Nigerwife - the foreign wife of a Nigerian husband who takes up residence in Nigeria.
Nicole Oruwari is of Jamaican descent and lived in London until she made the decision to move to Nigeria with her handsome husband, Tonye and her two sons. Tonye’s family, which includes his parents, live in an opulent mansion in Lagos. She is leaving her troubled family home where she has always felt like an outsider although she was among family. The anticipation of a more luxurious and grand life excited her but what she found was more loneliness, isolation and depression. Even being a part of the exclusive “Nigerwives' ' did not provide the fulfillment she thought she would have received being married to Tonye in such a beautiful and lavish city.
Nicole’s life looks so perfect, but a very different picture soon begins to emerge. Nicole disappears after a boat outing in Ikoyi harbor with little details of what happened, or if she’s alive or not. Her aunt Claudine who took on the role of a mother image to her when Nicole’s mother died, travels to Lagos to get answers about Nicole’s disappearance. She is shocked to find that life seems to be moving along fine for Tonye and his family and there was very little investigation into what could have happened to Nicole. Claudine starts her own investigation and learns so much about Nicole’s life, secrets and the stability of her marriage.
THE NIGERWIFE was a slow burn that was quite wordy so I found myself putting down more than I should have. When I did become invested in the story, I found it bottomless and a bit disjointed. I wanted to know more about her life with Tonye before the move to Nigeria, what their life was like in the early stages in her marriage and before kids to see why it was desirable for her to leave her family and move to a foreign country with him. As I learned more about her character, I was not able to empathize with her. I found her a bit messy and I questioned her relationship as a mother as there was very little interaction with her kids. The mystery of her disappearance kept me engaged in this domestic thriller.
Reviewed by Paula Allen
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