This is the second Emecheta novel I've read. They are small gems that are windows into Ibo culture In Nigeria. In this tale, a young girl must contend with the death of her beloved father and the intense involvement of her entire neighborhood and family in her most intimate affairs. When her family leaves Lagos to return to their home village, Aku-nna meets and falls in love with her teacher Chike, the son of a former slave. However prosperous and educated Chike's family is, a background of slavery precludes his from marrying Aku-naa. Superstitions hold sway over their relationship, and Aku-nna is given to another man in marriage. Although the reader cannot predict the result, the entire village knows. A well told story that would be hypnotic with the right reader. ( )

A short but engaging read. Although the main conflict is given as the forbidden love of Aku-nna and Chike, who is descended from slaves, the author spends much of the book describing the communities, traditions, and encroachments of the West. I enjoyed the at first leisurely pace of the book, showing the family’s life in Lagos, then in the more rural town of Ibuza. Aku-nna and her brother Nna-nndo lose their father early on and have to move with their mother, called Ma Blackie, back to her hometown of Ibuza. Emecheta nicely captures all the little conflicts and uncertainties that come with the move. Aku-nna becomes more isolated in her new life, as Ma Blackie is absorbed in her new marriage and the divide between her and her brother grows larger. Aku-nna’s uncle Okonkwo, her mother’s new husband, is the “big man” who opposes her relationship and sees her as something that will bring him a hefty bride price – surely his name is not a coincidence. Chike and Aku-nna’s relationship is almost too perfect (although they meet a lot of opposition from the community) although it becomes clear why at the end. ( )

This book will break your heart. A young girl forced to get married by a greedy relative, a sneak peek into Nigerian Igbo culture.

I recently started to reread Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart and a friend gave me her copy of Buchi Emecheta's The Bride Price and both books are in my bag at the moment. I can heartily recommend them both if you haven't read them.

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