“Second-Class Citizen” by Buchi Emecheta (Nigeria)

Review

Most readers enjoyed the book, finding the story very touching and inspiring. They liked the protagonist Adah whom they found both naïve and strong. The descriptions of her life, first in Nigeria growing up, then in London as a young mother and wife, were realistic and effective. The secondary characters were both funny and horrendous at times. Readers found the book autobiographical and liked the evolution of Adah’s relationship with her husband. Some even described it as sociological, dealing with issues of race, gender and discrimination. Most readers liked the style of writing which they found simple and flowing, though some would have liked more depth in the development of the characters and situations. The book averaged a 7.6 out of 10.

Synopsis

Adah, a woman from the Igbo tribe, moves to England to live with her Nigerian student husband. She soon discovers that life for a young Nigerian woman living in London in the 1960s is grim. Rejected by British society and thwarted by her husband, who expects her to be subservient to him, she is forced to face up to life as a second-class citizen… Read more

Nicola’s Book Club reading lists

Season 6 – “World Classics (the past is masculine)” (Sep 2007 – Jan 2008)

“A Confederacy of Dunces” by John Kennedy Toole (U.S.)
“Love in the Time of Cholera” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia)
“The Woman in the Dunes” by Kobo Abe (Japan)
“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe (Nigeria)
“The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov (Russia) *

Season 7 – “Future World Classics (the future is feminine)” (Feb – Jun 2008)

“How Many Miles to Babylon?” by Jennifer Johnston (Ireland)
“Second-Class Citizen” by Buchi Emecheta (Nigeria)
“Eva Luna” by Isabel Allende (Chile)
“Clear Light of Day” by Anita Desai (India)
“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood (Canada) *

* The book club favourite
In italics, Nicola’s Coup de Cœur

“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” – Italo Calvino

The past is masculine;
The future is feminine;
And the present is a
blending together of both.
– Nicola