The Bride Price
Buchi Emecheta · 1944–2017 · Nigeria
Why it matters
Aku-nna falls for a schoolteacher of the wrong lineage, defying the custom that prices her like property to her own family. Emecheta lets the old world's verdict land with the force of Greek tragedy.
At a glance
tragedyromancecolonial & postcolonial
Difficulty 4/10medium pace168 pagesA clear folkloric plot carries real weight beneath simple, direct sentences.
Where to go next
Buchi Emecheta · 1974Second-Class CitizenLvl 4Medium pace
Buchi Emecheta · 1979The Joys of MotherhoodLvl 4Medium pace
Chinua Achebe · 1958Things Fall ApartLvl 4Medium pace
Tsitsi Dangarembga · 1988Nervous ConditionsLvl 4Medium pace
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o · 1967A Grain of WheatLvl 6Slow burn
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie · 2006Half of a Yellow SunLvl 4Fast paced