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Title details for Pride and Joy by Louisa Onomé - Available

Pride and Joy

A Novel

by Louisa Onomé
Yinka Ladeinde
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
Perfect for "fans of dark, laugh-out-loud family dramas" (Bust magazine), this is a heartwarming and hilarious novel about three generations of a Nigerian Canadian family grappling with their matriarch's sudden passing while their auntie insists that her sister is coming back.
Joy Okafor is overwhelmed. Recently divorced, a life coach whose phone won't stop ringing, and ever the dutiful Nigerian daughter, Joy has planned every aspect of her mother's seventieth birthday weekend on her own.

As the Okafors slowly begin to arrive, Mama Mary goes to take a nap. But when the grandkids go to wake her, they find that she isn't sleeping after all. Refusing to believe that her sister is gone-gone, Auntie Nancy declares that she had a premonition that Mama Mary will rise again like Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.

Desperate to believe that they're about to witness a miracle, the family overhauls their birthday plans to welcome the Nigerian Canadian community, effectively spreading the word that Mama Mary is coming back. But skeptical Joy is struggling with the loss of her mother and not allowing herself to mourn just yet while going through the motions of planning a funeral that her aunt refuses to allow.

Filled with humor and flawed, deeply relatable characters "so rich in heritage and complexity that I can't believe these characters do not really exist" (Jesse Q. Sutanto, national bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties), Pride and Joy will draw you in as the Okafors prepare for a miracle while coming apart at the seams, praying that they haven't actually lost Mama Mary for good, and grappling with what losing her truly means for each of them.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    March 12, 2024

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781797176055
      • File size: 351133 KB
      • Duration: 12:11:31

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from January 15, 2024
      Onome blends humor and pathos in her captivating adult debut (after the YA novel The Melancholy Summer), which finds a Nigerian Canadian woman attempting to find redemption by hosting her mother’s 70th birthday party. Joy Okafor Bianchi, a mental health counselor and recently divorced single mother, has taken on the task of hosting her mother Mary Okafor’s weekend celebration in the suburbs of Toronto, and she invites family and friends from across Canada and the U.S. to share in the festivities. The morning of the party, however, Joy’s 12-year-old son, Jamil, discovers that his grandmother has died peacefully in her sleep. The day also happens to be Good Friday, and Mama Mary’s sister, Nancy Akintola, comes to believe—after a premonition involving a brown cow on the side of the road—that her dear sister will rejoin them in the land of the living in an Easter miracle. Joy, despite her skepticism, finds some parts of herself wanting to believe her mother will walk through the door on Easter Sunday. Onome’s rich storytelling is enhanced by authentic descriptions of traditional Nigerian music and foods, such as Egosi soup and chin chin, as her characters come together amid great loss. Readers will savor Onome’s vibrant portrait of a family. Agent: Claire Friedman, InkWell Management.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Yinka Ladeinde elevates a delightful story to new heights with impeccable comic timing and her ability to convey a wide range of characters. She brings the many members of a Nigerian Canadian family to life with infectious energy and charm. Joy is preparing for her mother Mama Mary's 70th birthday, when the matriarch unexpectedly dies before the celebration. When Joy's Aunt Nancy insists that her sister will rise from the grave three days later, Joy is both exasperated and secretly hopeful. Ladeinde navigates the intricacies of a tale that mixes grief and family dynamics. She smoothly delivers this exploration of loss, religion, and the ties that bind us. Ladeinde transforms this unique multigenerational story into an unforgettable listening experience. M.R. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      May 31, 2024

      Joy Okafor is a recently divorced, overwhelmed, and ever-dutiful daughter who has meticulously planned every detail of her mother's upcoming 70th birthday. As her large Nigerian Canadian family begins to arrive, Mama Mary goes to take a nap and does not wake up. Rather than being grief-stricken, Mama Mary's sister Aunt Nancy is spurred into action; with it being an Easter weekend, she is convinced that Mary will rise again on Sunday. Joy quietly plans her mother's funeral while the family opens its home in preparation to celebrate the impending resurrection of their matriarch. Onom�'s adult debut (following the YA novel Twice as Perfect) is a vibrant and hilarious story about a family on the cusp of transformation. Yinka Ladeinde voices the large, often-contentious family as they simultaneously prepare for a funeral and resurrection. Her good-natured performance infuses the book with heart and warmth despite the simmering tension running throughout. Listeners will be captivated, hoping for the best as the characters transform their lives over the course of a single weekend. VERDICT An engaging portrait of family, perfect for fans of Charmaine Wilkerson's Black Cake.--Elyssa Everling

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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