Black Sunday

By: Tola Rotimi Abraham

Narrated by: Dele Ogundiran, Liz Femi, Miebaka Opuiyo-Yohannes, Ron Butler

Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Twin sisters Bibike and Ariyike are enjoying a relatively comfortable life in Lagos in 1996. Then their mother loses her job due to political strife and their father gambles away their home; the siblings are thrust into the reluctant care of their traditional Yoruba grandmother. Inseparable while they had their parents to care for them, the twins' paths diverge once the household shatters: one embracing modernity as the years pass, the other consumed by religion.

Written with astonishing intimacy and wry attention to the fickleness of fate, Black Sunday delves into the chaotic heart of family life. In the process, it tells a tale of grace in the midst of daily oppression and of how two women carve their own distinct paths of resistance.

©2020 Tola Rotimi Abraham (P)2020 Canongate Books Ltd

Authentic

"Black Sunday" by Tola Rotimi Abraham, narrated well in authentic voice mirrors contemporary Nigeria perfectly. Abandoned by their father after their mother loses her important government job, Nigerian twin girl teenagers and their brothers move in with their grandmother. A story of survival, hope, and triumph in the midst of difficult years, tough choices. Sad but funny. Very difficult to put down.

Good story. Terrible terrible Nigerian accents

Really wanted to like this but I just could not bear the accents. There much be lots of Nigerian actors/ voice over artists or ones that can do decent accents. Ruined the book for me

Promising start with moments of sharpness

An interesting subject matter and bold in the less conventional portrayal of relationships, authority gender roles and diaspora experiences. There were 'too many cooks' and the abrupt shifts between narrators and the inconsistent accents were very confusing. The narration issues overshadowed the story as the characters weren't believable. I had to work hard and to keep reminding myself who they were and how they were linked. I pushed on in the hope that they would become familiar but the feeling of disconnection lasted rite up until the very end of the story which suddenly felt quite rushed.

I will however hold out hope for the next offering from this author who clearly has sharpness and wit.

Great story line

It was a very captivating story. I was curious to see it to the end.

Good book, horrible narration

Only one of the four narrators was bearable. The other three had horrific Nigerian accents. The book was difficult to follow as their narration was distracting.