For a person who used to be an avid reader, this past year I managed to read only two books. That’s outrageous to say the least but this year I’m more intentional in rekindling my reading culture that when the year began I was eager to pick up a book. The Secret lives of Baba Segi’s wives by Lola Shoneyin was my January read and oh boy! I couldn’t have picked a better read to start the year. Lola writes so perfectly and full of humor that she is the writer I want to be someday.
Hanging out in the mind of Lola this past month as she took us through the lives of Baba Segi’s wives has been a rollercoaster. I’ve laughed, cried, felt sorry for a villain and in the same breathe be happy that their fate ended the way it did. Throughout this book I have come to understand we are a product of what we know. I have learnt a lot and the lesson I have picked is to never enter into a polygamous family whether as the second or even the fourth wife.
As a reader, we always have an image of the characters as depicted by the writer. My image of Baba Segi was similar to that of Matilda’s father in the 90s movie Matilda. A short fat man with a big beer belly and a bald head. I imagine him having wrinkles on his face yet he was around forty three years old. But for a man with four wives at forty six he sure must have looked older than he was.
Regardless, I must commend him. This son of Solomon had four wives, seven children and he was holding the fort down. And all in one household no less! Which confirms what I’ve always known that for you to be polygamous, it’s easier when you have money. If Alao was a poor man, I wonder if the families of the last three wives would have allowed their daughters to marry him. Don’t forget this was based in the late 90s.
I loved how Lola gave us the voices of each character which made the story feel so personal. I felt Bolanle’s pain and Baba Segi’s arrogance. The timid in Iya Tope was worrying and the ‘holier than thou’ attitude Iya Femi was walking around with was disgusting. In case you didn’t know, ‘Iya’ is mother. I’m not sure if it’s in Yoruba or Igbo. I bet you can find that out and let me know.
This book has one hundred and ninety pages only but when I got close to the end I didn’t want it to end. The lives of Baba Segi’s wives had become one of my favorite TV shows and I wanted it renewed for a new season but unfortunately it had to end. Someone should turn this into a TV show. I’m definitely sure the Nigerians would bring the characters to life perfectly. I want to know how Baba Segi lived after the book ended. What happened to Bolanle, Akun, Iya Femi and whether Iya Tope got her voice.
All in all, I give it four stars. It could have gotten five stars but I felt like the ending was too safe for a fictional book. In real life we often play it safe because that is what we are expected to do. Anyways, I highly recommend this book. Buy it for yourself or a friend. I’m here hoping that Lola has another book in the works. Lola, should we wait?
