The Son of the House by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia
Review by Robyn Zondervan, Division Manager, Forest Heights Library
Nwabula and Julie are kidnapped. As they wait for ransom, they bare their hearts and lives to each other, not knowing if they’ll make it out alive.
Julie’s story begins in adulthood, as an independent woman and teacher. When her only brother passes, the increased pressure to produce a male heir takes her in a desperate direction.
Nwabula’s story starts in 1970’s Nigeria, as a child under the rule of an ungrateful stepmother. At age 10, she is sent to the city to become a housemaid and is finally given the opportunity to attend school and realize her dreams. However, life has other plans for her.
The kidnapping bookends this novel, but its focus is an exploration of these two smart, resilient Nigerian women. Cheer for them, hear their inner thoughts and struggles, and be amazed at their fierce determination to make it in a world that favours men. For the most important goal is to have a "son of the house," a goal that is valued above the rights of women.
The reader must also wonder how these women were kidnapped together. Their stories twine around each other in unexpected ways—what is the thread that binds them?