The Middle Daughter by Chika Unigwe
A lush, powerful tale of family and sisterhood from award-winning author Chika Unigwe, perfect for fans of Bernardine Evaristo and Tayari Jones.
Udodi’s death was the beginning of the raging storm but at that moment, we thought that the worst had already happened, and that life would treat us with more kindness.
When seventeen-year-old Nani loses her older sister and then her father in quick succession, her world spins off its axis. Isolated and misunderstood by her grieving mother and sister, she’s drawn to an itinerant preacher, a handsome self-proclaimed man of God who offers her a new place to belong. All too soon, Nani finds herself estranged from her family, tethered to her abusive husband by children she loves but cannot fully comprehend. She must find the courage to break free and wrestle her life back—without losing what she loves most.
A modern reimagining of the myth of Hades and Persephone within a Nigerian family, The Middle Daughter charts Nani’s journey to freedom and homecoming.
Publication Date: April 4, 2023
Hardback: 312 pages
ISBN: 9781950539468
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE MIDDLE DAUGHTER
“Chika Unigwe’s modern retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone is pitch perfect—it is a meditation on the need we all share for belonging, and family, and love; a commentary on the journey we must all take in search of freedom.” —Helon Habila, author of Travellers
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chika Unigwe was born in Enugu, Nigeria. She was educated at UNN and KUL (Belgium) and earned her PhD from Leiden University, Holland. Widely translated, she has won awards for her writing. Her books include On Black Sisters Street and Better Never than Late. She teaches at Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA.