Printable Book Club Questions for The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré

A key section, and really the whole theme about education, occurs on page 24 when Adunni’s mother tells her daughter that because she didn’t have an education, she wasn’t able to marry the love of her life and do what she wanted in life. She says “your schooling is your voice, child.” Adunni becomes determined to obtain schooling and that she didn’t want any kind voice, she wants a “louding voice.” Let’s talk about Adunni’s definition of a louding voice.
What is your “louding voice?”
Let’s talk about her desire to become a teacher and help other girls in her village.
After her mother dies, Adunni’s father forces her to marry and become the third wife of an older man when she’s just 14. Why did her father not honor her mother’s wishes?
In her new life as a child bride, she first experiences kindness with the second wife Khadiji. Let’s talk about their relationship.
Everything shifts for Adunni again when Khadiji dies in childbirth. And she must run away or face dire consequences from the village leader. Do you think she’ll ever be able to return to the village?
What did you think about the descriptions of Lagos? Did you learn anything new about the city and country as a whole through this novel?
Adunni becomes a house girl but really a slave for a cruel rich couple nicknamed Big Madam and Big Daddy. Why was Big Madam so horrible to Adunni? What was she masking with her cruelty?
Adunni experiences acts of kindness by Kofi who lets her know about the education opportunity and also with Ms. Tia who helps teach her English. Let’s discuss how these characters became such a vital part of her journey.
Why do you think Ms. Tia and Adunni shared such a bond? What are some key areas that they learned from each other?
There’s an interesting scene where Adunni is being kind to Big Madam and is impressed with her success. Big Madam shows a second of humanity when she tells Adunni to never give up on her dreams (page 285). But then she quickly becomes cruel again. Let’s discuss this section.
No matter how much people try to force her to be quiet, Adunni can never hide her voice. And while she experiences the absolute worst in humanity, she’s always positive. On page 320 after Ms. Tia experiences the abuse from the religious fantaics, she tells Adunni: “you are the bravest girl in the world.” Let’s discuss this.
The story ends with Adunni getting into the school and leaving behind the cruelty of Big Madam and others. She’s finally free. Let’s talk about the ending.