At one point in this exuberant and powerful story, Adunni, the 14 year old protagonist, is instructed in the present continuous tense form of English from a kindly mentor. It is with this in mind that Adunni’s self-styled epithet of the “louding girl” should be considered, not just as a charming grammatical error, but as a statement of intent. Adunni is going ‘to loud’: to sing her story with pride and purpose, to live her life with curiosity and aspiration and to go forth honestly and compassionately.

Adunni is a wonderful embodiment of and champion for all the young women of Nigeria, whose voices have been silenced by subjugation and destructive patriarchy. Despite the turmoil of her life, her optimism and hope drives her forward from one tragic setback to the next, never wavering in her resilience, even at her most vulnerable. It is an exhausting emotional journey as a reader, but Adunni’s endearing naivety and fierce determination help power the narrative forward.

Abi Daré’s rendering of Adunni’s narrative voice is exemplary. The cadences of her non-Standard English are a joy to listen to and I’d highly recommend the audiobook for that reason. I loved the way her voice develops, growing stronger and more confident as she dives deeper into the Collins dictionary, and as she is emboldened and enlightened by the kindness of others. There are difficult, painful moments throughout but Adunni’s path to education and independence offers an empowering resolution, one that I hope will inspire young girls everywhere to speak a little louder, and be a little more louding.