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In this debut story collection, British-Nigerian arts and culture writer Funmi Fetto reveals the complexities of African diasporic womanhood, building worlds in which African women write and rewrite the narratives that shape their existence. From a Nigerian migrant worker conned out of her earnings in London to a recently widowed housewife rediscovering her suppressed African heritage, a long-suffering wife who poisons her husband to a woman whose family secrets endanger her upcoming marriage, Hail Mary illuminates the private lives of Nigerian women in ten searing stories of longing and belonging, survival and triumph, death and rebirth each featuring a very different Nigerian woman at a crossroads.
About the author
Funmi Fetto is a London-based journalist and editor and is currently the Style Editor at British Vogue. As a digital and print journalist, she has worked and written for numerous publications and organizations including Glamour.com, Vanity Fair, InStyle, Sunday Times Style, Guardian and Tatler. Funmi is the author of the bestselling book Palette: The Beauty Bible for Women of Colour and a columnist at the Observer. Her work largely intersects across art, beauty, culture, race and identity.
Summary
“A culturally layered and gripping collection of stories that are also a testament to their resilience.”—Vanessa Walters, the author of The Lagos Wife
?In this stunning collection, nine Nigerian women discover what it means to confront traditional expectations that have held them hostage for too long.
Meet Ifeoma. She’s been ready to leave her violent husband for some time, but her plans for a quiet departure take an unexpectedly gruesome turn...
Nkechi a housemaid for a rich Lagos family, bears the weight of her Madam's wrath when she discovers her husband's dark secret.
In London, Riliwa meets Mary, a guardian angel full of advice, wisdom and practical support as she navigates her unfamiliar new home. But it soon becomes clear that Mary’s kindness comes at a price.
Passionate, raw and full of heart, Fetto brings to life the rich diversity of Nigerian women’s experiences in these wide-ranging stories.
