Cursed Daughters is a compelling fiction book, but holds back on the dating scene encounters

Reviewer: Giyani Baloi
Author: Iyinkan Braithwaite
Title: Cursed Daughters
Publisher: Penguin Random House

Iyinkan Braithwaite is a Nigerian born writer based in the UK. She has authored a couple of fiction books, and Cursed Daughters is her third one after The Baby is Mine of 2021, and My Sister, The Serial Killer 2018

The book talks about the cursed Falodun family after their daughter Feranm, who got married to a rich married man through the arrangement of her father. It was one of those marriages common in Africa and other countries where a daughter has little choice on who to marry. As long as it suits her parents, hers is to put a signature and endure the marriage.The wife of a man that Feranm had married cursed her after she became aware of Feranm’s marriage to her husband. 

The curse affected the whole generation of Falodun family. No one could sustain a marriage thereafter. It was always rejection after some time or divorce if not death. 

They say there is no real fiction in books. Everything is informed by real life events. Cursing in some way is a reality depending on a person’s belief. Nigeria is one of the well-known African countries that juju, witchcraft, etc, is practiced. Iyinkan may have heard, seen, or encountered those things for her to be able to put up such a compelling fiction book, Cursed Daughters, I think. Some may dismiss it as just superstition.

But life and human beliefs are very complicated subject matters. No one has the capacity or ability to grasp it fully. Some people believe in God or Jesus Christ. Well, others believe in other religions, ancestors, etc. But no one can vouch with certainty to have seen God. To make things more confusing, there is not even one person who ever died and has woken up to give us a clue on what happens after the death. It is not surprising that others choose to be atheists. 

Cursed Daughters is a very interesting fiction book. But you need a very strong mental file cabinet to be able to pack all those many names and characters in the book. Otherwise, you may end up getting mixed up and lose the storyline. I also felt that she held back a bit on the dating scene encounters. Since it is fiction, she should have given more so that her book can have more punch. However, it is a well written book.