CC Spin #21: The Bride Price
The Bride Price, by Buchi Emecheta Happy Halloween, folks, and happy Spin Day too! I was very excited about this title, since I love Emecheta's writing. I found out that she considered it her best novel, but it also had tragedy attached to it; she based the story loosely on her own life, but when her husband found and read the manuscript, he was angered that his fictional counterpart was a descendant of slaves. He burned the manuscript, which was the only copy. Emecheta re-wrote her novel, but changed the ending from hopeful to tragic, reflecting her changed feelings and her failing marriage. Aku-nna is a young teen when her doting father dies, leaving her and her mother and brother almost destitute. The little family travels back to Ma Blackie's home village (Ma Blackie is much admired for her beautiful, extremely dark skin). Ma Blackie becomes a plural wife to Okonkwo, a relative of her husband's, and Aku-nna and Nna-nndo go to school....