Read this when
Stay With Me
Her in-laws brought a second wife to the door. Her husband was hiding something worse. If you know infertility pressure, this one understands.
Who it's for
Told alternately by Yejide and her husband Akin, the novel lets readers inside both sides of a marriage straining under the family's demand for a child.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀'s 2017 debut novel, set in Nigeria across roughly two decades, follows the marriage of Yejide and Akin under intense family and cultural pressure to have children. When Akin takes a second wife without Yejide's consent, the couple's choices and concealed shames escalate into a series of crises.
Where to find it
In print; available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain.
Before you start
Heads up: Deaths of infants and young children.
Age: Ages 16+
Much of your pain is self-chosen.Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet, “On Pain”
