Things The Girl with the Louding Voice taught me
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Things The Girl with the Louding Voice taught me

This girl and her louding voice. It has been teaching many many things to me. The light in my brain on isself the more and more I am reading this book. And I am starting to be loving it.

The Girl with the Louding Voice Abi Dare Review

See what I did there? 🌚

 
 

I'm a big believer of stories. I believe in the power of using your words to tell compelling narratives. To captivate those like and unlike you. To teach.


I believe art should leave a lasting impact on the mind of its consumer. An idea, a new thought, a simple lesson. This is one of the many reasons I enjoy reading - the ability to learn infinite lessons through stories told. So when I pick up a new book, I want to sink deeply and comfortably into the world it depicts. And then bounce back to reality with some new perspectives.


Things I learnt and loved from The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré


This is exactly how I felt after reading Abi Daré's debut The Girl with the Louding Voice. I struggled to put that book down! From the witty insults to the profound emotions explored through the life of a young Nigerian girl, I was left intrigued and wanting more.


It's a book that touched my heart. Within it, I found a story of clinging to hope and fighting for a better day. A story about persistence and character. With a strong message to keep on pressing forward, cleaving to the light that makes your journey worth it. I heard a louding voice saying to me that there is always help and hope.


I loved how the story unravelled at such a beautiful pace - not too slow, now too fast. Each incident propelling the next, keeping me hooked as I turned each page.


Now, here are some of the things I learnt whilst reading this heart-warming novel. No spoilers included!


1. Your mind is your power

"Kike give me another smile. 'See? I tell you Adunni even if [...] you think all your hope is finish, your mind is not finishing. Inside of your mind, you can be [...]" p. 65.

This is without a doubt my favourite quote from the entire book! It speaks to me about the power of the mind and the ability to stir hope through the thoughts we have. It taught me not to use my mind as a tool for worries, anxieties, fears - but instead use it as a tool that stirs hope and ignites faith. If the world around you is crumbling and all you have left is a good thought, cling on to that.


2. Cherish good people

"This is a good thing, to be having all these things, but I feel as if my body is missing a part of it: a eye, a leg, one ear." p. 142

I really felt the importance of good people when reading The Girl with the Louding Voice. How we need them more than we need the things. They're the ones that make our lives. They make the harsh times bearable, supporting us through it and giving us reasons to smile. And for that, we should cherish them.


3. Seek to understand

"Everybody in the whole world be speaking different [...] We all be speaking different because we are all having different growing up life but we can all be understanding each other if we just take the time to listen well." p. 176

Reading this novel opened my eyes to understanding and compassion. To knowing that we all have a unique past that affects our present. I learnt that if we take time to understand the story our neighbour holds, then we find it easier to extend grace, forgiveness and compassion towards them. This, as the quote reiterates, starts by listening.


4. Believe in yourself

"What can she see in me when even me, I am not seeing anything in myself sometimes?" p.223

I'm sure we've all been there before. Second guessing ourselves, experiencing moments of insecurity or doubt. When the lies of unbelief start to attack, it's important to fight them! This becomes easier when you have someone rooting for you, believing in your great even when you fail to see it yourself.

Reading this quote taught me that I should always, always believe in myself. When I can't see another person that does so? I find confidence in the fact that God believes in me.


5. You have everything you need

"God has given you all you need to be great, and it sits right there inside of you." p. 224

Inside your heart. Inside your mind. That's where you start.

When I read this part of the novel, I thought of how we often wait until we have this or that before we start great things. How we wait endlessly for the perfect moments and opportunities when really all we have is now. And in the now, God has given us so much to make use of.


6. God is love

"God is not a cement building of stones and sand. That God is not for all that putting inside a house and locking Him there." p.289

Preach sister! Preach to me!!! That's how I felt when I read this quote here. I was simply reminded about the realness of God. That God is not just a concept or an idea that we conform to a box. God is love and when we open ourselves, He begins working in us to show us all that He is.


There we have it, six beautiful things I received from The Girl with the Louding Voice. Truly I learnt so much more but I didn't want to be a spoiler so you just have to read it for yourself!


I hope this post has inspired you to pick up Daré's novel! If you've already read the book, let me know your thoughts and some of the things you learnt and loved!

- Faithful xoxo

 
 

Meet Adunni, a teenage girl born into a rural Nigerian village.


Aged fourteen, she is a commodity, a wife, a servant.


She is also smart, funny, curious, with a spirit and joy infectious to those around her.


And despite her situation going from bad to worse, she has a plan to escape: she will find her 'louding voice' and get her education, so that she can speak up for herself - and all the girls who came before her.


As she turns enemies into friends and superiors into aides, Adunni will take you with her on a heart-breaking but inspiring journey from a small village to the wealthy enclaves of Lagos, and show you that no matter the situation, there is always some joy to be found.


'A story of courage that will win over your heart' Stylist


'An unforgettable novel' Jeanine Cummins


'A sparkling debut . . . marks the appearance of a strong and stylish new talent' Harper's Bazaar


'A true original, this will open your eyes' Cosmopolitan

[Taken from the Amazon book description]


About Abi Daré


Abi Daré grew up in Lagos, Nigeria and has lived in the UK for over 18 years. She studied law at the University of Wolverhampton and has an M.Sc. in International Project Management from Glasgow Caledonian University. Keen to improve her writing, Abi completed an MA in Creative Writing at Birkbeck University of London, achieving a Distinction. Her novel, THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE won The Bath Novel Award in 2018 and was selected as a finalist in The Literary Consultancy Pen Factor competition in 2018. Abi lives in Essex with her husband and two children.

[Taken from her Amazon author page]

 

Please note: No copyright infringement is intended in this post. The use of quotations is strictly for the purpose of review and is in line with fair dealing governed by Sections 29 and 30 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

 

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