The Many Faces of Wickedness -A Review of Lola Akande’s The Truth about Sadia

Title: The Truth about Sadia

Author: Lola Akande

Year of Publication: 2023

Number of Pages: 301

Category: Fiction

Like the Yorubas say, “Aye wa ooooh…” life is indeed full of wickedness. Some stories entertain, but others confront you with the raw, unsettling truths of life. Lola Akande’s The Truth about Sadia does the latter.

It’s no surprise, as Lola Akande’s books are usually rich with rare life lessons. This novel is filled with twists and turns that will leave you wide-eyed as you read. Brace yourself, this isn’t just a story, it’s a mirror held up to the darker corners of human nature.

The character on the cover looks worried, and the title suggests the story revolves around Sadia’s problems. Yet, as you read, you discover that while she remains central, the plot’s weight often shifts elsewhere. The author could easily have titled this book The Truth about Mofe.

Akande’s vivid descriptions of Lagos, particularly Bariga and Obalende, draw you deeply into the settings. The detail is so rich that you feel she must have grown up there or still lives nearby.

The opening pages waste no time in showing just how cruel people can be, leaving a bitter taste and making you suspicious of even close family members. At times, you might get goosebumps and question whether to continue, but the journey is worth it, Akande is leading somewhere significant.

One of the book’s recurring questions is whether a woman’s decision to stay with a drug-addicted husband is driven by love or by her principles. Sadia’s choices often walk the fine line between loyalty and foolishness. Themes of alcohol, hard drugs, mental health, and human wickedness run throughout the novel.

The blurb suggests that Sadia must endure tragedy to discover her true self, but suffering is not the only path to growth. At several crossroads, she could have chosen differently, yet she clings to pain, making her journey feel more like self-inflicted hardship than resilience. Sympathy gradually gives way to frustration, as many of her struggles arise from her own decisions. Still, by the end, you cannot help but empathise with her because despite it all, she truly went through a lot.

The transitions between scenes are smooth and skillful. Just as you are absorbed in one moment, Akande ushers you into another, sometimes juggling multiple events at once to keep you alert and engaged.

The book is full of disturbing characters you pray never to meet in real life. One such character is Akin Oyelowo who, despite his beautiful name, carries a wicked heart. Strangely, Akande allows his character to fade into the background, perhaps overshadowed by the turmoil surrounding others.

The novel is full of secrets, revealed chapter by chapter. It is at once frightening, eye-opening, and informative. The portrayal of first-born children is particularly striking, presenting them as entitled and, at times cruel, a choice that leaves readers unsettled.

The old saying “blood is thicker than water” lingers powerfully throughout the story, leaving you questioning its meaning and relevance.

Towards the end, you find yourself hoping for resolution, perhaps even a happy ending, but Akande leaves you hanging, almost as if a sequel is unavoidable, given the many unanswered questions.

Few novels leave you breathless at every turn. Lola Akande’s The Truth about Sadia is one of them.