In "Stay with Me," Ayobami Adebayo weaves a haunting tale of love and loss in Nigeria, where societal pressures collide with personal desires. Yejide and Akin, a young couple yearning for a family, find their dreams shattered by the weight of tradition and betrayal. As secrets unravel, their hearts face a relentless test, leading them down a path of desperation and heartbreak. The story unflinchingly explores the complexities of marriage, fidelity, and the human spirit's resilience. Will Yejide and Akin's love endure the storm, or will the forces of fate tear them apart forever?
By Ayobami Adebayo
Published: 2017
"I thought I had time."
“Powerfully magnetic. . . . In the lineage of great works by Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. . . . A thoroughly contemporary—and deeply moving—portrait of a marriage.” —The New York Times Book Review Ilesa, Nigeria. Ever since they first met and fell in love at university, Yejide and Akin have agreed: polygamy is not for them. But four years into their marriage—after consulting fertility doctors and healers, and trying strange teas and unlikely cures—Yejide is still not pregnant. She assumes she still has time—until her in-laws arrive on her doorstep with a young woman they introduce as Akin’s second wife. Furious, shocked, and livid with jealousy, Yejide knows the only way to save her marriage is to get pregnant. Which, finally, she does—but at a cost far greater than she could have dared to imagine. The unforgettable story of a marriage as seen through the eyes of both husband and wife, Stay With Me asks how much we can sacrifice for the sake of family. A New York Times Notable Book One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Chicago Tribune, BuzzFeed, Entertainment Weekly, The New York Post, Southern Living, The Skimm A 2017 BEA Buzz Panel Selection A Belletrist Book-of-the-Month A Sarah Jessica Parker Book Club Selection Shortlisted for the 2017 Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction Shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize and the 9mobile Prize for Literature Longlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize
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“I thought I had time.”
Stay with Me
By Ayobami Adebayo
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Ayobami Adebayo is a talented Nigerian author known for her compelling storytelling and rich character development. Her debut novel, "Stay With Me," was widely acclaimed, winning several awards and being shortlisted for notable prizes, such as the 2017 Bailey's Women's Prize for Fiction. Adebayo’s work often explores themes of love, loss, and the complexities of family dynamics, set against the backdrop of contemporary Nigerian society. She holds a degree in English literature from Obafemi Awolowo University and has received an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. Adebayo continues to be a significant voice in modern literature, captivating readers with her poignant narratives and insightful perspectives.
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SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILEY'S WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 'A delicious, important novel' The Times 'Alert, alive and gripping' Independent 'Some novels tell a great story and others make you change the way you look at the world. Americanah does both.' Guardian As teenagers in a Lagos secondary school, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love. Their Nigeria is under military dictatorship, and people are fleeing the country if they can. Ifemelu--beautiful, self-assured--departs for America to study. She suffers defeats and triumphs, finds and loses relationships and friendships, all the while feeling the weight of something she never thought of back home: race. Obinze--the quiet, thoughtful son of a professor--had hoped to join her, but post-9/11 America will not let him in, and he plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London. Thirteen years later, Obinze is a wealthy man in a newly democratic Nigeria, while Ifemelu has achieved success as a writer of an eye-opening blog about race in America. But when Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, and she and Obinze reignite their shared passion--for their homeland and for each other--they will face the toughest decisions of their lives. Fearless, gripping, spanning three continents and numerous lives, Americanah is a richly told story of love and expectation set in today's globalized world.
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