The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives

by Lola Shoneyin

To the dismay of her ambitious mother, Bolanle marries into a polygamous family, where she is the fourth wife of a rich, rotund patriarch, Baba Segi. She is a graduate and therefore a great prize, but even graduates must produce children and her husband's persistent bellyache is a sign that things are not as they should be. Bolanle is too educated for the 'white garment conmen' Baba Segi would usually go to for fertility advice, so he takes her to hospital to discover the cause of her barrenness. Weaving the voices of Baba Segi and his four competing wives into a portrait of a clamorous household of twelve, Lola Shoneyin evokes an extraordinary Nigerian family in splashes of vibrant colour.

Genres: Fiction, Africa, Nigeria, African Literature, Contemporary, Book Club, Literary Fiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published June 29, 2010

Reviews

[Nnedi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those novels that takes the well trodden (but almost always readable) path of the African women's novel and turns it on it's head. I burned through novels by Buchi Emecheta and Flora Nwapa because of their raw unapologetic honesty in portraying the lives of Nigerian women. Still, after reading six or seven in a row, I'd find myself just fuming with anger and need for justice. Their books weren't about meting out justice or even a bit of rebellion. The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives is that book. In this polygamous household there is complexity, hypocrisy, power, weakness, and a plethora of agendas. These women aren't just voiceless lumps nor are they all powerful goddesses. This man is the head and butt of his household. This novel was hyper real in that it managed to show so many angles of real life all in one narrative. I couldn't put this book down until it was finished and what a satisfying ending. Even if you don't normally read this type of book, I recommend it. You will emerge from this novel with a broadened perspective.

*excuse my typos. no time to spell check*

[Zanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baba Segi is a patriarch, comfortably off but not rich, unsophisticated and boorish but not brutal, sexist but not misogynistic. In return for a home, financial support, and the dubious privilege of sharing their beds with him on allotted nights, the "four wives" of Baba Segi cook, clean up after and pamper him, massaging his ego. Iya Segi, Iya Tope and Iya Femi look after their children, while the newest wife, graduate Bolanle, anxiously waits to fall pregnant, since it's taken for granted by all that childbearing and parenting is a woman's raison d'etre. Baba Segi is chuffed to have an educated wife, but Bolanle's mother is furious with her daughter for throwing herself away on such an oaf. Bolanle's sensibilities do seem out of kilter with her chosen lifestyle (for example, when they first meet, Baba Segi takes Bolanle's reading a novel in his presence as a personal insult) so what's going on? The reason is revealed, but it's only the first of many secrets that come to light in the course of the novel. Much of its appeal is the pleasure of juicy gossip, but the gossip is generally painful and serious, and dealt with sensitively.

Shoneyin teaches well, with subtlety and wisdom, I think. Bolanle starts to heal immediately when she reveals her secret; keeping secrets is a source of deep emotional harm to the keeper and others. I was glad that Shoneyin made space for queerness in one story, but sad that the cultural space for it is even smaller than the very limited expression allowed to women's heterosexual desires, explored in another strand. Hearteningly, Bolanle advises Segi, who is a teenager, when she has been out socialising with a crush and his male friends: 'A real woman must always do the things she wants to do, and in her own time too. You must never allow yourself to be rushed into doing things you're not ready for'. Another unexpectedly edifying little moment occurs when Baba Segi tells his teenage son 'only a real man can admit his own weakness'.

Baba Segi's ignorance and sexism are a source of hilarity, particularly in the hospital scenes. As well as inducing belly-laughs, these broad strokes signpost the central feminist point of The Joys of Motherhood. You really can't miss the outcry for female autonomy here. I appreciated that there is no judgement over the mention of a historical abortion, which is discussed calmly by the patient, the male doctors examining her, and even by Baba Segi, who shows his lack of education as usual but no moral condemnation. As always, he asks no questions. Shoneyin effectively shows up cultural tropes that render wives and children status-raising accessories to masculinity, but the critique is beautifully nuanced: the moments of sharply constructed emotional resonance, like when Bolanle challenges her mother's attack on her other daughter, Lara, over her pregnancy, often turn on the deeply held reverence for life and the centrality of social reproduction more broadly, just as Buchi Emecheta's satire in The Joys of Motherhood is counterpointed, for example by the amazing scene where random bystanders prevent a suicide.

For me none of the characters were really engaging and distinctive enough to make me fall deeply in love with this book. I found the teenage boy Akin appealing, if bland, and thanks to the unfolding back-stories, each first-person narrated to eliminate doubt, I was able to sympathise with all, even with Iya Femi, remembering that the abused becomes the abuser. Maybe I'm just a tough crowd. The strength of the book, apart from its ethical appeal to me as a woman-oriented feminist text, is the style, which is direct, often explicit, with a relish for coarseness and frankness around the body that recalls Angela Carter, but in a Nigerian rather than British tone, and the dialogue rings. In the best possible way, it's like watching TV drama.

[Anne Bogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delightful surprise; I laughed, I cried, I GASPED as I read. This contemporary Nigerian novel focuses on the happy-enough household of Baba Segi, where his three wives and their children have learned to live in relative harmony. But when Baba Segi takes a fourth wife—this one a university graduate—her arrival throws the family into chaos. It's no spoiler to say the wives steal the show! The story is told in rotating points of view, and we get to know each woman's personality and personal history in turn as matters come to a head. A heads up for sensitive readers: content warnings apply; please research before reading.

[BookOfCinz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Men are so simple. They will believe everything.

I took my time to read this book but I am so happy I finally got around to reading The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives . I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it was well written, paced perfectly and very addictive reading.

Baba Segi is married to three women, the story opens when he carries home his fourth wife Bolanle who is educated and not generally the type of woman who would marry Baba Segi. With the fourth wife joining the household, her reception from the other wives is cold. Yes, Bolanle expected this, but she did not expect them to take it that far. Told from the perspective of the four wives and Baba Segi, you get an intimate look into the Segi household and what happens when the big secret comes to light!

Shoneyin is a great storyteller and she gripped me with this story. I loved that she told it from the different POVs and how we are given tidbits along the way to keep you interested. I loved how you get the history of the wives before they end up with Baba Segi and what lead them to that fate.

Yes! The book is hilarious in certain areas and sobering in others and I think the author did an exceptional job of toeing that line.

If you are looking for a fast paced, interesting read, this is it.

When you buy a guava in the marketplace, you cannot open every single one to check for rottenness. And where you find rottenness, you do not always throw away the guava. You bite around the rot and hope that it will quench your cravings." Isnt that right Baba Segi!!!

Re-read this for BookOfCinz Book Club and I loved it even more!

[Brown Girl Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad I picked up this book, which I found researching books left and right. When I saw that it was a book on polygamy frankly I had no idea what to expect. My first thought was maybe something cliché. What I got was something much more interesting. It was a story I had a lot of trouble putting down although I was forced to because of work. Shoneyin who is more known for her poetry has debuted with a book which analyses polygamy, African tradition, and relationships between men and women with many twists and turns. It's quite a feminists novel that explores the injustices that happen to women and to men. The writing style flows beautifully and Shoneyin really has a way with words. She always seems to be able to describe a feeling or an incident perfectly. It's a short book and can be read in one sitting if you're a fast reader. If you're interested in reading books by African writers this one could be a good start. I wanted to fgive this one 4,5 stars but you know we still can't do that yet. Happy reading....

[Kristina Dauksiene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitaip, paprastai, spalvingai, ir tiesiai į dešimtuką!
Keturios moterys. Keturi likimai.Kiekviena jų audžiančios savą istoriją, priežastis, tikslą. Išsilaisvinti, valdyti, pabėgti nuo savęs, atkeršyti...
Ir dosnusis Baba Segi, valdantis haremą..ar jis tik priemonė tikslui pasiekti, visų keturių moterų gyvenimuose...
Vaizdinga, su pasišypsojimu, gyva kalba autorės kuriama istorija, apie praradimus, laukimą, savaip suprantamą kovą, norą susigrąžinti tai kas prarasta, susitaikymą su padėtimi, praregėjimą.
**************************************
Different, simple, colorful, and straight to the top ten!
Four women. Four destinies. Each of them weaves its own story, reason, and purpose. They seek to break free, rule, escape themselves, take revenge...
And Baba Segi, the generous ruler of the harem...who may just be a means in the lives of all four women...
The author skillfully crafts a vivid story with lively language, exploring themes of loss, waiting, self-evident struggle, the desire to regain what was lost, coming to terms with situations, and losing sight.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

WILD...yes that's exactly how I need to start this review. I don't know if I've quite read anything like this book before

The Secret Lives of the Four Wives is fascinating in more ways than one. I'm treading very carefully in how I talk about this book because knowing as little as possible is probably the thrill of it all. Baba Segi is a polygamist with four wives. In the beginning, I was disgusted with him. He had some interesting and honestly tactless views of women and marriage. In fact, I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to be able to make it through this book for Blackathon. However, when readers begin to get the narratives of Baba Segi's wives things get interesting and messy. Shoneyin does such an excellent job characterizing each of the wives and even Baba Segi. We not only get their current feelings, ideas, and motives while in their marriage and having to share a household with other women, but also their past lives that led them to Baba Segi. It is when Bolanle enters the household as the youngest and most educated wife that things really start to unravel and those past narratives become vital to how present events will take place. And when I tell ya'll that I didn't see the big reveal coming, I truly mean that I had no idea that 1) a big reveal was even going to happen and 2) that it was that huge of a reveal.

One of the things that Shoneyin does really well is the way that she paces the novel. It's so fluid that when things begin to pick up you feel shocked at how past decisions led characters to their current position. There is also a sense of morally grey behavior that occurs as the novel progresses. I was disgusted with Baba Segi in the beginning and while he annoyed me in the second half of the book, seeing more of his back story made him read less "bad" and less as a man trying to utilize polygamy for his own selfish reasons. And any questions that I had regarding why these women would even want to be married to a man like Baba Segi were answered as I progressed more through the text.

The Secret Lives of the Four Wives is a quick read especially once a reader is pulled into the story. As many reviewers have stated, it's both tragic and humorous and it will amaze you on how much Shoneyin is able to accomplish in such a short amount of pages. There are discussions about culture, the relationship of men and women in terms of how women are treated in a patriarchal society, desire, free will, familial expectations. It packs a punch in ways that are unexpected. And I know I've said it already, but that ending!!! I just can't seem to get over how everything unraveled. I haven't quite read a book like this and I appreciate Shoneyin for the story that she created surrounding some extremely interesting topics. She is truly a gifted storyteller.

[Susie Gaines · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book blew me away. I never thought I'd be interested in a book about Africa; it's usually not my thing. The novel had me hooked after the first page. The language is mesmerising and it was refreshing to read what English sounds like when it has an African feel.

The novel is about a polygamous family that is about to implode but doesn't know it. The newest wife fails to conceive and after two years, the patriarch, Baba Segi, takes her (Bolanle) to a hospital. This is where everything starts to unravel. I thought it was all going to be simple and straightforward until I found myself well and truly spun into the web of deception and subterfuge. The wives in this novel are so unpredictable. Does polygamy make them neurotic?

I am still thinking about this novel, four days after I turned the last page. This African family refuses to leave me. I am thinking about the wives and how they became wives, I am thinking about the children and irreplaceable loss, I am thinking how complicated it is for girls growing up, I am thinking people may come from different continents but their stories remain the same.

This is a wonderful book. Read it.

[Mohamed Shady]

ما الذي يفعله الإنسان حين يكتشف أن حياته بأكملها مبنية على كذبة؟
بابا ساغي هو رجل تقليدي للغاية، يقف في الوسط مع ميل للمحافظة، ليس ذكوريًا تمامًا لكنه ليس متحررًا أيضًا، متزوج من أربع نساء، ويريد أن ينجب الكثير من الأطفال. قبل الزوجة الرابعة كان كل شيء على ما يرام، أو هذا ما يبدو. الأمور هادئة في البر الغربي، والزوجات الثلاثة أنجبن له كل ما يشتهي من أطفال، يطيعونه في كل ما يرغب، ويُظهرون له الاحترام متى شاء.
لكن بابا ساغي شخصية كرتونية جدًا، يطلق الريح في العلن، ويحب الطعام ومجادلة الأطباء واستشارة السحرة، وزوجاته الثلاثة يعرفون هذا ويغذون في داخله كبرياء أحمق.
عندما تصل بولنله، الزوجة الرابعة، وهي متعلمة اختارت طواعية أن تكون زوجته لهدف في رأسها، تتغير الكثير من الأمور. ينقسم المنزل بين أغلبية تكره بولنله، وهؤلاء من يملكون السلطة في المنزل، أما البقية فلا مشكلة لديهم في وجودها لكنهم لا ينوون بأي حال من الأحوال الدفاع عنها في مواجهة إيا ساغي، الزوجة الأولى، وإيا فمي، الزوجة الثالثة، اللتان كونتا تحالفًا ضدها.
لطالما اعتقدت أن أفضل طريقة للقراءة عن مجتمع ما هي بأن نقرأ عن عائلة ضربت بجذورها عميقًا في تربة ذلك المجتمع، لأن هذا لا يعني أننا سنعرف ما يحدث خلف الأبواب المغلقة فقط، وإنما ما يحدث في الخارج أيضًا، حيث العلاقات الإنسانية، الصداقات والعداوات.
تتناول الكاتبة حياة كل شخصية من الشخصيات الرئيسية في الرواية، وتتنقل عبر الزمن، وعبر الضمائر (متكلم وغائب) لترسم صورة كاملة وتوضّح الأسباب التي تدفع كل هذه الشخصيات للتصرف بهذه الطريقة.
استمتعت جدًا بالرواية وأتت الترجمة لتُكمل التجربة: ترجمة ممتازة وسلسلة ولا غبار عليها.

أقع من جديد في حب الأدب الأفريقي الذي أهملته طويلًا.

[Gabrielė || book.duo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nors pažinti kitas kultūras per skaitymą be galo įdomu, kartais atsivertusi knygą suprantu, kad esu taip nutolusi nuo kitos tautos realybės, kad sunku tiek ją suprasti, tiek bandyti susitapatinti ar neteisti. Taip nutiko ir su šiuo romanu – pradėjau jį kiek atsargiai, nežinodama, ko tikėtis, ir jau nuo pirmųjų puslapių užvirė pyktis. Gal ir turėjau to laukti, visgi žinojau, kad bus kalbama apie vyrą, turintį keturias žmonas, ir turbūt naivu galvoti, kad joms visoms labai smagu gyventi pagal tokį susitarimą. Ir visgi dėl to pyktis neatlėgo – autorei pažindinant mus su pagrindiniais knygos veikėjais, kurie, net jei ir kiek karikatūriški, neabejoju, egzistuoja ir realybėje, siutau tiek ant Babos Segi, tiek ant trijų jo žmonų, pavertusių ketvirtosios gyvenimą tikru pragaru. Tačiau verčiant puslapius pradėjau jausti pokytį. Staiga nepasitenkinimas virto smalsumu, o ir romanas, kuris, kaip iš pradžių maniau, pasakos vienokią istoriją, iš tikro atsiskleidė visai kitomis spalvomis.

L. Shoneyin skaitytojui suteikia tai, ko dažnai panašiuose romanuose man pritrūksta – atpildą. Jis ne toks, kokio tikiesi, nes viskas neišsisprendžia tobulai, su ant viršaus užrištu raudonu kaspinu. Ne, viskas gana tragiška, nes tikrai nėra juoda balta, gerųjų ir blogųjų stovyklos čia persipina, vyksta be galo daug galios žaidimų, o kiekviena iš aprašomų moterų turi tiek pat gėdingų paslapčių, kiek ir nuostabių ir pavyzdinių savybių, ir dėl to romanas tampa be galo spalvingas. Kiekviena su visiškai skirtinga istorija, vis kitokio gylio žaizdomis, visos tos moterys čia tampa pilnavertės ir yra atskleidžiamos kaip kur kas galingesnės nei vyras, kuris, pasak visuomenės ir aplinkinių, yra už jas viršesnis kone visomis prasmėmis. Romane nemažai komedijos, kuri pasitelkiama kaip šokiravimo įrankis arba atsvara tam pykčiui, kurį sukelia aprašomos visuomenės taisyklės, todėl čia daug šūdų, riaugėjimo, purvo ir tos visiškai nenugludintos realybės, kuri tarsi juokinga, bet giliau pažvelgus veikiau liūdina. Labai maloniai nustebinęs kūrinys, gerokai viršijęs lūkesčius – rekomenduoju norintiems susipažinti su Nigerija kiek per kitokią prizmę ir tuo pat metu patenkinti tą (bent man) dažnai sukylantį atpildo troškimą.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

“From my bedroom I heard my mother sobbing, which was strange because the prospect of death did not usually upset her. She said she wanted to go to heaven and kill my father all over again. She was desperate for me to be married.”

Nigerian Baba Segi is the hardworking, uneducated husband to three wives: Iya Segi, Iya Tope, and Iya Femi; and father to their seven children. Their lives take place in Ayikara as the 20th century is drawing to a close. When Baba Segi takes a fourth wife, Bolanle, layers of story are slowly peeled back. Bolanle’s university degree creates a tension between her and the other semi-literate wives; and her inability to become pregnant after two years of Baba Segi’s “pounding” is the predicament that sets emotions roiling and schemes in motion.

This book really appealed to me for its lack of sentimentality. I enjoyed Shoneyin’s raw, boldly-descriptive storytelling style, and the cacophony of personalities she exposed. Her writing is sensitive, ironic, wicked, and bursting with parables. The story put me in the mind of the film “Mother of George,” as well as Amy Tan’s book The Joy Luck Club because it features women who---at first glance---you don’t suspect of having such complex histories and ways of fending for their lives.

[Katie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baba Segi is a Nigerian man with 4 wives; Iya Segi, Iya Tope, Iya Femi, and Bolanle. Even with a house already full of children, Baba Segi wants more and because Bolanle hasn't gotten pregnant yet, he insists she visit a doctor to find out what's wrong with her. The story alternates between the five characters both in the present and the past and what led them to a polygamous lifestyle.

A fascinating read and I'm so mad at myself that it sat on my tbr shelf for far too long. Wanting to know these women as individuals and not just their identity as a man's wife, is what drove my interest in the story. This isn't a book in which you need to like every character but by the end you do walk away understanding them better. It's apparent the author put so much thought into this story revolving around the subject of polygamy and that resulted in well-developed characters. Do check out the interview with Lola Shoneyin at the end of the book as it provides great insight into the writing process.

A stand out read for me this year. It's heartbreaking at times but there are bits of humor sprinkled along the way. I'm excited to learn Netflix is developing the book into a series. Can't wait to watch it!

Thank you William Morrow for providing me with a copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.

[Margitte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nigerian author, Lola Shoneyin brought a tender tale of compassion and love to the table with this book.

Baba Segi was a good man. A bit unrefined, and uneducated, but his heart was as big as a baobab tree, and the fruits of his devotion as prolific as a mango tree's. Sweet and irresistible.

It was his fourth wife, Bolanli, the graduate, who would spin his world in reverse when she failed to conceive a child. Was it not for Teacher, who encouraged him to take her to a real doctor, instead of his usual shamans and natural healers, life could have remained much less complicated. Favoritism, envy, insecurities and past hurts, rush to the surface with Baba Segi right-bang in the center of the revolt.

Iya Segi, Iya Tope, and Iya Femi, did not welcome Iya Bolanli into their family. Illiterate themselves, they decided to keep a secret from her in the hope that she would be forced to leave the family. However, fate determined otherwise, with the axles of their own little worlds tilting unexpectedly out of control.

A warm, sad, tale of redemption and hope. A fast-moving, gripping tale.

Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away by Christie Watson, was a similar kind of read, which brought tears and smiles alike to me.

A wonderful read!

[mwana]

Me at 11%- "This had better end with them killing Baba segi and taking all his wealth for themselves"

It doesn't. Dnf at pg. 100

[Raul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in one sitting, this is a fast-paced and very entertaining book. Bolanle, the fourth wife of a traditional polygamist patriarch, is the protagonist of this tale and it is her arrival, and its implications, into Baba Segi's household that sets the story moving. The writer shifts from the protagonist's narration to the other characters' to the third person quite seamlessly and the drama and humour in this book, expertly written.

If I haven't discussed enough about the plot, it is because the mystery and secret in the story is a big enough element that a detailed explanation would spoil the story. This was a good story though, which I enjoyed very much.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Baba Segi brings in a 4th wife to his polygamous marriage, I was reaching for my popcorn because the drama was going down! The established 3 wives are far from welcoming to our newcomer. But the book shifts gears a bit and we get an intimate view into each woman’s story and plenty of other emotions surfaced, including a jaw drop at an unexpected revelation that impacts them all. I really enjoyed this book and loved how the women take center stage here and hold collective power. Recommend!

[Oyinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives
Author: Lola Shoneyin
Rating: 5
👭🏾
The first time I read this book was for a Literature class in 200 Level. While I remember it being a very good book, I must have breezed through it because a lot of things about this book flew over my head, and I’m glad I reread it because I now see it in a clear and beautiful new light. This book has so much depth and beauty, and everyone definitely needs to read it. I buddyread it with @itan.ile on Instagram, and I really enjoyed the conversations we had about the book.
👭🏾
Focusing on Baba Segi and his four wives – Iya Segi, Iya Tope, Iya Femi, and Bolanle, Lola Shoneyin takes us on a wild ride. Full of secrets, humor, malice, and sketchy pasts, there’s so much to love about this book. The writing style, the characterization, the themes discussed, and the psinted portrait of a Nigerian polygamous home are some of my favorite things about the book. Shoneyin explored a wide range of themes in this book, including but not limited to infertility and barrenness, polygamy, rape and sexual abuse, queerness, and bad parenting.
👭🏾
In the Alao household, Baba Segi reigns supreme, and his first 3 wives are enjoying their little ecosystem before the arrival of Bolanle, the educated fourth wives. For reasons best known to them, they believe that Bolanle’s arrival will turn their existence in Baba Segi’s household upside down. There were so many instances of the wives doing mean-spirited and downright evil things to Bolanle in a bid to get her to leave their home. I love that the author did not just stop here with the first 3 wives. Apart from painting them as wicked senior wives, she rounded them out as women with pasts and their own secrets and histories. At the end, you can’t help but feel different feelings – both warm and cold – towards them, as opposed to just disliking them if Shoneyin hadn’t developed them fully.
👭🏾
The author also explored different family settings in the book apart from Baba Segi’s family, through the past of the other wives. We see different parents and how their decisions and fates affected the futures of their daughters.
👭🏾
This was a really great book, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone.

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

أسرة ممتدة بزوجات عديدات و سر كبير يجمعهن.
العمل يدور حول دور المرأة في المجتمع النيجيري من خلال قصص زوجات بابا ساغي.
العمل مكتوب بتقنية تعدد الرواة و هن الزوجات زدو الزوج و عبر تعاقبهم في الحكي نتعرف على طبيعة العلاقات في مجتمع يقدس التكاثر و يجعل مقياس دور المرأة في عدد ما تنجبه و مقياس ذكورة الرجل في فحولته و قدرته الانجابية.

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not going to say much about this one – mainly because I’m like 30 reviews behind for the year already. I will say for a blurb that touts this debut as one written by a “gifted Nigerian-born poet” I thought the writing was a little lackluster. Buuuuuuuuut, when it came to Baba Segi’s wives secret????




That was some pretty good stuff. And the green cover with the wives all in silhouette as well as the one where they are all wearing vibrant dresses are simply the bees knees.

The only experience I had before this book when it came to Nigerian polygamy was Angela and Michael’s constant fighting over her inability to “tote a baby” on 90 Day Fiancé . . . .because I am poor white trash. This was a quick little read that I thought mixed light and heavy subject matter together very well and where the multi-wife household was just matter of fact rather than preaching the good or evil regarding the subject.

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Throughout the first quarter of this novel, I found myself laughing my butt off. Baba Segi is one of the most ignorant men to walk the face of this earth (in fiction anyway.) Sure, men see him as successful because after all, he is able to afford four wives and 7 children and four comfortable armchairs, but this man is not only terribly stupid at times but he also vomits on himself when he gets upset and um, at one point, he poops his pants.

So... by the time I got to the part where the polygamist pooped his pants, I was checking the spine and the back of this book to see if it was branded humor because that wasn't what I expected. However, when Baba attempted to strangle wife number four, I decided this was most def not funny. From that point on, the book was downhill. Baba is a jerk and his wives are conniving, evil wenches, the exception being wife number four, Bolanle.

Bolanle is just a weak woman who thinks that because something bad happened to her at 15, she is doing the right thing by throwing away a college degree to marry a fat old man who poops and vomits and has three other equally ignorant and repulsive wives. I failed to ever see her reasoning in marrying this man. Well, Bolanle is not conceiving a child (and this is why there is only four armchairs.. she hasn't earned her own chair yet), despite Baba's many attempts so off to the hospital they go and boy, this opens a can of worms.

I hated the entire middle. The wives all gripe and bellyache and hate each other. Even Bolanle's mother does nothing but gripe and bellyache about her daughters. The ending was pretty decent tho, saving this from becoming a one star read. The secret of Baba's wives, I seen coming, but there was a surprise issue involving one of the daughters. I didn't see that coming and I appreciated the moral involved in it, about hate and hateful actions. They can come back on you.

[Gretos knygos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oj kokia netikėtai puiki ši knyga! Ėmiau į rankas nemačius tikriausiai nei vieno atsiliepimo ar apžvalgos. Knygą leidyklą išleido jau prieš kurį laiką, o ji nugrimzdo į knygų naujienų dugną ir liko tarsi nepastebėta. O visai be reikalo. Čia viena iš tų istorijų, kur viskas taip graudu ir tragiška, kad net ima juokas.

Baba Segi – vyras, kuris turi jau tris žmonas, krūvą vaikų, tačiau jam prisireikia ir ketvirtosios. Bolanlė ateina į jų nediduką haremą ir sujaukia, manytume, ramius vandenis. Bet ar tikrai viskas ten taip idealu? Vos tik ėmė aiškėti paslaptys, norėjau krizenti, tačiau autorė taip puikiai sudėliojo visus taškus, kad ir krizenau ir gailėjau vienu metu. Bet gi durną ir bažnyčioj muša – šioji mintis nepaliko mano galvos visą antrąją knygos pusę.

Pagrindinė knygos problema man nekėlė didelių moralinių klausimų, kažkaip ir pernelyg nenustebino. Tačiau gyvatynas, kurį aprašė autorė buvo šio to vertas. Kai moterys pajaučia konkurenciją – laikykitės. Tik kad juokingiausia, jog tokiose „kovose“ nugalėtojų dažniausiai nebūna. Manau, kad nebuvo ir šioje knygoje.

Kartais buvo kiek sudėtinga skaityti dėl veikėjų gausos ir dėl to, kad ne visada buvo aišku, kas pasakoja, nes ne visad autorė rinkosi pateikti pasakotojo vardą. Buvo galima tik spėlioti, kuri gyvatė čia rezga savo pinkles ir dėsto savą istorijos versiją. Vis tik po kurio laiko kortos sukrito į vietas ir knyga su kiekvienu skyriumi gerėjo.

Kaži ar daug kartų buvau susidūrusi su poligamijos tema, tad sužinojau nemažai naujo, tačiau tos žinios nebuvo netikėtos, nes pasaulis taip surėdytas – dažniausiai galingiausias jaučiasi pirmas pasirinktas variantas ir vėliau visus šokdina ant ausų. O kur dar paslaptys, kurios ėmė gana greit skleistis… tai tik dar kartą įrodė, kaip stipriai vyrai retsykiais gali pervertinti savo jėgas ir galią. Smagus romanas, vertas dėmesio ir pastebėjimo.

Leidyklos dovana.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Lives of Baba Seji’s Wives was just what I needed. Lola Shoneyin tells the satisfying story of one flatulent man, his four wives, and the secret that three share and one is stumbling towards revealing. I was here for the soap opera drama and humour, which this book had in spades, but even more, i loved how the story circled back to the stories of each wife, and the hard choices that each made to land in this marriage. I appreciated the diversity of backgrounds that still left these women without choices of their own, and how despite the multitude of places they came from, how their worlds were shrunk down to one small house and the endless competition to keep oneself and one’s children of central importance to the patriarch. The depiction of Baba Seji as the grossest dude in all the land really sealed the deal for me, I was pissed that these women, who I admired individually for different characteristics, tenacity, work ethic, misplaced shame, a gentle spirit, felt gratitude to be in such a stifling and unappealing compromise of a partnership. This story read as a parable of sorts, as expected, and it delivered the satisfaction of a story that wrapped itself up and gave the gift of closure.

[Tamara Agha-Jaffar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Nigeria, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin tells the story of Baba Segi, a proud, affluent, corpulent, and flatulent man with four wives and seven children. Baba Segi’s fourth wife, Bolanle, is the youngest of his wives and the only one among them who is literate and a university graduate. Bolanle’s failure to conceive prompts Baba Segi to take her to the doctor, a visit which leads to unintended consequences. Baba Segi’s world is shattered when he learns the secrets his three wives have harbored for many years.

The narrative unfolds by alternating between third-person and first-person voices primarily of Baba Segi’s wives. Each wife reveals her back story, explaining how and why she married Baba Segi and what led her to deceive him. Baba Segi’s behavior is typical of a patriarch. He views wives and children as vehicles to elevate his social status. He expects their complete obeisance. They oblige him by maintaining the façade that he is in control. They fuss over him, pamper him, and prop his ego. Meanwhile, Baba Segi is oblivious to the plotting and scheming and subterfuge occurring right under his nose. Bolanle is the only wife who does not partake in the subterfuge. And for that she incurs the jealousy and wrath of the other wives who scheme against her.

In a quick and easy read, Shoneyin explores the intricate dynamics of a polygamous family. There is jealousy, rivalry, and feuding as each wife competes for the attention of Baba Segi. The driving force behind the back-stabbing, lies, and cowardice of Baba Segi’s first three wives is their desperate need for economic security. Their back stories reveal how they were mistreated, sexually exploited, assaulted, denied opportunities, and cheated of their inheritance. They cling to Baba Segi as their savior, tolerating his bodily emanations and crude sexual fumblings because their options for economic stability are severely limited.

Lola Shoneyin’s style is explicit and direct, laced with occasional humor. Her writing is grounded in an unabashed look at reality. She does not shy away from a frank description of the noises, sounds, and smells emanating from Baba Segi’s body, or his pounding heft as he rotates between wives on successive nights. Insects and rodents bask in the food and home. Sexuality is on full display on street corners and shady streets. But in spite of the squalid atmosphere, Shoneyin’s tone throughout is gentle and non-judgmental. She even manages to generate sympathy for the wives through their back stories. And Baba Segi, for all his faults, delusions, and deep entrenchment in the traditions of his social environment, is a generous man at heart.

Through her exploration of the dynamics within a polygamous family, Shoneyin conveys a salient truism that cuts across cultures. Women who turn against other women and ridicule their accomplishments frequently do so because they are in competition to secure a mate who can fulfill the role of economic provider. This is especially true in cultures where women have been denied access to educational opportunities. Shoneyin contextualizes the social, cultural, and economic environment of co-wives with empathy. It is not coincidental that Bolanle’s generosity of spirit toward her co-wives and their children is directly linked to her potential for economic autonomy afforded by her university education.

Highly recommended.

My book reviews are also available at www.tamaraaghajaffar.com

[Titilayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

reading this book was like listening to my father tells anecdotes about growing up in elemosho compound. this novel (as well as my dad’s stories) has that "we walked barefoot up a hill six miles in snow every day to get to school after feeding the cows, drawing water from the well, and chopping a ton of wood" tone; but, it is decidedly nigerian. the story was elegant. the purpose driven lives, greed, kinship, jealousy, boldness, malice, naiveté, fear, hypocrisy, and religiosity magnify the symbiotic relationship between tradition and modernity. this story came from a brilliant mind. .

the wives are complex beings with demons and angels standing in the shadow of their footsteps. they are vastly different people thrust together by marriage to simple man. they negotiate patriarchy like osun telling the village she has learned the secrets of divination from orunmila \bobby fisher facing his russian nemesis. his ignorance is innocent and blinding. he allows himself to be cockled and victimized by arrogance. his tale could be an allegory for british colonialism. (someone should write a dissertation about this). he bought four strangers into his home to create a family. the illusion of cohesion permeates deeper than the surface tension of sharing resources and attention. think achebe meets faulkner. Then forget everything you know and read this book three times…

[Katarina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can’t remember the last time I was so disappointed by a book. With everything that was so obviously wrong about it, I don’t even know where to start.

Maybe best to do this step by step:

1) The characters were poorly drawn up
I guess the point of constantly (and annoyingly) changing POV was to give us deeper insights into each of the characters’ lives, but since the book is tiny, we didn’t have a chance to see more than one or two of these brief episodes, providing next to no clarity on their inner thought processes.

There was not one lead character we could empathise with and the writing was so “same” across all the chapters, I could not even distinguish one character from another until I did some mental math and figured out which wife was not mentioned by name, to understand she was the “I” behind first person narration.

Not to mention that even the little we learnt about the people didn’t serve any purpose, as they often behaved so out-of-character, it made me want to cry. Are we seriously to believe that the guy who constantly speaks over his wives and doesn’t shy away from physical violence would meekly succumb to fertility tests, especially when he believes it is his wife who is a problem? And are we really supposed to think that a girl who is supposedly college educated would behave as sheepishly and, sorry to say, “lamely” when affronted by the other wives? No woman with a bit of brain would react the way Bolanle did in face of injustice and violence.

2) The dialogues were not-believable and painful to read>
The dialogues were so not-believable, that at times it got me wondering if the author did it on purpose. Nobody - and people who are not educated even less so - speaks like Shoneyin’s characters did. The sentences didn’t flow, their structure was forced and even the flow of their sequence felt strong-armed.

Because of this, many moments lost whatever power they were supposed to bear - the revelation of Baba Segi’s infertility fell flat on its face by empty-feeling flow of words from Iya Segi’s mouth, Bolanle’s revelation of being raped to her mother felt insincere and staged, and all Baba Segi’s family meetings monologues were so painfully stitched together that if he had to get them out of his mouth, he would for sure have gagged and not understood half of what he was saying.

3) The writing was clunky
This brings me directly to the writing style itself. It seemed to me that Shoneyin wanted to sound as beautiful and crafty in her text as some of her other fellow African writers (Ngozi Adichie and Gyasi immediately come to mind), but unfortunately for the reader, her prose just came out clunky, weighty with metaphors that didn’t really make sense or felt too forced to fit whatever the author wanted us to see.

I often made myself re-read the same sentence two or three times to discover the melody that I was missing, only to stumble through the words and not being able to make head or toe out of them.

4) You could not feel the location at all
Even though the drama is set in the city of Ibadan, that’s probably as much as you are ever going to get out of the Africa vibes. I have never realised it is possible until now, but there is such a thing as messing up the whole localisation in a novel and making the reader feel as if the story is floating around the globe, unattached to any geographical location known to men.

No matter how many palm-oil soaked fufus or italicised foreign words the author threw in, it failed to conjure absolutely any semblance of a Nigerian (or even African) city. It is hard to believe, but even The Shadow of the Sun, which was written by an as-European-as-you-can-get white Pole, felt more African than this.

As another reviewer already remarked, the whole story might have been set in Pakistan, and you wouldn’t have noticed.

5) The climax was butchered and the ending of the story illogical
If I had to pick one, this would be my main grievance. You can be a bad writer, you can draw up flat characters, I am happy to tolerate it all, if the build-up leads to something worthwhile. But, also on this front, the author failed miserably. What good was building up all the suspense regarding Baba Segi’s fertility and background of the wives, their secret desires and hopes, just to anti-climax it all by one butchered admission and not have the husband react in any satisfactory way?

I was expecting shouting matches, violence and outbursts of righteousness from all the concerned parties, only to see the chauffer we didn’t care for leave and then be brought back to their hut, everyone subserviently chewing through their clunky sentences and everything getting back to normal without practically any memorable scene to speak off… Not to mention the pointless fuss that was made about Bolanle’s being a graduate for three quarters of the book, only to see her resignedly return to her parents, not displaying any educated reaction whatsoever.

What a let-down.

6) Wasted topic of polygamy
Last, but not least, I felt thoroughly sorrow about how the topic of polygamy was handled. It was supposed to be the main premise of the book! I expected grand things - there are so many ways you can tackle the arrangement (just thinking about A Thousand Splendid Suns still gives me goosebumps)... But to resort to simple hatred and nasty scheming to decide how to oust the outsider? How cheap.

Just this sole fact made the book what I am always hoping to avoid - cheap, flat, predictable and unsurprising reading that didn’t teach me anything new, that didn’t make me think and that only reinforced the prevalent images majority of people have towards difficult and controversial topics.

Why even bother?

[Chiseke Chiteta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that had been on my TBR for quite sometime. After reading it, I am now asking myself why it took me so long. I totally enjoyed this book.

[Henry Ozogula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lola Shoneyin's book is one of the most successful and most widely read, received in African literary history (never mind African women's literature). This of course indicates that this work is also widely read in the western world. Indeed some observers sneer at facts like this, claiming that such an author is only largely read by "detached whites' overseas", but this is absurd, as tens of thousands of perceptive African readers abound all over the western world anyway.

Shoneyin is a superb writer, often even giving the impression of a tongue in cheek, non-conformist. This book is about polygamy, African polygamy, which might remind one of the late Isidore Okpewho's early classic, The Victims. Here, we have an irresistible mixture of societal intrigue, chicanery, blackmail, gossip and sparkling conversations, as we latch onto the inner workings/travails of a medley of women in particular.

Many a modern African man will express their reservations, and even the "impossibility" of coping with just one woman at home (monogamy), as they claim that many modern women in turning their man into a "docile imbecile" - hence younger ones can only grasp at the effrontery of Baba Segi (the polygamist here) who marries 3, 4 women and somehow keeps them in tow, including whenever he deigns to invite any of the wives to share his bed!

Here we vividly experience the gamut of what such women (wives) go through - their daily foibles and experience, the horrors of (child) barrenness, intense, sly competition among women and siblings... The author pulls it all off magnificently.

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin- 4🌟

Content warnings: Rape, Child death, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Infertility

When I began this book, I gave up on it two times before I gave it one final try and I am surprised to have loved this book. It is not the type of a story that I usually read and I didn’t see myself ever enjoying this story but it was one that I liked reading because it was beautifully written and near the end it got really better.

--“The truth, they say, cannot hide itself forever. Even if it conceals itself at the bottom of a well, one day, drought will reveal it.”--

Baba Segi has married another woman, Bolanle, she’s educated and she’s not the woman the other wives expected to be, now they have less nights with their husband because he has to spend his night with Bolanle as well. The only problem comes when Bolanle can’t get pregnant, that is when the other three wives decide it is time, they must teach her a lesson but, in this process, they bring to light a huge secret…

I must say, I loved these women, not the way they behaved with each other but individually they were strong women, all of them having gone through some difficulty and they were beautifully carved out characters. I disliked they were when it came to their household, that really got on my nerves sometimes…

This book is a perfect balance of humour and of the dark topics and I loved that aspect of this book, nothing is overbearing in this book and the most hilarious scene is the hospital scene, it had me laughing out loud. I loved the way the family dynamics are portrayed in the books and that Lola’s characters in this book were so different, all of them and it is quite surprising how all the POV’s were so different and versatile.

--“A real woman must always do the things she wants to do, and in her own time too. You must never allow yourself to be rushed into doing things you're not ready for.”--

I loved how we were given the back stories of each of the wife and Baba Segi too. While the backstory of Baba Segi was a little disheartening, it still didn’t warm me upto him and his character was still the one I truly disliked throughout the book because his patriarchal thoughts really frustrated me… when we are initially introduced to these wives and Baba Segi (who is very frustrating) so initially the main question was why would these women, who seemed to have such strong opinions, marry him, even Bolanle for that matter but then as you move forward you are given the reasons and wow, that part is so insightful and beautifully written.

My only reason for giving it one less star would be for the fact that the change between some of the POV’s got really confusing to me and because sometimes the characters really got on my nerves.

Overall, honestly, I’m still thinking about how this book ended because I can’t believe the way Shoneyin has put an end to it, I did not expect the secret and I was blown away by how serenely this book has come to an end. I would recommend this book for sure because it's an amazing story and it brings to light some very important topics. I’m floored… and I’m so excited to hear that this is going to turn into a Netflix show and I cannot wait! It would be so amazing to watch this!

--“The choices we have to make in this world are hard and bitter. Sometimes we have no choices at all.”--

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[Cheryl James · Rating 5 out of 5]

May, 2023 Bookclub Selection

This is the first book I read where black women are so nasty, rude, fierce, hateful, arrogant and so much more. I guess this is what you experience when there are 4 wives, multiple children, and one husband in the same household.

At times this book took my breath away, made me sad, happy, surprised and angry.

The stories of each wife were bittersweet. They experienced a lot of trauma. At times they seem to live together so viciously, not many happy moments.

The wives secrets were finally prevailed which caused anger and grief to the husband.

The way I see it the acts of the wives were no different from the acts of the husband. The wives acts were done in secret and the husband's acts were done in the open.

The narrator was amazing. The audio kept me engaged in the book.

I am looking forward to watching the soon to be Netflix movie.

[علا المقدم · Rating 2 out of 5]

لا يمكنك أن تقول أنها رواية إباحية ولا يمكنك أيضًا أن تقول أنها رواية شاعرية، فلا هي هذه ولا هي تلك.
أعتقد أنها مرتي الأولى لقراءة أدب نيچيري وبداية غير مبشرة الحقيقة.
الاستفاضة في وصف الحياة الزوجية الحميمية كان مبالغًا فيه، اكتشفت سر بابا ساغي الذي هو نفسه لا يعرفه بنفسي لذا لم تُفاجئني النهاية بالمرة.
لم أفهم أيًا من الشخصيات، ولا تصرفاتهم، كان الأمر مريبًا، لم يعجبني كيف صُوّر الإسلام في الرواية وإن كان بشكل هامشي، لذا هذه رواية لا أنصح بقراءتها، مضيعة للوقت وحسب.