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The Parlour Wife

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The Parlour Wife

By: Foluso Agbaje
Narrated by: Precious Mustapha
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About this listen

Kehinde must put everything on the line to find herself during a time of war.

Lagos, 1939

With the announcement of World War Two and a change that sends shockwaves through her family, Kehinde is forced to put aside her dreams of writing and become the third wife of Mr Ogunjobi.

Kehinde makes her peace by selling snacks at a small market. When she gets the chance to assist the leader of the Lagos Market Women's Association, fighting for the rights the British are trying to take away, Kehinde finally feels useful again.

But if her husband finds out he’ll abandon her.

Can Kehinde find the courage to fight for herself and the other women of Lagos? Or will she remain a caged bird, a parlour wife, forever.

A poignant story of a young Nigerian woman, living with the consequences of a war her country didn’t choose.

Praise for The Parlour Wife:

'1940's Nigeria as you've rarely seen it … Kehinde's journey to discovering her own voice, and ultimately her own autonomy, will resonate with many. A delightful debut!’

Chioma Okereke, author of Water Baby

'A delightful and evocative journey that starts in the heart of a young woman in Lagos whose destiny is threatened when the clouds of family and societal expectations, thesecond World War and the new wave of change sweeping West Africa make their impact on her life and choices'

Ola Awonubi, author of A Nurse’s Tale

'We all studied WW2, but Nigeria’s role, as a British colony, doesn’t feature in many books. Agbage corrects this in her poignant debut. I rooted for feisty Kehinde from the get-go. It’s not easy to be a feminist when you’re a third wife and destined for the parlour – her courage was wonderfully written'

Nikki May, author of Wahala and This Motherless Land

'Written in a warm, compassionate voice, Foluso Agbaje’s The Parlour Wife is a harmonious marriage of historical events and memorable characters'

Sefi Atta, author of The Bad Immigrant

©2024 Foluso Agbaje (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
African American Historical Historical Fiction Military Marriage War
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Historical fiction set in colonial Lagos

This book brought alive the time in which it was set, and I loved how compelling the central character’s story was.

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  • Overall
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The vivid descriptions made it easy to envisage what the author was writing about.

Absolutely loved this book, it was well written and it had a great storyline! Was surprised by how the character developed and matured as the story progressed.

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Amazing !

I didn’t think I’d enjoy this as much as I did. I laughed and cried and felt with Kehinde. An amazing book.

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