Nani is right. The Aristotelian ideal of a whole story with perfectly interconnecting phases of beginning, middle, and an end has been one of the biggest lies of modern storytelling. As an ideal, it is not only impractical but gives us a false sense of transcendence. It makes us believe that life is only worthy when its messiness is pared and stuffed into a whole story. It also makes us less capable of surviving when things end up falling apart because they always do. This is a heart-breaking, tender novel, full of beautiful prose. It is a novel which has lingered in the mind long after I finished reading it, and one I will read again.

The Middle Daughter by Chika Unigwe Nani’s Mother in The Middle Daughter by Chika Unigwe

The first line of the novel, “I fear the man who is my husband,” is bench-pressing so many thematic weights. It layers a sense of foreboding by piquing the reader’s curiosity and foreshadowing events connected to abuse. The story opens with news of Udodi’s death, the first daughter, who pursued higher education in the United States and crashed in an accident a week before her return to Enugu. After her death, the family is thrown into irreconcilable grief that feels impossible to escape. Unigwe writes, “Udodi’s death was the beginning of the raging storm but at that moment, we thought that the worst had already happened, and that life would treat us with more kindness.” I didn't expect to like this book that much, it so beautiful written and I even forgot that i was reading a book because i was in the story. Unigwe shares her perspective saying: “I hated that the kids loved Ephraim too and somehow even prefer him to their mother, but that’s life, right? Folks can be the worst partners, but still be great parents. We are a multitude of things.” This was a very sad book. Even the end didn’t make me feel better. It shows how grief can tear a family apart or bring them closer. The May 2023 issue of World Literature Today ponders “The Future of the Book,” featuring a marquee interview with Azar Nafisi and contributions by others on the subject of books and book culture. The book review section rounds up the best new books from around the world, and additional interviews, poetry, short fiction and creative nonfiction, culture essays, a postcard from the former Yugoslavia, and an outpost from Berlin make the May issue your perfect summer reading companion.

Chika Unigwe writes with a moral urgency nourished by a nuanced understanding of the human condition and a prose that is elegantly calibrated. And for all the dark turns her work takes, it is suffused with warmth, hard won wisdom and a deep compassion.”

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But, when you have a parent who parents hard, whose soft edges are eroded by the work that she does, it's not hard to understand Nani whose shame and silence, forces her to make a life-altering choice with devastating consequences.I absolutely loved the bond between Nani and her father, very beautiful. And the courage of Nani. Walking away from abuse is never easy but confronting the abuser takes courage and she had it!

The Middle Daughter - Kindle edition by Unigwe, Chika The Middle Daughter - Kindle edition by Unigwe, Chika

I was irritated by Ugo and their mother's behaviours. For deciding that they didn't want to know what had happened to her, didn't want to deal with it. It was difficult to wrap my head around; that a mother (sister) would choose to suppress their feelings instead of fighting for their loved one. They should have fought for Nani earlier. A modern reimagining of the myth of Hades and Persephone within a Nigerian family, The Middle Daughter charts Nani’s journey to freedom and homecoming.Chika Unigwe’s novel The Middle Daughter centers a wealthy Nigerian family. The father owns a printing business, the mother is a doctor in the public health system and they have three daughters- one is currently in America studying and the other two attends a private school in Nigeria. They are a very happy family, filled with hope and happiness for the future… that is until one night they get a call from America that changes the trajectory of their family and upends life as they know it. Together with the way Chika Unigwe sets up her characters, the writing style is another aspect I think is really very strong. It was easy to follow and read fast, without losing the beauty in the language. Again: beautiful! a b Edoro, Ainehi (3 April 2023). "When a Character Really Needs a Happy Ending | Review of The Middle Daughter by Chika Unigwe". Brittle Paper . Retrieved 25 August 2023. The Middle Daughter is an emotionally charged exploration of the ways in which a woman may fall victim to conventions designed to ensnare her. Chika Unigwe is a writer of great conviction and superior insight . . . Nani’s story drew me in from the start and pulled me under right up until the end’ AMINATTA FORNA