Stay With Me

Written By Jess Pancholi
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Stay with me by Ayobami Adebayo
Reviewed by Jess
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A long long while back we went to the Women’s Prize readings, where Stay With Me was shortlisted. The reading was gripping and I definitely wanted to read more... but ashamedly it’s taken until now! My advice to you all is absolutely don’t wait - read this book TODAY! I devoured it in 3 days flat, and I think I felt every emotion under the sun from sadness to happiness to anger and rage. ⁣
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I don’t want to ruin the story at all because you should all pick up a copy and come to our event to discuss it (Link in bio!!). In short, Yejide and Akin have been married since college but remain childless, and of course, the mother-in-law is up in their business about it. But this book isn’t strictly about infertility; it’s about marriage, families, relationships, culture, traditions, navigating gender roles, lies, and truth. You really go on a journey with the married couple - and YES you will take sides, even when you know it’s more nuanced than black and white! If you’ve read it let me know in the comments :)⁣
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The biggest thing for me is that Yejide as the protagonist is really fleshed out as a character and is not pitched as the perfect woman. She is almost there and fully flawed - but aren’t we all? It was so refreshing and energising to read about a real person. ⁣
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Thank you so much Ayobami Adebayo for honestly writing such a thrilling novel

Jess Pancholi

I’ve got to start this off by thanking Linda for putting together this amazing group of ladies who I love dearly! Linda was my uni/PhD wife for 8 solid years and books were one of the many things that bound us together - pun intended! I really think our book family is amazing, diverse and we really influence each other to push our reading boundaries (and crack each other up with our banter and jokes haha!) The family extends to you followers too - and we are just getting started!

According to everyone in my family and numerous home movies I was forever reading books.  Spot the Dog and anything Beatrix Potter were my jam. They say your love of reading never dies and I can absolutely say that is true! The books might be more grown up but I’m still there, book in hand (and snacks to boot!) ready to lose myself in a story.I can’t say for sure what my preferred genre of book is - I’ve read everything from biographies to epic modern novels and classic tales too - and of course as a scientist I dabble in a little popular sci lit on the side. I’m always willing to try something wacky and weird, even if I don’t like it in the end but I guess that’s why I’m part of The Candid Book Club, eh?

If you asked me to recommend some books to you, I would say that Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy is my absolute favourite ever; its worth it, I promise!I also love: Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli (shout out if you read this in high school - it’s YA that really sticks with you) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla (this is ESSENTIAL reading) Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami A Little Life by Hanyayan Agihara, Yes Please by Amy Poehler. And of course- The Tale of Jemima Puddleduck by Beatrix Potter

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