“We did that often, asking each other questions whose answers we already knew. Perhaps it was so that we would not ask the other questions, the ones whose answers we did not want to know.”

The April selection for the Modern Mrs. Darcy book club begs to be discussed with fellow readers. It is a harrowing story of how a Nigerian family is impacted by turmoil, religion, secrets and expectations. The writing was powerful and vivid. The story was breathtakingly stunning while breaking my heart at the same time. The characters drew me in and demanded my attention until the very end.

The pacing of the book contributed to the beauty. It starts with this slow, steady cadence: a nice adigao. Then the pace is ratcheted up to a brisk presto. A tempo that catches you off guard. Adichie was a master at conducting the story on her own terms and on her own timeline.