Great African Reads discussion

SPOILERs
This thread is for discussions of our July/August 2020 read of Stay with Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ - Notice that there may be SPOILERS (Find the no-spoiler thread here)
- Feel free to discuss anything you like about the book here: Here's a few questions to get you started:
How did you like the characters? The plot? The style? The portrayal of characters and their surroundings?

I read this last week and really enjoyed it.

I liked the twists and turns and shocking revelations that are gradually revealed. And I liked the intimacy generated by the alternating first-person voices. Even though we may not agree with their decisions, I think the characters are drawn with sympathy. The cultural pressures they faced were over powering.

I posted a review of the book in case anyone is interested. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I read this wonderful book two years ago and really liked it too. Pain, sadness, love: I was really touched by the story and the beautiful way it is written.
Here is my review.

Today I have started re-reading (the first time is already some time ago and I abandoned the book after the first part due to lack of time). This time the novel again managed to draw me in easily, and with more leisure time at hand at the moment I am way into the second part already (poor Funmi has just fallen down the stairs...)
I like the changing narrative and am already suspecting that there are some more secrets to be added to the obvious ones...

Akin is so manipulative. Halfway through I actually started to believe that he enjoyed it.
And I know I should have seen it coming by his dishonesty about marrying Funmi. And she did show that it comes from a place of shame. But honestly, to marry someone who you KNOW thinks she only has you in the world and then to keep putting her on the outside and dealing with things by yourself?

????

It would have exhausted me too.

Gala wrote: "...But honestly, to marry someone who you KNOW thinks she only has you in the world and then to keep putting her on the outside and dealing with things by yourself? ..."

But, he had tremendous family and cultural pressure to do so to try to produce an heir, and shame over his impotence. I had my doubts about whether he had a sterility problem (didn't think of impotence) when he apparently offered his wife no proof that he had no problem.
It was certainly sexist of the family to assume the infertility problem lay with the wife rather than the husband.
I agree with Tamara that I liked the style of using the alternating first-person voices.

I finished the novel yesterday and here is my review:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Gala wrote: "Akin is so manipulative. Halfway through I actually started to believe that he enjoyed it.
And I know I should have seen it coming by his dishonesty about marrying Funmi. And she did show that it ..."

True, the setting wasn't kind to him either. And offered no support for him, and just tiny bit more for her. I just wish they could have worked through things together.

I thought he was sterile too. The fact that when he gets checked, he does it alone and she just has to take his word (and that's fine because she trusts him) is a remnant of those dynamics where you have to take what men offer without complaint, and men being above question. It wasn't so obvious in this book. But I thought it was odd when I was reading and his checkup was HIS concern not the marriage's business.