House Woman
‘Magnificently horrifying’ Daily Mail
‘Gripping’ Glamour
‘Impressive and moving’ Irish Times
My name is Ikemefuna Nwosu, and I am your wife.
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My name is Ikemefuna Nwosu, and I am your wife.
Young dancer Ikemefuna is put on a plane from Lagos to Houston to meet her new husband, Nna. Promises are made to her – about her education, her freedom, and the man she will marry.
None of them are kept.
Self-professed feminist Nna finds a beautiful woman cooking in his parents’ kitchen. They tell him Ikemefuna is there to give them the grandson they’ve been waiting for. She appears obedient, malleable.
But she is no ordinary wife.
Under the increasingly strained pressure of the Texas heat, desperation makes people do strange and violent things…
‘Unique, bold and unsettling’ Aiwanose Odafen
‘Claustrophobic and very disturbing’ Guardian
‘Unflinching, unforgettable’ Layne Fargo
”'An assured debut from an exciting new voice, Nworah has written a gripping, twisting take that is a blend of psychological thriller and horror” - Glamour
”'A neo-gothic thriller…complete with a magnificently horrifying villain” - Daily Mail
'An impressive and moving first novel' Irish Times -
”'There’s more than a hint of horror in this claustrophobic and very disturbing domestic thriller” - Guardian, 'Best Crime and Thrillers'
”'A deeply immersive and wrenching study of the life of a young woman in an arranged marriage and the thorny paths she must navigate in her quest for freedom. This debut shines with a brilliance that will run through you clean as an arrow. I’ve yet to read a story so gutting, yet tender and thoughtful in its handling of such an important subject” - Ukamaka Olisakwe, author of OGADINMA
”'Unfurls bloody truths about the lives of girls and women in language that writhes and burns on the page. A jaw-dropping debut of intimate horror perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Daisy Johnson” - Amy Gentry, author of BAD HABITS
”'To read HOUSE WOMAN is to encounter characters that are alive in their desires. They want what they want and they want it now. Nworah’s debut is full of twists and sentences that will stun you. A book rich in surprises” - Kemi Falodun, writer, journalist and author of SOUNDBENDER: THE MANY LIVES OF BEAUTIFUL NUBIA
”'An unflinching, unforgettable slow-burn thriller, HOUSE WOMAN reveals searing truths about women’s bodily autonomy and the hidden Gothic horrors of marriage while refusing to provide any simple answers - and the novel is all the more satisfying for it. Adorah Nworah is a stunning literary talent, and her debut will enthral you, incense you, and haunt you forever” - Layne Fargo, author of THEY NEVER LEARN