Book 6: Even When Your Voice Shakes by Ruby Yayra Goka

A true testament to how captivating this book is is the fact that I earlier in the day and finished it before midnight the same day, even though that was possible because it's not bulky and I didn't have so much to do, nevertheless it was the adept writing that got me glued to the pages till the very end.

I'd suspected that Ruby Yayra Goka isn't Nigerian but the mention of the food koko and kosai made me reconsider, thinking it was set somewhere in the north and west sense of familiarity crept in, but a few pages later, I saw that it was set in Ghana, around the East Legon.

The first thing I'm confronted with as I start reading is the burden of her family that Amerley is faced with,  I get worried about her friends, but they turn out to not be a lot of problems but instead a great help to her in her time of need, you can't expect too much from them.

Mami Amerley wakes up from her hopelessness only to make Amerley their sacrificial lamb, she remembers they can have a better life and she has children to take care of, the sheer audacity. I do acknowledge it's for good, but I'm pissed that she takes offence at Amerley's initial scepticism and dares to call people names, the very people who were behind the food she ate all the while, she even holds a grudge against Amerley, her change of stance afterwards doesn't even count for me, she had been selfish and an unsupporting parent.

 Not much is pleasing about the Idrissu's house aside from the wealth, and I think Ruby Yayra does a great job in painting the picture of how a poor person, a good person will feel when they see that they were simply unlucky in the family lottery, nevertheless you can be contented and make do with what you have.

Fanny and her husband are exceptional, but I can't help but get pissed with Jennifer and think that she's taking advantage of their kindness, it's so annoying to see the contrast, people treated poorly doing their best work while another who is treated right is being lazy and slack

Insecurity does set in for Nikoi, I expected it though, but thought Amerley was the one that would change, she'll get a better life and treat him like he's below her. Regardless, how he let go was mature, it did hurt her but he was saving himself and also saving her from the guilt which is super admirable. His return too was such a timely consolation for her, I loved it, Amerley was going to live again, Someone wanted her despite being spoiled.

Inside me, I felt a tiny, tiny flutter. It was like when you light a charcoal fire and see the first tiny red glow on the smallest piece of charcoal. It would light up for just a moment and then disappear. But once you saw it, you knew that next time the glow would be larger and in no time at all you’d have a blazing fire. So you’d keep going. You’d fan that flame with all your might. You’d give it all you’ve got.

From the moment Omar was mentioned, I knew he was bad news, I suspected sexual abuse and then I thought that the conflict in the plot was cliched, too many books have that narrative, but that's not true and as depicted in the book, women are been molested in our society, that can't fight back and don't even know how to get help, there's a need for information, so even if the narrative is written the same manner in a thousand books, that's still not enough, no offender should escape punishment, no woman should sit in silence or be ostracized after suffering sexual violence.

Like the lawyer who made sure I got the justice I deserve, I have made it my life’s mission to get justice for victims of sexual and domestic abuse. I, Naa Amerley Armateifio, have decided to speak the truth, even when my voice shakes.

I'll say the book was excellent, and the message was well delivered.

It's a 4-star for me.