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by Bisi Adjapon
In this stunning debut novel—a tale of self-discovery and feminist awakening—a feisty Nigerian-Ghanaian girl growing up amid the political upheaval of late 1960s postcolonial Ghana begins to question the hypocrisy of her patriarchal society, and the restrictions and unrealistic expectations placed on women.
Young Esi Agyekum is the unofficial "secret keeper" of her family, as tight-lipped about her father's adultery as she is about her half-sisters' sex lives. But after she is humiliated and punished for her own sexual exploration, Esi begins to question why women's secrets and men's secrets bear different consequences. It is the beginning of a journey of discovery that will lead her to unexpected places.
As she navigates her burgeoning womanhood, Esi tries to reconcile her own ideals and dreams with her family's complicated past and troubled present, as well as society's many double standards that limit her and other women. Against a fraught political climate, Esi fights to carve out her own identity, and learns to manifest her power in surprising and inspiring ways.
Funny, fresh, and fiercely original, The Teller of Secrets marks the American debut of one of West Africa's most exciting literary talents.
"Sharp, observant, and often bitingly funny, Adjapon's novel captures a country divided by class, ethnicity, and political loyalty and a character who might have a chance to soar on the winds ofsocial change. This is a winner." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Breathtaking...Esi ultimately takes control of her body, her mind, and her whole being in ways that will merit a fist pump among feminists everywhere." —Booklist (starred review)
"Bisi Adjapon's The Teller of Secrets unfolds with grace, and a quiet spellbinding beauty to reveal the fascinating journey of Esi to self-discovery through family drama, betrayal and passion. A poignant, witty and delightful read delivered by a storyteller of note. —Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, author of Season of Crimson Blossoms, Winner of the Nigeria Prize for Literature
"Adjapon is a masterful storyteller who has created the best friend I wish I had when I was growing up. In Esi, she gives readers a hero who will 'ignite their fires.' This is a feminist manifesto in the form of a novel. Watch Esi as she navigates secrets and sexism, and thank Adjapon for her skill at unpacking patriarchal hypocrisy with clear-eyed gusto" —Mona Eltahawy, author of The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls
This information about The Teller of Secrets was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Bisi Adjapon is the author of critically acclaimed novel The Teller of Secrets. Her work has appeared in McSweeney's Quarterly, Washington Post, Ms Magazine, Aljazeera, New York Times and The Guardian. She has won the Foreign Service Award for Human Relations and an Excellence in Teaching Award. She divides her time between Ghana and America.
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