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Zikora
- A Short Story
- Narrated by: Adepero Oduye
- Length: 1 hr and 15 mins
- Categories: Literature & Fiction, Anthologies & Short Stories
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My Review of 'A Promised Land'
- By Alamgir Hossain Baidya on 03-01-21
Publisher's Summary
The emotional storms weathered by a mother and daughter yield a profound new understanding in a moving short story by the best-selling, award-winning author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists.
When Zikora, a DC lawyer from Nigeria, tells her equally high-powered lover that she’s pregnant, he abandons her. But it’s Zikora’s demanding, self-possessed mother, in town for the birth, who makes Zikora feel like a lonely little girl all over again. Stunned by the speed with which her ideal life fell apart, she turns to reflecting on her mother’s painful past and struggle for dignity. Preparing for motherhood, Zikora begins to see more clearly what her own mother wants for her, for her new baby, and for herself.
Critic Reviews
“The actor Adepero Oduye as narrator shifts seamlessly between characters, and I hung onto her every word.” --The New York Times
“[Adichie] is delivering brand-new material to a world that needs her talents more than ever.” --Entertainment Weekly
“Full of the witty and mournful observations Adichie’s fans know, Zikora is a reflection on the baffling and infuriating irresponsibility of men - and the long-suffering love of mothers.” --The Washington Post
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What listeners say about Zikora
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- M Guru
- 24-02-21
A great short story
The book is so well written. It's the story of a woman a new single mother and how she's coping or drowning in the new and painful feelings and emotions while relating herself with her nearly single mother, understanding her more because of her new maternity. Thankfully it never happened to me or someone I know closely but the writing is so intuitive that it felt like I'm being induced a foreign feeling and feeling it as if it's my own. And a great applause to the narrator as she's done a really great job in conveying the story as meaningfully as it required.
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- nishana.s
- 11-02-21
amazing experience
amazing narration.loved the voice.felt like an afro American telling her story.
no words for the story.touched my heart
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- Tally
- 09-11-20
Great quick listen.
I really enjoyed this short story. Thanks for using a person with an authentic Nigerian accent! Not having someone who can pronounce the words correctly has been a barrier to purchasing books by African authors here.
I didn't want this story to end. It felt so real and I know someone in real life who can fit each character.
Chimamanda has done it again!
4 people found this helpful
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- A. Toliver
- 29-10-20
I wanted more.
I love the author’s work it is always rich. I was just settling in with the characters and it ended. I wanted more.
3 people found this helpful
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- YONGFACES
- 09-11-20
Wow
The book made me play out every memory from my own traumatic birth experience that I cried and felt instant relief after. How could someone know so much about my experiences? Suddenly I got a cold shiver down my spine, a strong and confident reassurance that I wasn’t alone. Thank you for this free therapy Chimamanda. Thank you.
2 people found this helpful
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- LG H
- 10-11-20
I want more
Really well written left me wishing for more. Good narration. That's all I have to say, but Audible needs a story with their reviews. Sometimes less is more.
1 person found this helpful
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- J. Cox
- 21-02-21
Not much of an end
This short story felt like an excerpt from a longer book. I was not satisfied by the ending... it felt like I was just abruptly kicked off the ride right in the middle.
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- Susan Godorov
- 18-02-21
Lovely Listen
Truly enjoyed this short story which provided a plethora of rich content. A wonderful listen. Enjoy.
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- Adanna H
- 17-02-21
Moving Story
I'm in awe of the completeness of this short story. I felt like I knew everything about Zikora's current situation and her innermost thoughts. I just wanted to know what happens next!
I loved the narration of this book! The narrator Adepero Oduye makes you feel like you are sitting down with your Nigerian girlfriend, Zikora, as she tells you about her pregnancy and relationship with Kwame. Oduye imparted a sense of intimacy as she tells of Zikora's unsuccessful relationship and challenges with motherhood. The narrator also makes seamless switches between the Nigerian accent and an American one to differentiate the characters.
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- Phil Gillette
- 09-02-21
I felt for her.
Finely crafted and finely performed. The story immediately drew me in, as I would expect from the author, and the narrator made me emphasize with the protagonist.
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- PAGES Highlights
- 08-02-21
A beautiful Story
Zikora is a short story that narrates the experience of a Nigerian based in America, practicing Law. she tries to have her baby.After being abandoned by her Boyfriend who seemed like the perfect suitor, however her hope for marriage comes to an end after she disclosed her pregnancy to him. She goes on to have her baby through an epidural process.Zikora tries to escape the painful birthing process by reflecting on her childhood experience against the backdrop of polygamy.her reflections takes the readers through the narrative of her love story that ended abruptly.Against the backdrop of polygamy, maternal mortality among black women and stereotypes women have to face to fit into societal norm of how a new mother should feel once she held her baby...
"I could not separate this moment from the stories of this moment" finally it was over and I had pushed out the baby"
I absolutely enjoyed the short story and the narrator made my experienceof the book so easy having a proper Nigerian accent transitioning so easily into an American accent making the narrative easy to enjoy. This book definitely earned my five star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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- La Pantera Salvage
- 03-02-21
Incredible Realism
An honest and unflinching peek at the trails of a professional and single African woman struggling to live her dream. I recognized so many of this heroines joys and pains. It matters so much that the reader was also Nigerian. She knew how to punctuate the soul of this story. I will definitely listen to more audio books by this reader and author.
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- Anonymous User
- 16-12-20
The first performance made for exceptional reading
I have listened to and read a lot of Nigeria/West African authors and am always really disappointed when the performances don’t match the story.
This performance and narration by Adepero Oduye was EXCEPTIONAL! I was hooked from the first paragraph.
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 31-10-20
Chimamanda, all day any day.
Loved it! The orator did a fine job. It is as real as it gets.
1 person found this helpful
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- INNOCENT EMEKA OKPARA
- 28-10-20
Chimamanda always brings it on. .
Chimamanda tells her stories with such realism you experience it rather than read about it.
1 person found this helpful
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- Mary Zuwa Mbwana-Fernandes
- 20-02-21
Too short 😁
This was a very intruiging story it made mr smile and even laught at times.
Beautifully written and made me think of my own journey of an African girl learning to live in the UK
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-02-21
Mothers and maternity
A very intimate listen. The narrator is just right. As a midwife and a mother it meant a lot. When I had problems post natal my mother was there. Her relationship with the father saddened me but i felt she had the strength to carry on alone
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- J. Williams
- 18-01-21
Insightful and compassionate
A heartbreaking life affirming story of a wonderfully flawed young woman caught up in social expectation and the war that women declare on themselves and their sex. The language and imagery is rich and fluid and the story full of raw, painful insight and compassion. I loved it. Beautifully read too.
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- Anna L.
- 17-01-21
Nice short story, amazing narration!
A good short story about a Nigerian woman who gets pregnant and is abandoned by her seemingly perfect boyfriend. Bit of a sad story but the reality is, this happens. The narration was sublime!
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- rhoda agbamuche
- 13-01-21
Beautiful story
Lovely brilliant writing and story , gave it a 4 star as the story didn't have an ending.
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- LG
- 21-12-20
Moving reality
A woman's story which could be anyone. A short account of bringing a child into the world and the compromise between the perfection we predict for our lives and our lives as they really are.
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- Pal
- 19-12-20
Found it boring and depressing.
Found it boring and depressing. Just not my cup of tea. it was monotonous narration as well. overall its a disappointing read.