Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré

1. "The bride-price is for you, Adunni. You will be marrying Morufu next week" (p. 6). In what ways is Adunni objectified throughout the course of the novel? How does this affect her?
2. "When I close my eyes on some days, I see my mama as a rose flower: a yellow and red and purple rose with shining leafs. And if I sniff a deep sniff, I can catch her smell too" (p. 8). How does Adunni engage with the memory of her mother throughout the novel? What larger role does the memory of her mother play in Adunni's life?
3. "All Kayus ever worry about is what food to eat and where he can kick his football. He don't ever worry about no marriage or bride-price money" (p. 34). In what ways do the males in Adunni's life experience a privileged existence? How do you think Adunni's life would change if she had been born male? What inferences can you make about gender roles in Nigerian society?
4. "You are strong, Adunni,' she say, her voice low. 'A fighter" (p. 60). What do you think gives Adunni strength? What fuels her perseverance in the face of the many challenges she encounters throughout the novel?
5. How does Adunni grow from her relationships with Khadija and Tia? Conversely, in what ways, if any, do these two characters benefit from their interactions with Adunni?
6. "As I am looking it all, swallowing the whole place with my eyes and with my heart beating fast, I am thinking that maybe Big Madam is a queen, that this is the palace of the king" (p. 142). Compare Adunni's life in the village with her life in Big Madam and Big Daddy's home. How do these settings differ? How does the presence or absence of wealth in these settings affect Adunni?
7. "By the time she finish beating me, the hunger is not doing me again. That was the first time Big Madam beat me, and in the nearly one month I been here, she is beating me almost everyday" (p. 171). Why do you think Big Madam continually abuses Adunni? What do you think gives Adunni the strength to endure?
8. "Talking to this Ms. Tia is making the pain in my head to be stopping small. Her honey voice is like medicine, her laugh like cool water on my hot head" (p. 201). How do you think Adunni's life would have played out if she had never met Tia?
9. How would you describe Big Madam and Big Daddy's relationship? Given the dynamics of their relationship, do you feel any sympathy for Big Madam? Why? Why not?
10. Where does Adunni's faith in the power of education come from? What role does this belief in education play for her during her journey?
11. In what ways does the writing style of the novel create a vivid world for the reader to inhabit? How did Adunni's voice affect you as you read?
12. How do you define "louding voice"?
13. What would you say are some of the central themes of the novel? Defend your answer by referencing the text.
14. Despite the many obstacles she encounters during her journey, how does Adunni experience growth and acquire agency?
15. If you could ask Abi Daré one question about The Girl with the Louding Voice, what would you ask and why?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Dutton. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.