Daughters Who Walk This Path

Soon after Morayo enters secondary school and begins to know what it feels like to be attracted to boys, the story becomes darker. The political atmosphere around the city and the children become more tense and disturbing and Morayo’s unruly cousin, Bros T, comes to live with them when her widowed aunt asks her father […]

Soon after Morayo enters secondary school and begins to know what it feels like to be attracted to boys, the story becomes darker. The political atmosphere around the city and the children become more tense and disturbing and Morayo’s unruly cousin, Bros T, comes to live with them when her widowed aunt asks her father to take him in so he could have a man’s influence. While Morayo is coming to grips with the brutality to women that prevail in the wider society, Bros T adds to the mix by becoming overly attentive and affectionate, with hugs and borderline inappropriate touches. One night, when they are both alone in the house, he actually rapes her.

This begins the most painful part of the book as Morayo battles the feelings of confusion and depression that the rape raises in her. Yejide’s writing highlights all the angst and changes of an unmoored teenage girl as she goes through pain and despair that she cannot discuss with those around her. Even when she finally discloses her rape and Bros T is sent away, her parents impose a code of silence on her, ostensibly to protect her younger sister. On the verge of suicide, Morayo is interrupted by her Aunt Morenike and finally opens up about how what had happened has affected her. This is the beginning of Morayo’s redemption as she finds release in talking about her experience and getting support.

More than that, Morenike had also walked the same path as a teenager and through her own story, we get to see not only how patriarchy and some aspects of Nigerian culture can work to cover and perpetuate child sexual abuse, but also we see the power and strength of women. Through the women in Morenike’s family, Yejide demonstrates how victims of abuse may overcome their pain. Morenike was raped by a family friend when she was 15, becoming pregnant and having to drop out of school. But while Morayo’s mother could not talk about her rape with her, Morenike’s mother confronts her daughter’s rapist and ensures that Morenike has support as she goes on to give birth to a son.