Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

Stay With Me

₱530

Imagine waking up one morning to find your mother-in-law at your front door with a random woman in tow. She informs you that this stranger has been decided to be your husband's second wife and that all three of you must live under the same roof. Since you've been unable to have a successful pregnancy after years of marriage, a second wife will have to step in and fulfill this duty for you. 

This is the nightmare that Yejide is presented with at the beginning of this book. Jumping between two timelines, Ayobami Adebayo masterfully tells the story of Yejide and Akin as they struggle to keep their marriage while honoring their families and long-held traditions. 

I burned through this book and spent the rest of the day thinking about Yejide and all women like her. Stay With Me is a sobering reminder of the oppression women still face in the name of tradition and the desperate lengths people will go to to keep their families intact.