The Son of the House – Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia

Description

The Son of the House by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia is an award-winning work of literary fiction set in 1970s Nigeria. This internationally acclaimed debut novel masterfully weaves the lives of two women from starkly different worlds — Nwabulu, a housemaid with dreams of independence, and Julie, a modern, self-reliant woman navigating love on her own terms.

Their separate paths collide in a locked room years later, where the women, now captives, recount their stories of love, betrayal, and survival. Spanning four decades, The Son of the House vividly captures the resilience of women in a patriarchal society and the ever-changing social landscape of Nigeria.

Winner of the 2021 Nigeria Prize for Literature and the 2019 Sharjah Book Fair Best International Fiction Award, this novel is a moving, multilayered exploration of loyalty, hope, and what it means to claim one’s place in a man’s world. Perfect for readers of African literature, multigenerational sagas, and character-driven stories of female strength and endurance.