The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives

Title: The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives
Author: Lola Shoneyin
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Release Date: January 19, 2021
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Source: Free from publisher

For Baba Segi, his collection of wives and gaggle of children are a symbol of prosperity, success, and a validation of his manhood. All is well in this patriarchal home, until Baba arrives with wife number four, a quiet, college-educated, young woman named Bolanle. Jealous and resentful of this interloper who is stealing their husband’s attention, Baba’s three wives, begin to plan her downfall. How dare she not know her place, they whisper. How dare she offer to teach them to read. They will teach her instead, they vow, and open their husbands eyes to this wicked wind who has upturned the tranquility of their home.

Bolanle’s mother worked hard to educate her daughter and save her from a life of polygamy and dependence. She cannot understand why her daughter has chosen such a fate. But Bolanle hides a terrible secret—a secret that will unwittingly exposes the deception and lies, secrets and shame upon which Baba Segi’s household rests.

A stirring rale of men and women, mothers and children, servitude and independence, The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives illuminates the common threads that connect the experiences of all women: the hardships they bear, their struggle to define themselves, and their fierce desire to protect those they love.

My review:

This was an enjoyable read and I think it will make an excellent Netflix series! Stories about polygamy have always held a fascination for me, and this one tells a lot about each of the wives involved with one husband. We are given a bit of a background into each of the wives and how they came to be Baba Segi's wife, and a lot of insight into the jealousy that occurs, especially when wife number four comes along. I liked reading all of their stories and was particularly drawn to their roles in the household and how they felt about each other. Bolanle was clearly the odd woman out, what with her education and continuing childlessness, but she was also a friend to the children of the house, particularly the eldest daughter. The author did a thorough job of describing the running of this unusual (for most readers) family, and I thought the personalities of the characters was well done. There are a couple of major twists that occur toward the end of the book that were unexpected (although hints were there if you were paying attention). The only real turnoff for me was the extensive description of Baba Segi's digestive tract (yes you read that right). I'm not sure that it was that relevant to the story, and frankly it was over the top. There were plenty of other ways the reader knew this guy was gross!

An enjoyable family tale rife with secrets, jealousy, servitude, revenge, motherhood, and infertility among many other topics. I will definitely look forward to watching this story come to life on the screen.