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Sin is a Puppy That Follows You Home
Beginning in the late 1980s, northern Nigeria saw a boom in popular fiction written in the Hausa language.
Known as littattafan soyyaya ("love literature"), the books are often inspired by Hindi films--which have been hugely popular among Hausa speakers for decades--and are primarily written by women. They have sparked a craze among young adult readers as well as a backlash from government censors and book-burning conservatives.
Sin Is a Puppy That Follows You Home is an Islamic soap opera complete with polygamous households, virtuous women, scheming harlots, and black magic.
It's the first full-length novel ever translated from Hausa to English.
And it's quite unlike anything you've ever read before.
Known as littattafan soyyaya ("love literature"), the books are often inspired by Hindi films--which have been hugely popular among Hausa speakers for decades--and are primarily written by women. They have sparked a craze among young adult readers as well as a backlash from government censors and book-burning conservatives.
Sin Is a Puppy That Follows You Home is an Islamic soap opera complete with polygamous households, virtuous women, scheming harlots, and black magic.
It's the first full-length novel ever translated from Hausa to English.
And it's quite unlike anything you've ever read before.
126 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
10 people are currently reading
302 people want to read
About the author
Balaraba Ramat Yakubu
1 book5 followersBalaraba Ramat Yakubu published her first novel in 1987, and has been one of the bestselling Hausa authors ever since. She has also written, directed, and produced a number of films for Kannywood, the Hausa-language film industry based in Kano, Nigeria.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 17, 2014
This is the kind of book where though it's not all that well written or poorly written, it's utterly addictive. I couldn't stop reading it because I HAD to know what happened next. The main character's plight was so abysmal and her husband was such a lowdown a$$, I was sure that by the end of the story, he'd get his and I wanted to be there to see (read about) it. I'm also fascinated by the different point-of-view and how that point-of-view values things that I don't value (like worthless husbands).I enjoy getting out of my own head and spending time in the heads of others; doing so keeps me balanced and makes me better able to have perspective. It's a necessary exercise for me. Would I read more by this author? Heck yeah! So I hope more is made available. This is the kind of literature I'd "binge read", then rant and rave about the inequality, injustice and stupidity of the characters' actions and then go back and read more. :-)
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January 8, 2018Well, now. So this is the first English translation of a Nigerian Hausa-language novel in the genre of popular fiction called love literature, which is for and by women and caused some kerfuffle among people who think women shouldn't be reading this shocking stuff. This is all ringing quite the bell.
It is the purest soap. I mean, you could wash your clothes in this. Crappy abusive husband divorces wife, abandons kids, alienates family and friends. His ex wife and daughter are the focuses of the novel, more or less, although as soon as the daughter marries a lovely bloke, the perspective starts sliding to him. It's a purely ridiculous story and the translation reads pretty declarative and workaday (may be the translator, may be the original style) but I found it completely compelling. I wanted to know what happened, which is basically the essence of storytelling.
And it isn't wish fulfilment or whatever. It looks like it's going to be a story about the abused wife triumphant . It also looks like the daughter is a saintly character but she can be pretty vicious, including some savage physical fights.
This is an incredibly violent book, in fact. Men beating their wives is absolute standard practice and even the lovely gentle hero does it (to his Evil First Wives, there are a lot of Evil Women in this.). There's also plently of domestic violence between wives and children. The situation of women in a polygamous society is also a big theme (savage infighting and resentment occurs), as is the ease with which wives can be divorced and discarded. The novel treats all this in a "how it is" way, like this is standard practice for people's lives. See also the total lack of social safety net and the pressures of cultural practices that mean the urgent need for money is a constant pulse throughout. I mean, this is in no way an issues book, because these aren't 'issues', these are the lives being lived. But it's horrifying, or it would be if the narrative didn't move breezily on.
So. This is not stylistically an amazing novel, but it's got that indefinable quality of "absolutely must know what happens". I would totally glom these if more were published and I hope they will be. I obviously don't know how accurate a window this is on Nigerian Muslim life, any more than EastEnders is accurate for London or most historical romances are accurate for the Regency, although there are quite a few resonances between this and the other Nigerian novels I read last year. Can I here recommend I Do Not Come to You by Chance which is significantly better written and an absolutely brilliant concept (it's about 419 email scammers) but shares the intense readability and soap quality.
Note: I know 'readable' and 'soap opera' are often used to damn with faint praise. But I'm a romance novelist, and I know how extremely hard it is to hook readers into a multi-character story and glue them to the narrative, and there is nothing faint about it when I praise those skills.
Other note: OMG the title. OMG.
It is the purest soap. I mean, you could wash your clothes in this. Crappy abusive husband divorces wife, abandons kids, alienates family and friends. His ex wife and daughter are the focuses of the novel, more or less, although as soon as the daughter marries a lovely bloke, the perspective starts sliding to him. It's a purely ridiculous story and the translation reads pretty declarative and workaday (may be the translator, may be the original style) but I found it completely compelling. I wanted to know what happened, which is basically the essence of storytelling.
And it isn't wish fulfilment or whatever. It looks like it's going to be a story about the abused wife triumphant . It also looks like the daughter is a saintly character but she can be pretty vicious, including some savage physical fights.
This is an incredibly violent book, in fact. Men beating their wives is absolute standard practice and even the lovely gentle hero does it (to his Evil First Wives, there are a lot of Evil Women in this.). There's also plently of domestic violence between wives and children. The situation of women in a polygamous society is also a big theme (savage infighting and resentment occurs), as is the ease with which wives can be divorced and discarded. The novel treats all this in a "how it is" way, like this is standard practice for people's lives. See also the total lack of social safety net and the pressures of cultural practices that mean the urgent need for money is a constant pulse throughout. I mean, this is in no way an issues book, because these aren't 'issues', these are the lives being lived. But it's horrifying, or it would be if the narrative didn't move breezily on.
So. This is not stylistically an amazing novel, but it's got that indefinable quality of "absolutely must know what happens". I would totally glom these if more were published and I hope they will be. I obviously don't know how accurate a window this is on Nigerian Muslim life, any more than EastEnders is accurate for London or most historical romances are accurate for the Regency, although there are quite a few resonances between this and the other Nigerian novels I read last year. Can I here recommend I Do Not Come to You by Chance which is significantly better written and an absolutely brilliant concept (it's about 419 email scammers) but shares the intense readability and soap quality.
Note: I know 'readable' and 'soap opera' are often used to damn with faint praise. But I'm a romance novelist, and I know how extremely hard it is to hook readers into a multi-character story and glue them to the narrative, and there is nothing faint about it when I praise those skills.
Other note: OMG the title. OMG.
January 30, 2013
I bought this book to read for a couple of reasons. Since it is the first full-length novel in the Hausa language ever translated into English, I thought it would give me some understanding of the language, culture and customs of the Hausa tribes of Nigeria. Also, I was interested to read that Bollywood soap operas and movies have been very popular among the Hausa for decades and that these films have inspired a genre of literature called 'soyayya' (love) in the Hausa language. The Hausa tribe is largely an Islamic one and I was intrigued to find out how the pre-dominantly Hindu family based Bollywood movies had such an appeal amongst them.
The novel itself is a short one, running into just 125 pages. It is the story of Alhaji Abdu, a small-time business man, who is married to Rabi and is the father of nine children, borne by her. Abdu is a lousy husband to Rabi and an even lousier father. He marries Delu, a prostitute, as his second wife and brings her home. Soon, he throws Rabi and her children out on the street without any support and continues to live with Delu. Rabi tries to support her children on her own through her small food business, and she is helped by her sister Tasidi and brother Malam Shehu. As luck would have it, Alhaji Abubakar, a well-to-do man, takes a fancy to Saudatu, Rabi's daughter. He marries her as his third wife, throwing out his two earlier wives in the process. Abubakar brings happiness and security into the family. Meanwhile, Alhaji Abdu's business gets burned down and he loses everything including Delu, who happens to cuckold him all along. Abdu is humbled and asks for forgiveness from Rabi. She resists initially to take him back but Alhaji Abubakar prevails upon her to forgive him. Eventually the family is united again and they all live happily ever after.
As one can see, the story is not much to crow about but I can see many parallels with the simplistic story lines of Bollywood movies. It is a struggle of good against evil and Good triumphs in the end and there is the inevitable happy ending. Just like in Bollywood films, the extended family takes up the responsibility for Rabi and her children and in the end, plays the role of re-uniting Abdu and Rabi. There is also the melodrama of the Bollywood blockbusters and some black magic and superstitions, which are also themes in Bollywood films. However, the novel differs in some aspects due to the inherent differences of the Hausa society from Indian ones. Polygamy and divorces occur at the drop of a hat in the story. The author, though a Hausa woman, writes about it without much rancour and so I would assume that she is not writing from a strongly feminist perspective but rather from a somewhat tolerant view of Hausa customs. Still, finally both Abdu and Abubakar end up living with only one wife and so one can argue that the author is probably critical of the Hausa custom of men being allowed to marry upto four women. No wonder then that the government censors and conservatives are hostile to the popularity of soyayya literature among young adults, particularly women.
Often it has been argued in India about the regressive and feudal nature of Bollywood films and Indian TV soap operas and how harmful they can be. But sociological research has repeatedly shown that the rural and urban poor have always imbibed only the 'progressive' parts of these films and as a result, these films have played a positive role in society. The same results have been reported in Brazil as well from their own soap operas. So, I would believe that the 'soyayya' literature also plays a similar role in Hausa society.
The book was worth a read for me as it gave me a small peek into Hausa customs and social mores and why Bollywood films hold a fascination for them.
The novel itself is a short one, running into just 125 pages. It is the story of Alhaji Abdu, a small-time business man, who is married to Rabi and is the father of nine children, borne by her. Abdu is a lousy husband to Rabi and an even lousier father. He marries Delu, a prostitute, as his second wife and brings her home. Soon, he throws Rabi and her children out on the street without any support and continues to live with Delu. Rabi tries to support her children on her own through her small food business, and she is helped by her sister Tasidi and brother Malam Shehu. As luck would have it, Alhaji Abubakar, a well-to-do man, takes a fancy to Saudatu, Rabi's daughter. He marries her as his third wife, throwing out his two earlier wives in the process. Abubakar brings happiness and security into the family. Meanwhile, Alhaji Abdu's business gets burned down and he loses everything including Delu, who happens to cuckold him all along. Abdu is humbled and asks for forgiveness from Rabi. She resists initially to take him back but Alhaji Abubakar prevails upon her to forgive him. Eventually the family is united again and they all live happily ever after.
As one can see, the story is not much to crow about but I can see many parallels with the simplistic story lines of Bollywood movies. It is a struggle of good against evil and Good triumphs in the end and there is the inevitable happy ending. Just like in Bollywood films, the extended family takes up the responsibility for Rabi and her children and in the end, plays the role of re-uniting Abdu and Rabi. There is also the melodrama of the Bollywood blockbusters and some black magic and superstitions, which are also themes in Bollywood films. However, the novel differs in some aspects due to the inherent differences of the Hausa society from Indian ones. Polygamy and divorces occur at the drop of a hat in the story. The author, though a Hausa woman, writes about it without much rancour and so I would assume that she is not writing from a strongly feminist perspective but rather from a somewhat tolerant view of Hausa customs. Still, finally both Abdu and Abubakar end up living with only one wife and so one can argue that the author is probably critical of the Hausa custom of men being allowed to marry upto four women. No wonder then that the government censors and conservatives are hostile to the popularity of soyayya literature among young adults, particularly women.
Often it has been argued in India about the regressive and feudal nature of Bollywood films and Indian TV soap operas and how harmful they can be. But sociological research has repeatedly shown that the rural and urban poor have always imbibed only the 'progressive' parts of these films and as a result, these films have played a positive role in society. The same results have been reported in Brazil as well from their own soap operas. So, I would believe that the 'soyayya' literature also plays a similar role in Hausa society.
The book was worth a read for me as it gave me a small peek into Hausa customs and social mores and why Bollywood films hold a fascination for them.
October 27, 2021
entertaining and fullllll on drama, but wouldn't necessarily recommend as it is quite dated and obviously preachy, but if you're okay with that, then go for it.
read this for a 24 hour vlog where I read 5 translated books: https://youtu.be/lue46CvMnXM (Sant Reads on Youtube)
read this for a 24 hour vlog where I read 5 translated books: https://youtu.be/lue46CvMnXM (Sant Reads on Youtube)
July 8, 2015
In this book, I tell a story about a type of man found commonly in Nigeria who regards a married woman with children as a sort of slave to be bought or sold at the marketplace. These men think they may treat such a woman as poorly as they like, since they believe her to be completely worthless. They may be rich and comfortable themselves, yet refuse to feed and clothe their own families - while simultaneously denying anyone else the right to do so. - Author's preface
This short novel is the first example of the Hausa-language popular press to be translated into English. As such, it has the potential to introduce the reader to a world that they otherwise would never have realized existed.
Balaraba Ramat Yakubu is a Nigerian writer and filmmaker. In this book, as she states in the preface, she attempts to draw attention to a specific social phenomenon: men who neglect their wives and children in favor of spending money on themselves. I do not know how common this is in Nigeria, but the author's decision to focus on it indicates that it is (or was) probably more common than I expected.
The story concerns one such man, Alhaji Abdu, owner of a market stall in the bazaar, his long-suffering wife Rabi and their nine children. Alhaji Abdu wears fine clothes and eats his fill of expensive food all day; his wife and their children barely have enough food to ease their hunger and only receive one new item of clothing every year. Rabi has only stayed with him for twenty-two years for the sake of the children. Although his relatives, friends, and neighbors continuously tell him that he should treat his family better, he ignores them and, in the greatest insult to Rabi, decides to marry a second time (to a woman who, unbeknownst to him, is a former prostitute who isn't ready to give up the fun).
When Rabi puts up a fight (pointing out that he doesn't even support the wife and children that he already has), he divorces her and throws her out, vowing to have no connection with either his wife or children ever again. Rabi and the children move into new housing, begin a small restaurant business, and make enough money to live comfortably for the first time. But when one of the girls has an offer of marriage, the family is at an impasse: the girl's father is supposed to make the arrangements for the wedding, but he refuses to have anything to do with them. How will the family figure out this situation, and will Alhaji Abdu ever realize what he's done wrong?
Read the rest on my blog: http://thegloballycurious.blogspot.in...
This short novel is the first example of the Hausa-language popular press to be translated into English. As such, it has the potential to introduce the reader to a world that they otherwise would never have realized existed.
Balaraba Ramat Yakubu is a Nigerian writer and filmmaker. In this book, as she states in the preface, she attempts to draw attention to a specific social phenomenon: men who neglect their wives and children in favor of spending money on themselves. I do not know how common this is in Nigeria, but the author's decision to focus on it indicates that it is (or was) probably more common than I expected.
The story concerns one such man, Alhaji Abdu, owner of a market stall in the bazaar, his long-suffering wife Rabi and their nine children. Alhaji Abdu wears fine clothes and eats his fill of expensive food all day; his wife and their children barely have enough food to ease their hunger and only receive one new item of clothing every year. Rabi has only stayed with him for twenty-two years for the sake of the children. Although his relatives, friends, and neighbors continuously tell him that he should treat his family better, he ignores them and, in the greatest insult to Rabi, decides to marry a second time (to a woman who, unbeknownst to him, is a former prostitute who isn't ready to give up the fun).
When Rabi puts up a fight (pointing out that he doesn't even support the wife and children that he already has), he divorces her and throws her out, vowing to have no connection with either his wife or children ever again. Rabi and the children move into new housing, begin a small restaurant business, and make enough money to live comfortably for the first time. But when one of the girls has an offer of marriage, the family is at an impasse: the girl's father is supposed to make the arrangements for the wedding, but he refuses to have anything to do with them. How will the family figure out this situation, and will Alhaji Abdu ever realize what he's done wrong?
Read the rest on my blog: http://thegloballycurious.blogspot.in...
May 22, 2019
This book is a quick read. It’s a peep into the lifestyle , society , food and customs of Hausa society. Patience and good behaviour - 2 virtues that get you through so much in life. The book says it clearly it’s nothing short of a soap opera but I always have that little belief - that soap operas are derived from people stories itself !
May 25, 2022
Very quick and engaging read - the soap opera of it all really draws you in and keeps you flipping the pages!
I am holding off on a 5th star because as dramatic as the story is, I felt like the stakes could have been stakier. Once Rabi and her children are out of the house, I didn’t really worry that they would starve or that they would have to drop out of school or otherwise suffer due to leaving Alhaji Abdu’s house. All the problems get solved pretty easily.
And what happened to Ladidi? She just kind of disappears and we never get closure on her relationship with Rabi and her half-siblings.
Mild spoilers for the ending: I did not want Rabi to go back to him and I think everyone was wrong to persuade her to go back. I get that it’s melodrama but I simply don’t believe someone like him would change even after tragedy and she and her kids were better off without him.
I am holding off on a 5th star because as dramatic as the story is, I felt like the stakes could have been stakier. Once Rabi and her children are out of the house, I didn’t really worry that they would starve or that they would have to drop out of school or otherwise suffer due to leaving Alhaji Abdu’s house. All the problems get solved pretty easily.
And what happened to Ladidi? She just kind of disappears and we never get closure on her relationship with Rabi and her half-siblings.
Mild spoilers for the ending: I did not want Rabi to go back to him and I think everyone was wrong to persuade her to go back. I get that it’s melodrama but I simply don’t believe someone like him would change even after tragedy and she and her kids were better off without him.
January 7, 2022
De forma independiente... no vale de mucho. Pero no creo que a nadie le cueste ver por qué una serie de libros similares, publicados por autoras similares, provenientes de un mismo lugar y durante un período de tiempo más o menos largo, puede llegar a servir como un documento bastante valioso (y quizá eso es lo que más me ha interesado del libro: entender las formas de relacionarse de una sociedad que me es completamente ajena (y que, probablemente, haya evolucionado bastante desde que se publicó el libro por primera vez), descubrir qué tipos de prácticas eran comunes, qué no lo era, meterse un poquito en un mundo radicalmente diferente, claro).
December 21, 2021
i had no idea what this book was going to be when i purchased it from blaft after reading their blurb about its origins but it was wildly entertaining omg lmao wow i wish the translation had been a little less choppy but that's about it.
August 20, 2024
Not a very good book but quite interesting academically, especially because I had never read a book translated from Hausa or set in Nigeria. And since it's a quick read, overall still a worthwhile experience.
September 17, 2020
Lol. Hell No!
No way! No Way!! No Way!!! Rabi, why☹️. I would not have allowed Rabi go back. I mean, he only “turned a new leaf” because he lost his means of livelihood. C’mon!
No way! No Way!! No Way!!! Rabi, why☹️. I would not have allowed Rabi go back. I mean, he only “turned a new leaf” because he lost his means of livelihood. C’mon!
August 9, 2022
Not exactly heavy, but amusing, well done, and captivating. My mom loved it.
March 1, 2024
Cultural exchange --> culture shock.
Fun. Very alien and yet so familiar.
Fun. Very alien and yet so familiar.
March 27, 2016
The prose is serviceable and the moral is a bit heavy-handed (like a modern Muslim fairytale). These weaknesses, however, are offset by the vivid characters and fascinating insights into Hausa culture - with polygamous marriages and black magic.
April 18, 2016
From my "Year of Reading the World" list. This is the first book from northern Nigeria written in the Hausa language translated into English -- read more about it. Interesting culture.
August 25, 2025
Absolutely unbelievable that this book exists at all! It wasn’t fantastic though.
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May 6, 2016Fiction Y15s 2012
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