and an insight into Nigerian culture, into how women navigate a patriarchal society and not only survive but the lengths to which they will go to meet those cultural/societal expectations, and how they find ways to rise above it all.
This was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize 2021, a Canadian literary prize.
The author lives in Canada but is of Nigerian origin.
I loved the book and thought the characters were intriguing and the sense of place evocative.
July 31, 2019
An uncle once said that African marriage from the perspective of an African woman, is like committal to an institution. Cheluchi has captured the weight of that institution through the lives of the women in this story.
Gender inequality is glaring in this book, but Cheluchi does not name it. Instead, using entertaining and graphically introspective prose, she lays bare how ruthlessly culture asserts itself over women. The title may mislead you into thinking the story is about a man or men, but that is not the case. The lives of the men in this book are screened through the experiences and emotions of the women whose own agency must be dampened and subsumed in the face of the men's frail egos; men who society upholds and venerates despite their shortcomings.
For example, "‘He will marry one day,’ Mama Afam, as everyone called my mother, continued. ‘Yes, a woman will marry this drunken brother of yours. For love; for money, though God knows how he will ever make any; for his tall foolishness; or for children. Why? Because he is a man. With a penis between his legs. But you are a woman. With a womb which comes with an expiry date.’ Did penises have no expiry dates? a stray demon asked me."
The stories of Nwabulu and Julie lead us through the rise and pitfalls of the quintessential quest of the Igbo man for a male heir. In the process, Cheluchi touches on a little known Igbo culture where women marry women for the sole purpose of raising children (sons hopefully) to sustain the male lineage. Just recently BBC examined this phenomenon in Kenya and shed light on the subjugation of the rights of such brides. Like the BBC documentary speculates, Nwabulu is literally sold into such a marriage and then cheated off her son. The subsequent turn of events ultimately bring her and Julie together, though unknown to them until the very end, they share a stronger link in the son that each woman genuinely and rightfully claims as her own.
If you bear a nostalgia for Igbo land of the 70s and early 80s and some of it's long forgone mannerisms, sayings and traditions, this book will provide you ample fodder for reminiscence.
Cheluchi writes like Buchi Emechata. The prose is simple and witty, yet resonates with deep wisdom. This is the kind of book that you enjoy not just the story, but the telling of it.
Gender inequality is glaring in this book, but Cheluchi does not name it. Instead, using entertaining and graphically introspective prose, she lays bare how ruthlessly culture asserts itself over women. The title may mislead you into thinking the story is about a man or men, but that is not the case. The lives of the men in this book are screened through the experiences and emotions of the women whose own agency must be dampened and subsumed in the face of the men's frail egos; men who society upholds and venerates despite their shortcomings.
For example, "‘He will marry one day,’ Mama Afam, as everyone called my mother, continued. ‘Yes, a woman will marry this drunken brother of yours. For love; for money, though God knows how he will ever make any; for his tall foolishness; or for children. Why? Because he is a man. With a penis between his legs. But you are a woman. With a womb which comes with an expiry date.’ Did penises have no expiry dates? a stray demon asked me."
The stories of Nwabulu and Julie lead us through the rise and pitfalls of the quintessential quest of the Igbo man for a male heir. In the process, Cheluchi touches on a little known Igbo culture where women marry women for the sole purpose of raising children (sons hopefully) to sustain the male lineage. Just recently BBC examined this phenomenon in Kenya and shed light on the subjugation of the rights of such brides. Like the BBC documentary speculates, Nwabulu is literally sold into such a marriage and then cheated off her son. The subsequent turn of events ultimately bring her and Julie together, though unknown to them until the very end, they share a stronger link in the son that each woman genuinely and rightfully claims as her own.
If you bear a nostalgia for Igbo land of the 70s and early 80s and some of it's long forgone mannerisms, sayings and traditions, this book will provide you ample fodder for reminiscence.
Cheluchi writes like Buchi Emechata. The prose is simple and witty, yet resonates with deep wisdom. This is the kind of book that you enjoy not just the story, but the telling of it.
January 6, 2023
It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on sexual assault, sexual violence, rape, assaults against a minor & others.
This is a story that seeks to evoke an emotive response. Two (2) Nigerian women find themselves, their lives, & their histories, intertwined amidst class & social inequality. I held off writing a review for this book after finishing it because I was ultimately left wanting; something innate in the story was lacking & the time I took was an attempt a pinning down what that aspect was.
The environment in which the story takes place, the characters, & truly, the plot in its entirety present important subject matters. Onyemelukwe-Onuobia has nice writing, which enamoured me to continue reading until the end. That being said, this book was easy to become immersed in; regardless of my feelings towards the layout, once I started reading I was on a roll. The introduction allowed the reader to understand that the subject matter would be sensitive & would require them to be in the right mindset to read the story. I very much appreciated that.
I will not pretend that I am well versed on Nigeria. When I chose to buy this book it was because I was interested to read about the lives of people who reflected signs of the times in said country. We never see the characters as three-dimensional. By that, I mean that these characters had things happen to them but the story never explores the depths of their consciousness reflected in the decisions they made.
For example, after Nwabulu was raped as a child we hardly see this impact her character development at all. Instead, we read about her relationship with Urenna as being almost stress-free after he told her he would be gentle. Then, we see her have seemingly normal relationships moving forward & none explore the depths of which childhood sexual assault has on a person. I can appreciate that, as is the case very often, one does not have time to ‘wallow’ (for lack of better words) on what has transpired but, the trauma still affects a person.
I felt as though Nwabulu had things happen to her & we simply moved on without revisiting the consequences on her person. That is also not to say that I would have wanted her to have a horrible life. However, everything that we live through affects us in some way, even if very slightly. We view the consequences of having had her first baby stolen from her within her marriage to her husband & the relationship she has with her other children, later in life. We never read about her expressing what it must have been like to live in the area of the city where she was working as a child or what it would have been like to be able to send her children to school; how she felt owning her own books & sharing her love of reading, opening, with others.
Even after reading about the past which leads them into the moment in which they find themselves together, sitting in the same room; things transpire very rapidly. The revelation that Julie was the person who raised Nwabulu’s son was so quickly fired-off that we were not given the chance to appreciate the gravity of her statement. In the following moment, Julie is unconscious & then the story ends.
I did not appreciate the ending. Having spent so much time with these characters & knowing that I was so close to the end of the book, I nearly gave-up finishing. I quickly lost my momentum to care, seeing how few pages remained. I had been curious as to how Onyemelukwe-Onuobia might tie the dual narrators together. Unfortunately, I was not very thrilled with the result.
Did Julie die? Would Nwabulu have revealed to the son that she was his biological mother? How is this topic approached in Nigerian culture? What would have happened from a legal standpoint if she had decided to go forward with that, given that Eugene had a vast estate which would have fallen to his ‘biological’ child? Would Nwabulu not care about anything that might be of detriment to the child because she simply wanted to have her son back? I didn’t feel that I knew either of them enough by the end of the story to conclude with any certainty what might happen once they were rescued.
All in all, it was an interesting book but, it did feel very surface-level. This is a good example of a book being very pleasing, fulfilling & intriguing to some while others might not connect in any way with the story or the characters so, if you decide to read the story keep in mind that it moves fast, it’s well-written & it is sad. But, there is not much more than that.
This is a story that seeks to evoke an emotive response. Two (2) Nigerian women find themselves, their lives, & their histories, intertwined amidst class & social inequality. I held off writing a review for this book after finishing it because I was ultimately left wanting; something innate in the story was lacking & the time I took was an attempt a pinning down what that aspect was.
The environment in which the story takes place, the characters, & truly, the plot in its entirety present important subject matters. Onyemelukwe-Onuobia has nice writing, which enamoured me to continue reading until the end. That being said, this book was easy to become immersed in; regardless of my feelings towards the layout, once I started reading I was on a roll. The introduction allowed the reader to understand that the subject matter would be sensitive & would require them to be in the right mindset to read the story. I very much appreciated that.
I will not pretend that I am well versed on Nigeria. When I chose to buy this book it was because I was interested to read about the lives of people who reflected signs of the times in said country. We never see the characters as three-dimensional. By that, I mean that these characters had things happen to them but the story never explores the depths of their consciousness reflected in the decisions they made.
For example, after Nwabulu was raped as a child we hardly see this impact her character development at all. Instead, we read about her relationship with Urenna as being almost stress-free after he told her he would be gentle. Then, we see her have seemingly normal relationships moving forward & none explore the depths of which childhood sexual assault has on a person. I can appreciate that, as is the case very often, one does not have time to ‘wallow’ (for lack of better words) on what has transpired but, the trauma still affects a person.
I felt as though Nwabulu had things happen to her & we simply moved on without revisiting the consequences on her person. That is also not to say that I would have wanted her to have a horrible life. However, everything that we live through affects us in some way, even if very slightly. We view the consequences of having had her first baby stolen from her within her marriage to her husband & the relationship she has with her other children, later in life. We never read about her expressing what it must have been like to live in the area of the city where she was working as a child or what it would have been like to be able to send her children to school; how she felt owning her own books & sharing her love of reading, opening, with others.
Even after reading about the past which leads them into the moment in which they find themselves together, sitting in the same room; things transpire very rapidly. The revelation that Julie was the person who raised Nwabulu’s son was so quickly fired-off that we were not given the chance to appreciate the gravity of her statement. In the following moment, Julie is unconscious & then the story ends.
I did not appreciate the ending. Having spent so much time with these characters & knowing that I was so close to the end of the book, I nearly gave-up finishing. I quickly lost my momentum to care, seeing how few pages remained. I had been curious as to how Onyemelukwe-Onuobia might tie the dual narrators together. Unfortunately, I was not very thrilled with the result.
Did Julie die? Would Nwabulu have revealed to the son that she was his biological mother? How is this topic approached in Nigerian culture? What would have happened from a legal standpoint if she had decided to go forward with that, given that Eugene had a vast estate which would have fallen to his ‘biological’ child? Would Nwabulu not care about anything that might be of detriment to the child because she simply wanted to have her son back? I didn’t feel that I knew either of them enough by the end of the story to conclude with any certainty what might happen once they were rescued.
All in all, it was an interesting book but, it did feel very surface-level. This is a good example of a book being very pleasing, fulfilling & intriguing to some while others might not connect in any way with the story or the characters so, if you decide to read the story keep in mind that it moves fast, it’s well-written & it is sad. But, there is not much more than that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2025
Such a strong debut, and I loved every second of it! This is a story of two women that will stay with you for a long time.
November 3, 2021
Life...is the most difficult thing. If God were to ask people whether or not they wanted to come to earth or not, and told us what we would encounter, and asked us to choose whether or not to come, that would be better than throwing us here and letting us swim the rivers of life whether or not we had learnt to swim. p89
You and I know that life turns and twists., but what can you do? You have to follow it gently, see where it is leading, figure it out when you get there. p209
I have a question. How have we put up for so long with the inequity of systems that condemn innocent people to stunted lives at the beck and call of masters who at times have had leeway to beat them, to brand them, to rape them, imprison them, to subject them to brutal ways. Who can I ask my question to?
This is a tense, emotionally brutal book, subtly executed and vividly written to engage all of the senses. Cheluchi O-O is a master storyteller whose gentleness allows the reader to endure the tale. The ending does beg a sequel.
Women have had to struggle persistently to gain control over their own bodies. There are still places where patriarchy is strong, where a girl can be married off for the benefits of the union to the family, the husband is master, sons are more important than daughters, and places where abortion is illegal. There are still women who abandon their babies for various reasons, but at least we no longer shun mothers without husbands and in most countries they are no longer stoned. And at least today there are shelters for the babies and the mothers, limited as these facilities generally are.
I am glad that this book is currently receiving so much attention.
There is still so much that needs to change.
You and I know that life turns and twists., but what can you do? You have to follow it gently, see where it is leading, figure it out when you get there. p209
I have a question. How have we put up for so long with the inequity of systems that condemn innocent people to stunted lives at the beck and call of masters who at times have had leeway to beat them, to brand them, to rape them, imprison them, to subject them to brutal ways. Who can I ask my question to?
This is a tense, emotionally brutal book, subtly executed and vividly written to engage all of the senses. Cheluchi O-O is a master storyteller whose gentleness allows the reader to endure the tale. The ending does beg a sequel.
Women have had to struggle persistently to gain control over their own bodies. There are still places where patriarchy is strong, where a girl can be married off for the benefits of the union to the family, the husband is master, sons are more important than daughters, and places where abortion is illegal. There are still women who abandon their babies for various reasons, but at least we no longer shun mothers without husbands and in most countries they are no longer stoned. And at least today there are shelters for the babies and the mothers, limited as these facilities generally are.
I am glad that this book is currently receiving so much attention.
There is still so much that needs to change.
May 8, 2021
On the surface, judging the synopsis, you will think that it doesn't sound new, and reading the book will only cement that. There is not much originality in terms of narrative or plot. It's all been done before. What is perhaps fresh is the setting. COO has done a fine enough job of writing Nigeria. Apart from small sections set in Nwokenta & Lagos, most of the novel takes place in Enugu. In terms of the language, there is frequent use of Igbo words and phrases which are explained in-text but occasionally left as is. The prose is without frills, easily readable.
For a plot-heavy book titled "The Son in the House", it really revolves around the lives of two very different women. The women know each other already but the kidnapping serves as a plot device for them to talk about their pasts, revealing how they are connected in ways they did not know. This is again pretty much-known territory but it is handled well. The focus is on the choices and sacrifices women are forced to make while living in a patriarchal system, the ways in which they exercise their strength and selfhood, carving out space for themselves, existing and thriving on their own terms.
One huge issue for me is the portrayal of fatness, especially in relation to women. The use of body weight, and just body weight, as the main character descriptor was eh. Constant attention is drawn to body figures, to eating & eating habits. There was hardly any character who escaped it, hardly any character who wasn't "big". I rarely found it affirmative tbh.
(I received a physical ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
For a plot-heavy book titled "The Son in the House", it really revolves around the lives of two very different women. The women know each other already but the kidnapping serves as a plot device for them to talk about their pasts, revealing how they are connected in ways they did not know. This is again pretty much-known territory but it is handled well. The focus is on the choices and sacrifices women are forced to make while living in a patriarchal system, the ways in which they exercise their strength and selfhood, carving out space for themselves, existing and thriving on their own terms.
One huge issue for me is the portrayal of fatness, especially in relation to women. The use of body weight, and just body weight, as the main character descriptor was eh. Constant attention is drawn to body figures, to eating & eating habits. There was hardly any character who escaped it, hardly any character who wasn't "big". I rarely found it affirmative tbh.
(I received a physical ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)
December 24, 2019
This book has everything going for it. I saw a few positive reviews and honestly, they were right. The plot is intriguing, you really don’t know what turn it is going to take. The story telling is compelling, Cheluchi is a natural storyteller. There’s nothing forced about the way the story is narrated and I was glued to the pages once I started. I know I’m gushing but I really don’t want to give too much away with this book. It is best experienced. Read the full review https://literaryeverything.com/2019/1...
November 9, 2021
The The Son of the House by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia is a lovely book with wonderfully nuanced and almost poetic writing. It's a story of survival and resilience and the power of women. Especially their power to overcome their circumstances and carve out lives for themselves in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Be those physical barriers like an unsympathetic stepmother and circumstantial poverty, or emotional, as you struggle to live up to unrealistic expectations set by dying parents that push you to do things you never would have considered before. There are strong elements of faith running through the book as well that added to its complexity and depth. I also truly appreciated the way the women triumphed in different ways over the patriarchy they were surrounded by, and how they didn't cower in the face of cultural pressures to live their lives in a prescribed way.
It's a highly atmospheric book with a high degree of transportability. Even the air in this book has texture, and that level of detail and vibrancy and life continued to draw me in even as I recoiled a little at the unrelenting blows one character in particular faced as life marched on. But women persevere, and this author persevered with her characters and gave readers layered emotional motivations and fallout from their decisions and their obstacles. I cared about them at every step of their journeys. I would LOVE for there to be a sequel. That makes the book a solid four stars for me.
It's a highly atmospheric book with a high degree of transportability. Even the air in this book has texture, and that level of detail and vibrancy and life continued to draw me in even as I recoiled a little at the unrelenting blows one character in particular faced as life marched on. But women persevere, and this author persevered with her characters and gave readers layered emotional motivations and fallout from their decisions and their obstacles. I cared about them at every step of their journeys. I would LOVE for there to be a sequel. That makes the book a solid four stars for me.
December 1, 2022
In a span of less than two months, I read 'The Son of the House' by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia twice: first as an audiobook, exclusively because of my love for Nigerian literature, and again because I felt its reality distant from the militancy and freedom of Igbo women as depicted in 'Male Daughters, Female Husbands: Gender and Sex in an African Society' by Ifi Amadiume. Whatever little I know about the Igbo communities is from the small amount of books, both fiction and non-fiction, I have been able to read till now. I found it fascinating, and painful at the same time, the differences I witnessed, and the wilful suppression.
Coming to 'The Son of the House', it is one of the highlights of my reading this year. If I had not read 'The Eighth Life' by Nino Haratischwili, perhaps this would have been standing gloriously at the forefront of the little fiction I have been able to read so far. It is the story of two women, Nwabulu and Julie, and their separate lives getting entwined with one another. Nwabulu lost her parents early while Julie, gradually (not a spoiler). Both of them have a common struggle - the struggle of finding the son of the house. What else could have satisfied my persistent yearning for a well-written novel set in Nigeria than this book right here! Perhaps you, reader, can recommend me some more.
I am biased, but despite this knowledge, I call this book an essential read, a must-read, if I may call it so. I am unable to articulate why it is so, since it happens frequently with books I end up falling in love with, but if you were to take my word for it, read it, please, if only for the story the author weaves.
Coming to 'The Son of the House', it is one of the highlights of my reading this year. If I had not read 'The Eighth Life' by Nino Haratischwili, perhaps this would have been standing gloriously at the forefront of the little fiction I have been able to read so far. It is the story of two women, Nwabulu and Julie, and their separate lives getting entwined with one another. Nwabulu lost her parents early while Julie, gradually (not a spoiler). Both of them have a common struggle - the struggle of finding the son of the house. What else could have satisfied my persistent yearning for a well-written novel set in Nigeria than this book right here! Perhaps you, reader, can recommend me some more.
I am biased, but despite this knowledge, I call this book an essential read, a must-read, if I may call it so. I am unable to articulate why it is so, since it happens frequently with books I end up falling in love with, but if you were to take my word for it, read it, please, if only for the story the author weaves.
October 12, 2021
The Son of the House is the 4th out of 5 books shortlisted for the 2021 Giller Prize. I can't say I'm "impressed" with this year's shortlist. In frustration I wrote to my fellow Giller Shadow Juror @Lindy asking what this book was even about really, and why was it on the Giller shortlist? Her response was spot on - This would be a good book club pick. Yes, I completely agree - good story - but $100,000 literary prize worthy? Not in my opinion.
I am not a literary snob, but I'm truly questioning the picks for one of the world's richest literary prize. None of the books I've read have felt "literary" or weighty enough in my opinion (it is my opinion only) for this prize. Good story yes. Absolutely. Award winning story? No. Not for me.
I am not a literary snob, but I'm truly questioning the picks for one of the world's richest literary prize. None of the books I've read have felt "literary" or weighty enough in my opinion (it is my opinion only) for this prize. Good story yes. Absolutely. Award winning story? No. Not for me.
February 22, 2021
Two words: Trauma and Drama!
In the foreword, the author mentions this is a story inspired by actual events which makes it all the more heartwrenching. The novel opens when two kidnapped Nigerian women are thrown into a filthy holding cell and seek comfort and sanity from each other by sharing their life stories.
While ransoms are demanded, we learn that Julie is a well-educated, wealthy widow who enjoyed a happy childhood in a fairly progressive two-parent home and seemingly basked in the privileges of being a pampered wife. The other, Nwabulu, motherless at childbirth and fatherless by age eight, is horribly mistreated by an uneducated, vengeful, angry stepmother who “sells” her off as a housegirl by age 10. Her childhood is marred by neglect, malnutrition, and molestation. Looking for love in all the wrong places, fate deals her some very hard blows before she catches a break and claims some semblance of happiness and peace.
We learn that both women have an innate resolve and cunning to do what they must to get what they want. The “six degrees of separation” theory is at play and it enjoyable to see how the author cleverly connected the plot points.
There is a lot to unpack in their stories and I learned some things -- the story highlights a myriad of Nigerian/Igbo customs, traditions, and social/familial expectations. As the novel’s title implies, there is a strong male/patriarchal bias that cause havoc and heartbreak at various points of the protagonists’ lives. For example, a common theme was the societal expectations placed on men to sire sons (regardless of whether it’s with their wives or not) to preserve their lineage. There is also pressure for women to enter marriage (early) and embrace motherhood to achieve social approval and acceptance. Children “belong” to their father amid custody disputes. The author also presented the clash some face when European laws and Christian edicts conflict with traditional views toward polygamy, gender bias concerning inheritance, and traditional familial obligations regarding widows and orphans.
I enjoyed my time with this novel and look forward to any future releases from this author.
In the foreword, the author mentions this is a story inspired by actual events which makes it all the more heartwrenching. The novel opens when two kidnapped Nigerian women are thrown into a filthy holding cell and seek comfort and sanity from each other by sharing their life stories.
While ransoms are demanded, we learn that Julie is a well-educated, wealthy widow who enjoyed a happy childhood in a fairly progressive two-parent home and seemingly basked in the privileges of being a pampered wife. The other, Nwabulu, motherless at childbirth and fatherless by age eight, is horribly mistreated by an uneducated, vengeful, angry stepmother who “sells” her off as a housegirl by age 10. Her childhood is marred by neglect, malnutrition, and molestation. Looking for love in all the wrong places, fate deals her some very hard blows before she catches a break and claims some semblance of happiness and peace.
We learn that both women have an innate resolve and cunning to do what they must to get what they want. The “six degrees of separation” theory is at play and it enjoyable to see how the author cleverly connected the plot points.
There is a lot to unpack in their stories and I learned some things -- the story highlights a myriad of Nigerian/Igbo customs, traditions, and social/familial expectations. As the novel’s title implies, there is a strong male/patriarchal bias that cause havoc and heartbreak at various points of the protagonists’ lives. For example, a common theme was the societal expectations placed on men to sire sons (regardless of whether it’s with their wives or not) to preserve their lineage. There is also pressure for women to enter marriage (early) and embrace motherhood to achieve social approval and acceptance. Children “belong” to their father amid custody disputes. The author also presented the clash some face when European laws and Christian edicts conflict with traditional views toward polygamy, gender bias concerning inheritance, and traditional familial obligations regarding widows and orphans.
I enjoyed my time with this novel and look forward to any future releases from this author.
February 17, 2021
***Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review***
This highly enjoyable novel has two main characters: Nwabulu and Julie. We meet them in the aftermath of a kidnapping that lefts them imprisoned together as they wait for their ransoms to be paid. To pass the time, they tell each other their life stories.
Nwabulu, orphaned at a young age, is sent out by her stepmother to become a housemaid. In her second placing, she is impregnated by the only son of a wealthy family who quickly drops her. In an attempt to save her honor, her stepmother marries her off to a dead man according to their traditions. Her mother-in-law steals away with her newborn son, and Nwabulu is left bereft. She returns to the town where she used to work, and begins life anew there with the help of her friend's family.
Julie, an educated woman, is pressured to marry after her father and brother die. She fakes a pregnancy in order to marry the rich man with whom she had been having an affair, and then tells him she miscarried. Unable to get pregnant, things become rocky in their relationship. Meanwhile, a relative descends on her best friend's family with a baby in tow, and is soon struck down by illness and dies, leaving the baby without any known family. The relative's family declines to take the baby in, and since Julie has such a connection with him, she and her best friend concoct a plan to make this baby hers.
As you can imagine, this baby is the link between the two women who both struggle through their lives with the expectations placed on them due to their class and gender. They meet years later as Julie goes to Nwabulu, now a tailor, to get new clothing for her son's upcoming wedding. Despite their vast differences, the two are drawn together into a sort of friendship. It is only during the exchange of life stories that their connection becomes clear. The author doesn't provide much beyond establishing their link, so what happens after is left to the reader's imagination. I enjoyed the pacing of the book, which kept my interest and didn't give too much away at once. I had to Google several Nigerian references, so it was also educational in that I learned more about certain traditions, foods, clothing, etc. The characters were well-rounded, and I found myself getting very upset when Nwabulu's son was cruelly stolen from her. All in all, a good read!
This highly enjoyable novel has two main characters: Nwabulu and Julie. We meet them in the aftermath of a kidnapping that lefts them imprisoned together as they wait for their ransoms to be paid. To pass the time, they tell each other their life stories.
Nwabulu, orphaned at a young age, is sent out by her stepmother to become a housemaid. In her second placing, she is impregnated by the only son of a wealthy family who quickly drops her. In an attempt to save her honor, her stepmother marries her off to a dead man according to their traditions. Her mother-in-law steals away with her newborn son, and Nwabulu is left bereft. She returns to the town where she used to work, and begins life anew there with the help of her friend's family.
Julie, an educated woman, is pressured to marry after her father and brother die. She fakes a pregnancy in order to marry the rich man with whom she had been having an affair, and then tells him she miscarried. Unable to get pregnant, things become rocky in their relationship. Meanwhile, a relative descends on her best friend's family with a baby in tow, and is soon struck down by illness and dies, leaving the baby without any known family. The relative's family declines to take the baby in, and since Julie has such a connection with him, she and her best friend concoct a plan to make this baby hers.
As you can imagine, this baby is the link between the two women who both struggle through their lives with the expectations placed on them due to their class and gender. They meet years later as Julie goes to Nwabulu, now a tailor, to get new clothing for her son's upcoming wedding. Despite their vast differences, the two are drawn together into a sort of friendship. It is only during the exchange of life stories that their connection becomes clear. The author doesn't provide much beyond establishing their link, so what happens after is left to the reader's imagination. I enjoyed the pacing of the book, which kept my interest and didn't give too much away at once. I had to Google several Nigerian references, so it was also educational in that I learned more about certain traditions, foods, clothing, etc. The characters were well-rounded, and I found myself getting very upset when Nwabulu's son was cruelly stolen from her. All in all, a good read!
January 22, 2022
I don't really have much to say about this book. Everything was...fine; the writing, the plot, the characters were all fine. I think this is a case of this one not being for me. I was never particularly interested in what was going on, so I never fell into the story. I appreciated the main characters making difficult decisions in a patriarchal society steeped in tradition.
There are some great conversations to be had on topics brought up in the narrative: culture, colonialism, motherhood, and gender roles. I'd be more interested in those conversations. But this is a decent book.
There are some great conversations to be had on topics brought up in the narrative: culture, colonialism, motherhood, and gender roles. I'd be more interested in those conversations. But this is a decent book.
February 16, 2021
Onyemelukwe-Onuobia's writing is beautiful and vital, I loved reading this book.
At times the structure felt a little clunky, the pacing wasn’t as tight as it could have been but perhaps understandable given that the story spans four decades. Overall this is stellar storytelling, the characterisation is accomplished and the central trauma is handled deftly and with care, you feel both the strength and fragility of Julie and Nwabulu.
At times the structure felt a little clunky, the pacing wasn’t as tight as it could have been but perhaps understandable given that the story spans four decades. Overall this is stellar storytelling, the characterisation is accomplished and the central trauma is handled deftly and with care, you feel both the strength and fragility of Julie and Nwabulu.
September 3, 2022
Wonderful debut novel. Interesting plot device to show the lives of women in a patriarchal society. The use of the kidnapping for ransom as a way for two women to bond and recount their life stories was a wonderful way to immerse the reader into the story.
March 6, 2024
3.5 stars. *Set in modern day Nigeria, THE SON OF THE HOUSE by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia starts with the kidnapping of two seemingly disparate women, divided by both class and lifestyle. To pass the time of their captivity they share their life stories with each other. I was hooked from page one and enjoyed reading both Julie and Nwabulu’s life stories. They were such different women but the writing did a fantastic job of helping the reader vividly picture both lives as we see how they find themselves kidnapped together. The ending did leave much to be desired for me personally, but still recommend!
February 13, 2024
Детальніше – у 25 випуску подкасту "небагатослів".
Нвабулу і Джулі, яких, здавалося б, нічого не пов’язує, ділять одну халепу на двох – їх викрадають з метою викупу. З метою якось згаяти час, поки їхні родини збирають гроші, ці жінки вирішують ближче познайомитися і розповідають одна одній історію свого життя.
Нвабулу народилась у злиднях і прикрощі переслідували її все життя. Мачуха невпинно прагнула спекатися зайвого рота в домі, а тому над шиєю блискало питання шлюбу. Як би Нвабулу не кортіло уникнути ярма, обставини, вочевидь, із самого народження були проти неї: у суспільстві, досі затисненому в лещатах традицій, жінкам відрізані шляхи відступу. А постійний тиск привести на світ нащадка лише призводять до втрати первістка.
Джулі, якій пощастило зростати у заможнішій родині, не почувається краще. Нарікати на матеріальне становище їй не доводиться, та все ж, поки на її пальці не буде обручки, на неї так само дивитимуться скоса. І їй так само не таланить із дитиною, але, на відміну від Нвабулу, Джулі й зовсім не може завагітніти. Відчайдушно намагаючись врятувати стосунки, вона вдається до сумнівних методів.
Суспільний примус заганяє обох жінок у пастку: призначення жінки, мовляв, – одружитися і народити продовжувача роду. Та тільки за успіх не похвалять, а в невдачі винна сама.
Нвабулу і Джулі, яких, здавалося б, нічого не пов’язує, ділять одну халепу на двох – їх викрадають з метою викупу. З метою якось згаяти час, поки їхні родини збирають гроші, ці жінки вирішують ближче познайомитися і розповідають одна одній історію свого життя.
Нвабулу народилась у злиднях і прикрощі переслідували її все життя. Мачуха невпинно прагнула спекатися зайвого рота в домі, а тому над шиєю блискало питання шлюбу. Як би Нвабулу не кортіло уникнути ярма, обставини, вочевидь, із самого народження були проти неї: у суспільстві, досі затисненому в лещатах традицій, жінкам відрізані шляхи відступу. А постійний тиск привести на світ нащадка лише призводять до втрати первістка.
Джулі, якій пощастило зростати у заможнішій родині, не почувається краще. Нарікати на матеріальне становище їй не доводиться, та все ж, поки на її пальці не буде обручки, на неї так само дивитимуться скоса. І їй так само не таланить із дитиною, але, на відміну від Нвабулу, Джулі й зовсім не може завагітніти. Відчайдушно намагаючись врятувати стосунки, вона вдається до сумнівних методів.
Суспільний примус заганяє обох жінок у пастку: призначення жінки, мовляв, – одружитися і народити продовжувача роду. Та тільки за успіх не похвалять, а в невдачі винна сама.
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