In 'Wahala,' intimacy at times morphs into enmity
Nikki May's novel captures issues of modern city living: women's evolving roles in home and work, interracial relationships, multicultural identity, and competition that runs under many friendship.
by Carole V. Bell
Jan 10, 2022
3 minutes
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In Nigerian culture, "Wahala" means trouble. In Nikki May's sharply observed debut novel Wahala, trouble's name is Isobel, the new girl who shakes up the equilibrium in a tight group of Anglo-Nigerian friends.
Boo, Ronke and Simi have been friends for over a decade. They're all British and Brown, "mixed race" women with white, English mothers and Nigerian fathers. They bonded over that common identity and emotional baggage at university a decade ago. Even though their specific family dynamics vary, they've all got significant "daddy issues." The women's relationships are intimate and intense
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