Joys

The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta is the story of Nnu Ego's life from conception to death. It is a novel rich in irony as the title suggests "the joys" are not realized, but instead the imagined joys that women are supposed to have according to cultural tradition.

When Nnu Ego marries for the first time she does not conceive and is put aside. When she marries a second time she has eight children. By having many children Nnu Ego should, culturally be considered a happy woman. Unfortunately, over the course of her lifetime culture has changed. Her husband fights for the British in WWII, which is impoverishing and does not result in more comfortable living for the family. Her eldest son does well in school and leaves Nigeria to study in the U.S.A. Nnu Ego hopes that he will come back and support her in her old age as was the cultural expectation that she grew up with.

This is an interesting novel both because of the familial relationships that are described and the shifting cultural environment that serves as a backdrop. The story is told exclusively in Nnu Ego's voice. I thought this book was engaging though it would have been interesting to get more of a sense of personality from Nnu Ego. She is rather archetypical.