Stay with Me (novel)

2017 novel by Ayobami Adebayo

Stay with Me

First edition

Author| Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
Language| English
Genre| Domestic fiction
Publisher| Canongate Books

Publication date

| March 2017
Publication place| Nigeria
Media type| Print
Pages| 288
ISBN| 978-1782119463

Stay with Me is a novel written by Nigerian author Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀. It was first published in 2017, by Canongate Books in the UK and subsequently by Alfred A. Knopf in the US.[1][2][3]

## Plot summary

[edit]

Yejide and Akinyele first met at a movie screening at the University of Ife, where they fell in love. By 1981, they were married, but four years later, they still didn't have any children. Despite trying different remedies, they can't conceive. Akin who comes from a traditional Yoruba family, and a few years into their marriage, his family is growing increasingly frustrated with the couple’s childlessness. Akin’s mother, Moomi, arranged for Akin to take a second wife, a young woman named Funmi. Yejide and Akin who both grew up in a polygamous home find the practice unpleasant but pressure from his mother and others was too much to bear, he later gives in and marries Funmi and Yejide must accept it. Funmi’s arrival sparks a series of events where Yejide desperately tries to get pregnant, but then to protect herself, her marriage and her children from hardship and misfortune. At last she got pregnant but at a cost far greater than she could have dared to imagine.

The book is about the challenges faced by a Nigerian couple, Yejide and Akin, as they struggle with infertility and societal pressures. Their story explores themes of love, betrayal, and the sacrifices people make for family.

## Reception

[edit]

Stay with Me was first published in 2017 in the UK by Canongate Books, to critical acclaim,[4][2][5] and prior to publication, had been shortlisted for the Kwani? Manuscript Project,[6][7][8] a prize for unpublished fiction, of which the series editor was Ellah Wakatama Allfrey.[9]

Michiko Kakutani in her review of the novel for The New York Times described Adébáyọ̀ as "an exceptional storyteller", adding: "She writes not just with extraordinary grace but with genuine wisdom about love and loss and the possibility of redemption. She has written a powerfully magnetic and heartbreaking book."[10] The book was published in the US by Alfred A. Knopf and in Nigeria by Ouida Books. It has been translated into more than 18 languages. It was selected as notable book of the year by several publications, including The New York Times, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal and The Guardian.[11][12]

Stay with Me was shortlisted for the Wellcome Book Prize,[13] the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction,[14][15][16] as well as for the 9mobile Prize for Literature,[17] which it went on to win in 2019.[18][19] It was also longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award and the Dylan Thomas Prize.[20]

In 2020, the Prix Les Afriques was awarded to Reste Avec Moi, the French edition of Stay with Me, translated by Josette Chicheportiche and published in 2019 by Charleston Editions.[21]

## References

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1. ^ Adebayo, Ayobami (6 June 2017). "Stay With Me". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
2. ^ a b Evans, Diana (9 March 2017). "Stay With Me by Ayòbámi Adébáyò review – a big-hearted Nigerian debut". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
3. ^ Skurnick, Lizzie (26 August 2017). "Subtle, Brilliant Stay With Me Blends The Personal And The Political". National Public Radio. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
4. ^ Angelini, Francesca (19 March 2017). "Books: Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo". The Times.
5. ^ Walker, Ella (27 March 2017). "Book Review: Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo". The Press and Journal. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
6. ^ "Shortlist" Archived 21 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine, The Kwani? Manuscript Project, 2013.
7. ^ Lindsay (20 June 2013). "Shortlist for the Kwani? Manuscript Prize". Sunday Times Books LIVE @ Sunday Times Books LIVE. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
8. ^ "100 MOST INFLUENTIAL NIGERIAN WRITERS UNDER 40. (2016 LIST)" Archived 18 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Nigerian Writers Awards, 28 December 2016.
9. ^ "Ellah Wakatama Allfrey is Series Editor for Kwani? Manuscript Project", The Kwani? Manuscript Project website, 27 November 2013. Archived 2 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine.
10. ^ Kakutani, Michiko (24 July 2017), "Portrait of a Nigerian Marriage in a Heartbreaking Debut Novel", The New York Times.
11. ^ Zagnoli, Olimpia (22 November 2017). "100 Notable Books of 2017 (Published 2017)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
12. ^ "The Ultimate Best Books of 2017 List". Literary Hub. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
13. ^ Anderson, Porter (19 March 2018). "Wellcome Book Prize's 2018 Shortlist: Five of Six Titles Are by Women". Publishing Perspectives. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
14. ^ " Nigerian writer Ayobami Adebayo, Tying the knot after 65, Japan's comfort women", BBC Woman's Hour, 16 March 2017.
15. ^ Kean, Danuta (7 March 2017). "Baileys women's prize 2017 longlist sees established names eclipse debuts". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
16. ^ "Baileys Prize reveals 'daring and intimate' shortlist". BBC News. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
17. ^ Onwuemezi, Natasha (22 December 2017). "Adebayo up for £15k African Literature prize". The Bookseller. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
18. ^ Murua, James (8 August 2019), "Ayobami Adebayo is 9mobile Prize for Literature 2017 winner", Writing Africa. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
19. ^ Obi-Young, Otosirieze (8 August 2019), "Ayobami Adebayo Wins the 9Mobile Prize for Literature, for Stay with Me", Brittle Paper.
20. ^ Egenuka, Nkem (15 March 2018). "Ayobami Adebayo, longlisted for Dylan Thomas Prize". ZODML. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
21. ^ Williams, Mark (29 November 2020). "Ayobami Adebayo's 'Reste Avec Moi' is Prix Les Afriques 2020 winner". TNPS (The New Publishing Standard). Retrieved 21 August 2022.