Pride and Joy, Louisa Onome
Pride and Joy, Louisa Onome
List: $26.99 | Sale: $18.89
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Pride and Joy

Author: Louisa Onomé

Narrator: Yinka Ladeinde

Unabridged: 12 hr 11 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/12/2024


Synopsis

Perfect for “fans of dark, laugh-out-loud family dramas” (Bust magazine), this is a heartwarming and hilarious novel about three generations of a Nigerian Canadian family grappling with their matriarch’s sudden passing while their auntie insists that her sister is coming back.

Joy Okafor is overwhelmed. Recently divorced, a life coach whose phone won’t stop ringing, and ever the dutiful Nigerian daughter, Joy has planned every aspect of her mother’s seventieth birthday weekend on her own.

As the Okafors slowly begin to arrive, Mama Mary goes to take a nap. But when the grandkids go to wake her, they find that she isn’t sleeping after all. Refusing to believe that her sister is gone-gone, Auntie Nancy declares that she had a premonition that Mama Mary will rise again like Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday.

Desperate to believe that they’re about to witness a miracle, the family overhauls their birthday plans to welcome the Nigerian Canadian community, effectively spreading the word that Mama Mary is coming back. But skeptical Joy is struggling with the loss of her mother and not allowing herself to mourn just yet while going through the motions of planning a funeral that her aunt refuses to allow.

Filled with humor and flawed, deeply relatable characters “so rich in heritage and complexity that I can’t believe these characters do not really exist” (Jesse Q. Sutanto, national bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties), Pride and Joy will draw you in as the Okafors prepare for a miracle while coming apart at the seams, praying that they haven’t actually lost Mama Mary for good, and grappling with what losing her truly means for each of them.

About Louisa Onomé

Louisa Onomé is a Nigerian Canadian writer of books for teens and adults, including Like HomeTwice as PerfectThe Melancholy of Summer, and Pride and Joy. She holds a BA in professional writing and a MA in counselling psychology. When she is not writing, she works as a narrative designer in games. She currently resides in the Toronto area. Find out more at LouisaOnome.com. 


Reviews

Goodreads review by Kate on July 08, 2024

I am incredibly grateful for receiving an advanced copy of this book. Thank you to Atria Books and Simon and Schuster for the opportunity. Let's start with the cover - How gorgeous is it? As you read, you see the symbolism and how there is more than just beautiful artwork here. Next, let's discuss Jo......more

Goodreads review by Rincey on December 04, 2024

A surprisingly light and funny book considering how it tackles the topics of death, grieving, and complicated family dynamics. Watch my full review: [URL not allowed]......more

Goodreads review by Breeee on March 13, 2024

Solid 3.5 stars I was hesitant to read this @ first because I did not enjoy Black Cake AT ALL. Joy is recently divorced & trying to plan her mom’s 70th birthday party with her Nigerian family members on the way. Her mom had other plans though, she took a nap and died in her sleep. I was a little und......more

Goodreads review by Shannon on April 03, 2024

A big-hearted Nigerian-Canadian family drama that takes place in Toronto over the Easter weekend, as type-A daughter, Joy plans her mother's 70th birthday party only to have it turn into a disastrous wake slash prophecy that her mother isn't actually dead and will rise again. Full of humor and lots......more

Goodreads review by Maria on August 30, 2024

3.5! The first word that comes to mind when I think about these characters is “audacious”. Especially Auntie Nancy hahaha, very bold and daring. The whole spectacle of the miracle of resurrection was a little out there for me, but I did understand where the characters were coming from. I think the fa......more


Quotes

"Yinka Ladeinde elevates a delightful story to new heights with impeccable comic timing and her ability to convey a wide range of characters...[She] transforms this unique multigenerational story into an unforgettable listening experience.'