MODERN AFRICAN LITERATURE
The middle child by Chika Unigwe is a captivating and an emotional roller-coaster. It highlights the life of the introverted young Nigerian girl, Nani. She is portrayed to have the perfect life, two sisters, loving parents and enough money to feed a community.
The novel starts off with Nani receiving a phone call that puts her life off track, her elder sister, Udodi was discovered to be dead in America. This information divides the family into two as Nani finds solace in her father, Dada who is introverted as she is.
With time, she loses this comfort too and she notices that the whole house feels the pain.
Her mother establishes a clinic for young pregnant girls after the death of her husband. Nani comes to understand that the clinic is for girls that have decided not to abort but keep the children and she sees her mother as a helper. It is during this time when Nani is seen as completely vulnerable that she meets the young preacher, Ephraim who introduces the understanding that her mother is trafficking young babies for money which draws her farther away from her mother.
As time goes on Nani finds solace in Ephraim and Ephraim thinks Nani is to be his future wife. He invites her for a night vigil which goes on till early the next morning. Nani is forced to go to Ephraim’s house to spend the night where she is raped by Ephraim after this, she finds out she is pregnant and for the fear of her mother, she moves in with Ephraim who asks her to elope with him. Nani is seen to be maltreated by Ephraim who beats her for not knowing how to be a housewife. She considers if her mothers cares that she has gone and mentally decides that her mother does not care.
Five years go by and Ugo appears on the front door of Nani’s new home to announce that she and mother are going abroad. Nani wishes her good luck and doesn’t make effort to go with her for the fear of leaving he3r children behind. Few weeks after this Ephraim announces to Nanni that he will be taking the children with him on a missionary journey. This announcement leaves Nani the ability to think about returning back home.
When Ephraim leaves with the children, Nani quickly calls her sister to mention coming back home. Her sister informers her of the housekeeper and where the key to the house is located.
On getting to the house, Nani feels trapped in the open space and goes to stay with her aunty instead. It is during this stay the Nani finally talks to her mother and reconciles with her. Nani also lets go of her trauma and is ready to take the bold step to securing a good and stable future for her ad her children so she plans with her aunty to get Holy, Praisehim and Godsown from her husband. The plan works out and Ephraim is arrested.
Her mother tries to convince her to join them in Atlanta but she declines the offer and her mother finally hears the voice of her grandchildren which pushes her to the point of tears and the family connects through their various trauma’s.
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