The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more

Buy New

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime Free Trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn More
Buy Used
Used - Good See details
$4.16 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Kindle Edition
 
   
Sell Back Your Copy
For a $0.88 Gift Card
Trade in
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel
 
 
Start reading The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel [Hardcover]

Lola Shoneyin (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)

List Price: $23.99
Price: $16.38 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $7.61 (32%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Only 2 left in stock--order soon.
Want it delivered Wednesday, May 23? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition --  
Hardcover, Bargain Price $9.58  
Hardcover, June 29, 2010 $16.38  
Paperback $14.53  

Book Description

June 29, 2010

When Baba Segi awoke with a bellyache for the sixth day in a row, he knew it was time to do something drastic about his fourth wife's childlessness.

Meet Baba Segi . . .

A plump, vain, and prosperous middle-aged man of robust appetites, Baba Segi is the patriarch of a large household that includes a quartet of wives and seven children. But his desire to possess more just might be his undoing.

And his wives . . .

Iya Segi—the bride of Baba Segi's youth, a powerful, vindictive woman who will stop at nothing to protect her favored position as ruler of her husband's home.

Iya Tope—Baba Segi's second wife, a shy, timid woman whose decency and lust for life are overshadowed by fear.

Iya Femi—the third wife, a scheming woman with crimson lips and expensive tastes who is determined to attain all that she desires, no matter what the cost.

Bolanle—Babi Segi's fourth and youngest wife, an educated woman wise to life's misfortunes who inspires jealousy in her fellow wives . . . and who harbors a secret that will expose shocking truths about them all.


Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet: A Novel $17.16

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel + The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet: A Novel
  • This item: The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet: A Novel

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details



Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Blind acceptance splinters a polygamous marriage in Shoneyin's gripping debut set in modern-day Nigeria. Bolanle Alao, the newest and youngest of Baba Segi's wives, threatens to upset the balance of power--she is educated and beautiful, though naïve about the relationship dynamics among the other three wives in the house. Raped at 15, Bolanle considers herself disgraced and unwanted until Baba Segi, an overweight, malodorous businessman welcomes her into his family, no questions asked, until it seems she cannot conceive. Like the other wives, she feels she has been saved by Baba Segi, who accepts all of them politely, but beyond brief mentions of his sexual encounters and visits to the toilet, Baba Segi is a peripheral character. When greedy Iya Segi and Iya Femi plot to run young, sweet Bolanle out of the family, the result is disaster. It is Bolanle's unexpected submissiveness that leads her and her husband to uncover a secret that forces him to assert his control over the family. Shoneyin masterfully disentangles four distinct stories, only to subtly expose what is common among them.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Lola Shoneyin lives in Abuja, Nigeria, where she teaches English and drama at an international school. She is married, with four children and three dogs.


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: William Morrow; 1 edition (June 29, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061946370
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061946370
  • Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.3 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #344,171 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
This little novel tackles some pretty deep themes in only 280 fast-paced pages. Set in Nigeria, it begins with the addition of a fourth wife, Bolanle, into the home of Baba Segi, a well-off businessman who prides himself on his wives and many children. Bolanle is envied and resented by the other wives, who are jealous and fearful of her educated status and worried that she will steal away Baba Segi's already divided affections.

It's a fascinating look into a polygamous household and the complexities of family life. It's also a meditation on gender, power, class, and the idea of sacrificing one's self for security. Bolanle harbors a sad secret, and the other wives have some big secrets of their own. The novel is told from the alternating perspectives of each of the four wives. Baba Segi himself doesn't have a voice until near the end of the novel. Despite the alternating voices, the novel maintains a smooth flow and a clear narrative. The prose is concise but powerful. While Bolanle is the main voice of the novel, it's surprising how easy it is to feel a connection with the other characters who have much shorter narratives. As the novel unfolds, the background of each wife prior to her marriage to Baba Segi is revealed, providing insight into their fears and motivations.

Overall this is a quick, but deep read that I thoroughly enjoyed and continued to ponder after the last page was turned.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
Set in Nigeria, this novel examines the jealousies and complexities of a polygamous family. The household of Baba Segi Alao, patriarch, three wives, many children, and a new arrival, a fourth wife, Bolanle. Bolanle is different, it seems to the other wives: young, well-educated, attractive, her presence threatens to overturn the uneasy balance that has reigned in the Alao household. Bolanle is also childless, and much of the novel deals with her difficulties conceiving. Her efforts to overcome infertility threaten to expose some of the family's darkest secrets. Told by a broad cast of characters, the reader soon learns that secrets are the norm in this household, and each member harbors them. Polygamy was not the first choice for any of the wives, but all harbor secrets in their past that threaten their marriageability. The intimate look at how polygamy works was extremely interesting. The wives have all traded past problems for a new kind of hierarchy. The character most interesting to me at the book's conclusion was the least interesting at the outset: Baba Segi. He begins the book as something of a caricature, a man on the make looking to experience and broadcast all trappings of success, including multiple wives. By the end he has experienced significant domestic issues and emotions.
Was this review helpful to you?
16 of 20 people found the following review helpful
The big secret June 2, 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)
I laud this book for its storytelling and its ability to keep the big secret for quite some time. I laud it for its characters who are engaging and full of humor, wit, malice, spite, and utter charm as well. I laud it for the subject matter and the way it tries to deftly weave it all together- but thats where the praise has to stop.

The book was written from the POV of the four wives of Baba Segi. The trouble is, you dont know which wife is speaking in which chapter until you are about halfway though it. It lends an uneasy, uneven, and confusing tone to the story that would have been charming and humorous otherwise. Make no mistake, this book is a lighthearted one that deals with power and control over the household and the pecking order that come from a polygamous marriage arrangement.

With the introduction of the 4th wife for Baba Segi, the other three are all upset- to certain degrees. Upset that she comes in with her education and by the very nature of the fact that she is indeed educated- she poses a threat to the rest of the household. How so? She has no job. She has no money. She has no children. And therin lies the problem. With the barren nature of her womb taking center stage here, everything the other wives have worked for is in danger of coming undone.

The premise was good, the setup was nice, and the characters we well written- the writing style was too choppy and too disjointed to make this a pleasing read.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Secrets and Lies
Baba Segi is the man. He has 4 wives, 3 of whom have provided him with a houseful of offspring - he's living the dream. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Ms. 90
Great read!
I bought the book as a book club selection. I loved it. It was so funny I laughed out loud.
Published 6 months ago by Marsha Byrd
The Story of a Polygamous Marriage in Nigeria
A young woman is the 4th of Baba Segi, an older man who marries woman who seem unwanted by the rest of the world. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Lynn Ellingwood
Great, interesting read!
This book included humor, wit, and drama. Well written and an enjoyable read. I read it less than 3 days. WIshed I belonged to a book club to discuss this book!
Published 8 months ago by THE reader
A Family of Secrets
The Secret Lives of the Four Wives by Lola Shoneyin is a novel that takes you into the lives of a family in Nigeria living a polygamist lifestyle. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Darlene
This book is about so much more than polygamy!
This book has been in my" to read" pile for sometime. I am not sure what made me less than excited to read it. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Glenna
Four wives, one husband - lots of secrets
In Nigeria, Baba Segi (real name Atanda Alao) is 42 years old with four wives and seven children. His fourth wife of two years, Bolanle, is 25 years old, educated, and still... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Julie A. Smith
Recommended
I loved this style of narration, and the language employed by the author in the book. It is warm, lively, and sometimes, tongue in cheek. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Myne Whitman
Universal Themes, Wonderful Writing
As a Western woman who believes in monogamy, I wasn't sure this tale of Nigerian women in a polygamous marriage would have anything to say to me. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Christine Zibas
Impressive debut
I think that the back cover of the book did a good job of making this intriguing. After a while, I couldn't put it down. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Jodi
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

Inside This Book (learn more)
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums





Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject