The Secret Lives of the Four Wives: A Novel [Paperback]

African-born poet Lola Shoneyin sheds a fascinating light on the little-known world of polygamy in modern-day Nigeria, in her powerful and thought-provoking debut novel,The Secret Lives of the Four Wives(previously titled The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives).Fans ofThe 19th Wifeand HBO’sBig Lovewill be enthralled by this riveting tale of a prosperous African family thrown into turmoil when the patriarch adds a young, well-educated fourth wife into the mix who threatens to expose the other wives’ deepest, darkest secrets.

“Alternately funny, shocking, and sad . . . a complex depiction of family and culture in modern-day Nigeria.
—Sacramento Book Review

“A magical writer. . . . [A] delicious story.”—Huffington Post

I didn't just happen upon this room; I dreamed of the pale green walls before I arrived.

Attempting to rise above the secrets of her past, Bolanle, a university graduate, marries Baba Segi, who promises her everything in exchange for agreeing to become his fourth wife. Thus she enters into a polygamous world filled with expensive clothes, a generous monthly allowance . . . and three Segi wives who disapprove of the newest, youngest, most educated addition to the family. There's Iya Femi, a fiery vixen with a taste for money; Iya Tope, a shy woman whose kindness is eclipsed by terror; and Iya Segi, the first, most lethal, and merciless of them all.

Bolanle quickly becomes Baba Segi's prized possession . . . until her very presence unlocks a secret that the other wives have long since guarded, and unleashing it could change life as they know it.