The Horrors of being 29, Single and Nigerian
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If you’ve ever been 29, single and you are a Nigerian (no matter where you live), you will definitely identify with this book. This fictional story was written by Naijasinglegirl and reviewed by Temini Teluwo-Adebowale.
Being single is hard enough in Nigeria. In church, you are constantly reminded of your single status, when they call for special prayers for ladies who want to marry this year (I wonder why they hardly ever address prayers specifically to single men???). When you go home for any of the numerous holidays our government generously declares, all the Aunties and Uncles would be asking when they are coming to take asoebi. On hearing you are still single with no prospect in sight, they would immediately start recommending all the different mountains you can visit, where God’s antenna is specially tuned to pick up your cries. Add to that mixture being unemployed and you have the recipe for the book, ’29, Single and Nigerian’ written by NaijaSingleGirl.
About 29, Single and Nigerian
This book follows the story of Edikan, a naive, Calabar girl through NYSC, to the hassles of trying to find a job after completing her service year, and her travails in her love life. We also get flashbacks of her life growing up in a poor home, having to live with her aunt as a maid at a young age, with its resulting hardship. Let me be honest with you, I almost slapped myself for not getting this book since I heard about it late last year.
The story
This is one unique, hilarious and totally relatable read! I couldn’t help but giggle at the writer’s description of Edikan’s experience at NYSC camp. I honestly thought I was the only one who hated every minute of the three weeks spent in camp during my NYSC service year. Edikan’s journey to Lagos for the first time to find employment, and her misadventures as a ‘Johnny just come’ aka JJC in Lagos, would have you remembering your first time in Lagos, if you relocated to Lagos. A lot of people (including me) can relate to the euphoria of leaving service, expecting to get a job immediately at one of the big firms with an amazing salary, and the disappointment of attending numerous job aptitude tests and interviews without any positive outcome.
The book also paints a picture of the horror of being a single graduate Nigerian girl, where true success from parents and friends alike is defined as been engaged and married to a successful man. Edikan constantly harassed by her worried parents to find a man, struggles to find love in her own way, and her story could easily be the tale of a million Nigerian single ladies.
Some Real Issues the Book Raises
One area the book also touches on, is the pressure sometimes placed by Nigerian parents on their children to act a certain way, read a certain course, be successful, become the bread winner of the family, which could have disastrous consequences. It also ends a realistic way, not everyone gets their happy ending and neither does Edikan.
It took me all of two hours and thirty minutes to finish this book as I could not put it down once I started. Totally worth the 900 Naira i spent purchasing the eCopy on Okadabooks.com. So head on over there and get your own copy. This book is just what you need to relax after a long day at the office and the hassles of driving home in traffic. Enjoy!
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