Leyla

“Men are so simple. They will believe anything.”
― Lola Shoneyin, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives

“My daughters were born with eyes in their stomachs so they are quick to digest all that they see.”
― Lola Shoneyin, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives

“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.”
― Lola Shoneyin, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives

“And when they asked us where we were from, we exchanged glances and smiled with the shyness of child brides. They said, Africa? We nodded yes. What part of Africa? We smiled. Is it that part where vultures wait for famished children to die? We smiled. Where the life expectancy is thirty-five years? We smiled? Is is there where dissidents shove AK-47s between women's legs? We smiled. Where people run about naked? We smiled. That part where they massacred each other? We smiled. Is it where the old president rigged the election and people were tortured and killed and a whole bunch of them put in prison and all, there where they are dying of cholera - oh my God, yes, we've seen your country; it's been on the news.”
― NoViolet Bulawayo, We Need New Names