Daughters Who Walk This Path

An authentic, wrenching novel chronicling a young girl's coming of age in turbulent, bustling, contemporary Nigeria Spirited and intelligent, Morayo grows up surrounded by school friends and family in busy, modern-day Ibadan. An adoring little sister, their traditional parents, and a host of aunties and cousins make Morayo's home their own, so there's nothing unusual about her charming but troubled cousin, Bros T, moving in with the family. At first Morayo and her sister are delighted, but in her innocence, nothing prepares Morayo for the shameful secret Bros T forces upon her. Thrust into a web of oppressive silence woven by the adults around her, Morayo must learn to protect herself and her sister from a legacy of silence shared by the women in her family. Only her Aunt Morenike provides Morayo with a safe home and a sense of female community that sustains her as she develops into a young woman in a bustling, politically charged, and often violent country.

About the Author :
Yejide Kilanko was born in Ibadan, Nigeria, the daughter of a university professor and his wife. She married an American computer programmer and immigrated to Laurel, Maryland. Kilanko is now a social worker in children's mental health and lives in Canada. Daughters Who Walk This Path is her first novel. Claudia Alick is a playwright, stage actress, writer, producer, and teacher. She is the Artistic Director of Smokin Word Production, a theater, recording, and small press company dedicated to building the new genre of spoken word and hip-hop theater. American Theatre magazine identified her as one of the twenty-five theater artists who will shape American theater in the next twenty-five years.

Review :
Daughters Who Walk This Path is a subtle yet complex exploration of what it means to be a young woman, growing up in contemporary Nigeria. Kilanko does not shy away from tough subjects. Just as importantly, she does not sensationalize them. This is a delightful, haunting book from a very talented writer. -- "Chika Unigwe, author of On Black Sisters' Street " A welcome and much needed chronicle of family politics in contemporary Nigeria. -- "Sefi Atta, award-winning author of Everything Good Will Come " Kilanko's characters are affecting and admirable; her storytelling agile and persuasive; her dialogue convincing and funny. Kilanko's primary job in social work and child protection allows her a deep understanding of victimization. She leaves us with a sense of a Nigerian woman's heroism in the face of social prejudice. Morayo and her aunt Morenike walked us down a path we hope we will be able to meet them on again. -- "Toronto Star" Kilanko's courageous characters reveal how young women bear their coming-of-age, and then they learn to tell. -- "Kim Echlin, Giller Prize-nominated author " Kilanko's telling of these hardships is matter-of-fact and plainly written, letting the drama of the narrative take center stage...Claudia Alick narrates Daughters Who Walk This Path, and her reading is fluent, gliding through Nigerian place and character names without a stumble. Alick is enthusiastic and effusive, and listeners will be able to hear the smile on her face during the times of joy and the tears at the too-often times of pain. -- "SoundCommentary.com" Morayo's story is universal, and women around the world will relate. -- "Winnipeg Free Press" Those who enjoy literary fiction will fall in love with Claudia Alick's energetic narration of a complex story. Set in a traditional Nigerian household, the novel includes a myriad of women-from aunties, to grandmothers, and the protagonist herself. Yet there's never a moment one feels lost. Alick brings the Nigerian characters to life with authentic diction and a lively cadence, and her treatment of the dialogue keeps the listener engaged. She brings out the full dramatic potential of the richly developed plot, reading with feeling the moments that affect the child protagonist. The listener is in capable hands throughout this story of tradition and betrayal in modern-day Nigeria. -- "AudioFile" Though the subject of her novel is one that'll typically make us avert our eyes, Yejide Kilanko combines an unflinching gaze, a tender heart and a gift for lyrical storytelling. Daughters Who Walk This Path is a necessary book. -- "E. C. Osondu, Caine Prize-winning author " Ultimately, Daughters Who Walk This Path is an unflinching representation of the attitudes that existed-and in some places still do exist-toward victims of sexual assault. Kilanko's true accomplishment is to give readers access to the women's pain and, sometimes, their redemption. -- "Globe and Mail (Toronto)"