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FROM THE WINNER OF THE NIGERIA PRIZE FOR LITERATURE
It is Baby’s birthday again, but Grace has not seen her first born in twenty-six years. Now a wife, mother to twin daughters and the owner of a successful medical clinic, Grace has carefully constructed a new life. Now, the secret she’s kept for decades is about to resurface—and it could destroy everything.
Grace was only fifteen when she got pregnant and, under pressure from her parents, gave Baby away. Unable to forgive their decision, she cut them off completely. When Grace’s estranged mother walks back into her life unannounced, the fragile existence she spent years building begins to unravel. And with it, the wall Grace has built against a question she must never ask: the question of what truly happened to Baby.
A tightly wound story of family, bitter secrets, and sweeter forgiving, Grace is a novel for all mothers and daughters, a must-read for fans of Bernardine Evaristo and Tayari P. Jones.
"In a narrative rich with keen observations of gender, class, and social dynamics, Chika Unigwe's novel introduces us to Grace, a character so profoundly traumatized that she has run away from her past life - and yet it catches up to her. From the very first page, her story is so compelling and her plight so deeply empathetic, it's impossible to look away. A truly unputdownable story that will leave you thinking long after you turn the final page"—Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah, author of Seeking Sexual Freedom
"Grace is the perfect title for this beautiful, bruising novel. Unigwe writes with a rare steadiness of gaze, her prose luminous, nuanced and deeply compassionate. She traces the scars and quiet triumphs of motherhood against the dark, unflinching backdrop of Nigeria's baby factories, telling a story of love surviving its own undoing - a novel that lingers long after the final page"—Lisa Harding, author of The Wildelings
"An absolutely captivating read. The characters are so beautifully drawn, the story so heart-wrenchingly believable and the writing so unflinchingly honest, I could not put it down. I learnt so much reading Grace. This novel impacted me deeply"—Jan Carson, author of Few and Far Between
"Grace is a clear-eyed and unsentimental portrait of a woman racing against guilt, abandonment and the relinquishment of a thing that burns at the center of the human heart. Unigwe explores these daunting agonies, their brutal consequences and their redemptive power with great stoicism, insight and yes, grace"—Shobha Rao, author of Indian Country
"Generational secrets and family expectations intertwine in Chika Unigwe's Grace, a moving exploration of motherhood, second chances and rediscovery. A novel that encourages us all to look beyond tradition and instead choose with our hearts"—Jodie Matthews, author of Meet Me at the Surface
"With Grace, Unigwe continues her impressive and extensive portrayal of Igbo women in challenging circumstances. Written with deep respect and compassion for her characters, this novel, like her others, will resonate with readers worldwide"—Sefi Atta, author of Indigene
"Unigwe's Grace is a powerful interrogation of motherhood, dreams and the weight of the past. Unigwe writes with a controlled passion and empathy, creating fully-fledged characters that are both flawed, courageous and real. This is a novel of folly, reckoning and redemption―a truly absorbing read"—Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, author of The Whispering Trees
"In her latest work, Unigwe is in her element. Grace is a deeply emotive exploration of the weight of womanhood . . . from the scarring of shame and secrets, to acceptance and absolution"—Chioma Okereke, author of Water Baby
Chika Unigwe was born and raised in Enugu, Nigeria. She is an associate professor of writing at Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, GA.