This Motherless Land

From outraged Austenites come great recommendations - thank you to whoever was up in arms last year about the author calling Fanny Price 'pious and insipid' (let's be real, she is) because that's how I found this wonderful book! Five star reads, that I can't put down and can't stop thinking about when not reading, are rare for me, and this was a gem.

Back to Austen - this is, according to Nikki May, a 'decolonialised reimagining' of Austen's Mansfield Park. The story doesn't follow the original text but Fanny becomes Funke, a ten year old Nigerian girl who is sent to live in England with her maternal family when tragedy shatters her world. There she meets her cousin, Liv (a female take on Edmund, without the 'icky cousin sex'!), who show more becomes her one friend and protector in an alien country (the motherless land of the title). The two girls bond, despite Liv's grasping and bitter mother Margot (Mrs Norris reincarnated, in all her pantomime villain glory), and Funke - renamed Kate - overcomes her grief and homesickness, while learning the hard reality of racism. She grows and settles in with Liv and their grandparents - but of course, life has a few more lessons in store, for both Funke and Liv.

I honestly think this is a great retake of Mansfield Park - I certainly hated Margot as much as Mrs Norris, actually tensing up when she was at her worst! Funke herself is a far stronger heroine than Fanny - sorry, I know everyone now thinks that fawning over Fanny and her puritanical streak is edgy, but she grates on my nerves - and Liv is a loveable loser. The twists and (telegraphed) tragedies in Funke's life were like repeated punches in the gut, but the time skips - 1978, 1986, 1992, 1998 - were both helpful and a little frustrating in cutting short the worst emotions and helping Funke and Liv to move on.

Full praise to author for really writing about what she knows and bringing both the poverty and paradise of Nigeria to life, against the grey skies and prejudices of the UK - she emphasises Funke's struggle to fit into both worlds, as the child of a white mother and a Black father. And not to sound like a patronising 'oynibo', but I would really love to try some of the Nigerian dishes mentioned in the book now, too!

I loved the combination of Austen inspired characters, switching race for class, and the high drama of Funke's determination to survive in both Nigeria and England. The epilogue, for both Funke and Liv, strays into romcom territory (or god forbid, romance) - but they earned their HEAs! show less

This Motherless Land is the story of two girls, Funke and Liv. Funke is Nigerian and Liv is British and when Funke's beautiful family is torn apart in a tragic accident she is sent to England to live with her mother's estranged family. Liv is Funke's cousin and they become great friends, but Liv's upbringing with her unkind and greedy mother leads to some actions that have far-reaching effects for both of the girls.

The story begins in 1978 and follows Funke and Liv over the following twenty years. I loved every bit of this brilliant and heart-warming story. Both main characters totally captured my heart. Funke is very easy to like as she has a kind nature, and Liv is more of an up and down character, self-destructive at times but show more ultimately she redeems herself.

This book is a retelling of Mansfield Park by Jane Austen but if, like me, you are not really that familiar with that book then don't worry as you don't need to be. However, it's easy to see where the inspiration comes from with a large country house, toxic relatives, a delightful heroine in need of rescue, faded grandeur and greed all playing their part in the tale. Where This Motherless Land really stands out is the Nigerian aspect, the culture, the traditions, and the juxtaposition between all of that and the typical British stiff upper lip and upper class superiority. I enjoyed both settings very much and thought the author portrayed them really well, perhaps because she is Anglo-Nigerian herself and so is able to depict the good and bad parts of both authentically.

I loved Nikki May's debut, Wahala, and I loved This Motherless Land just as much (maybe more!) with its brilliantly-drawn characters, settings that transported me there and a plot that drew me in, made me smile and broke my heart. What a fabulous read! show less

An extremely loose adaptation of [b:Mansfield Park|45032|Mansfield Park|Jane Austen|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1397063295l/45032._SY75_.jpg|224016803], although it actually feels more Dickensian than Austen-ish to me. A majority of the characters are either virtuous victims or venomous villains (sorry not sorry for the alliteration). Starting in 1978 and spanning 20 years, the plot focuses on Funke Oyenuga, who is sent to England from her home in Nigeria at the tender age of 9 when her saintly mother dies. In this strange new land, everyone is horrid to the mixed race girl, except for her lonely cousin Olivia Stone, who becomes Funke's protector.

Nikki May is Anglo-Nigerian, and she incisively show more details the vast cultural differences between her two countries. There are disheartening similarities as well; Funke is subject to overt racism and subtler microaggressions in England, but she is also targeted by some Nigerians for her mixed race, "yellow" status.

The first half of the book is bogged down in melodrama, as Funke undergoes humiliation after humiliation, mostly at the hands of her Aunt Margot. Olivia also lets herself be pushed around by her cold, demeaning mother, and she turns to drugs, alcohol, and meaningless sex to cope. The last third of the book shows both women finally taking control of their lives, finding love, triumphing over mean mothers (there's more than one), and living happily ever after. The pace is pretty rushed, and the resolution of a confrontation that has been brewing for more than a decade is squeezed into the final 40 pages. This Motherless Land has strong bones, but uneven pacing and too many flat characters prevent me from giving it a more enthusiastic recommendation. show less

Nikki May creates a narrative of a child born in Lagos who, through difficult circumstances, ends up in London with distant family members. We follow Funke and her British cousin, Liv as they learn to navigate two vastly different cultures. The cousins use different coping mechanisms to manage their unique family dynamics which creates the tension of the story. May gives us villains and heroes as we follow the plot and delve into the characters of this fast-paced novel. She provides a strong sense of Lagos— the food, the traditions, the culture and also the preconceived notions that outsiders have of Nigeria. I plan to go back to read her previous novel Wahala sometime soon.

Crying uncle at 41%! The first DNF of the year came early in 2025. I vowed to go to 50% but then I couldn't. The melodrama accelerated by a factor of 10, the wooden characters became even more ridiculous and inauthentic (especially Colin, Liv and Margo -- it was Margo who left me unable to take in another word), and Funke/Kate became more Christlike. It was insufferable. An extra half star because the writer shows some talent for scene setting and character formation (though not for character development.)

Summary: Funke is a perfect 9 year old in Nigeria, child of a White English mother and a Black Nigerian father. Her life is perfect but she is nervous in the manner of a 30 year old who has been beaten up by life. She does everything show more right but no one really appreciates her because she is not a boy. Things happen (nospoilers) and she ends up alone living with her mother's upper class family in the English countryside. They are all terrible to her except for her cousin Liv who is so desperate for love she dedicates herself to BFF status. Liv's mother is hateful and silly for no real reason and torments both girls, but Funke more. They change Funke's name to Kate so you can know they are racists and dyed in the wool colonizers. Classism and racism make Funke's life bad despite the fact she is perfect and does nothing but try to serve others and excel at school. Yadda yadda yadda. This is that bad. show less

The references to Mansfield Park in This Motherless Land were lost on me as I’m unfamiliar with Austen’s work. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed it. May’s great writing packs a lot into this emotional story with themes of identity, culture, and grief. It’s no surprise why this has been a popular bookclub pick; the hype is deserved.

In a Nutshell: A loose retelling of Jane Austen’s ‘Mansfield Park’. A decolonised narrative spanning two decades in Nigeria and England. Interesting characters, amazing writing, dark and light themes interspersed. You don’t need to read the original as this one can be appreciated much better as an independent novel. Recommended!

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Plot Preview:

1978. When ten-year-old Funke loses her mom in a car accident in Lagos, she is sent to live with her mom’s estranged family in England. Her mother’s sister isn’t so receptive to the idea of raising a mixed-race child, but Funke finds a friend in her cousin Liv. As the years pass by, Funke and Liv go through varied ups and downs, both haunted by the words and

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deeds of their mothers – one from the past and one in the present. Can the two girls learn to stand for themselves in a world where they are first judged by gender and skin and size?
The story comes to us from the third person perspectives of Funke and Liv, beginning in 1978 and jumping a few years over four sections until it reaches 1998.

Bookish Yays: show less