This was very different from my usual reads but I enjoyed it very much. A great story of a strong woman who fights to find herself.

I was drawn to this book as I loved the cover and have not read many books/novels about Africa and it's people. Being a book that is inspired by real events always take my interest too. And I wasn't disappointed. I loved it and I couldn't put it down.

'Western Africa, 1848. In a small Yorùbá village, fourteen-year-old Ṣìkẹ́mi refuses to live by the elders’ rules. ' But soon her life will change forever when slave raiders invaded her home and she is sold to a family as a slave. This is such a strong and emotional story with the power to make you think and feel for the people who would have had to go through situations such as these.

This book was written with so much feeling and I commend the author for making a book with such a tough subject so easy to read. I couldn't take my eyes off the pages and I highly recommend this book as it is a gripping read.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I am going to be honest, this book was, at times, difficult to understand for me. There were some phrases in the book that I had never heard before so I had to use my imagination as to what they meant.

Other than that I did enjoy reading this book. I enjoyed learning some history in slavery because of this book. It was very eye-opening for me. This book did have a very strong female lead, which is something we need more of!

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is more interested in learning about things from history that were not taught in schools. At least, they were not taught in my school. It was astounding how it made me stop and think about everything!

The Stolen Daughter is set in the Yorùbá Kingdom (present day Nigeria) in 1848. During a raid on their village, 14-year-old Sìkémi is separated from her family. She and her betrothed, Folarin, are captured and trekked to the slave market. She is sold to Madam Tinúbù, escaping the slave ships to America. Being a slave is not easy, especially for the independent and outspoken Sìkémi. She is often in trouble, being given extra work for her behaviour. While delivering wood to the main house, she sees a young child playing with something on the ground. Realizing it is a baby cobra, she intervenes and saves the child's life. It is the son of the foreman, so she is rewarded by living in the compound of the foreman's family and caring for the children after she recovers. She eventually ends up working in Madam's home and discovers a conspiracy to kill her. Saving her and her maid servant from being poisoned, she is granted a request. She can't ask for her freedom, so she asks to be trained as a warrior and to join Madam's guard. Hopefully these skills will help her escape and find her family. Things don't always go as planned and Sìkémi spends years as a slave, moving from place to place and even ending up with a new master. As the years passed with Sìkẹ́mi, she despaired of ever seeing her family again. Would she manage to escape the confines of slavery? Were her family even alive? And who could she trust?

This is a heartbreaking story of Western Africa during the time of the slave trade and British Colonization. Although this book deals with slavery, it doesn't cross the ocean to North America. From the dawn of time, slavery has been part of human life. I did know that the African people who became slaves were often turned over by other tribes, I didn't realize it was so widespread and a way of life. Tribal leaders trained their guards and armies to go on these raids and capture innocents to see, all to get richer and gain more power. Sìkémi was an inspiring character. She was strong, smart, and do whatever she had to in order to gain her freedom or escape. This story shows how people who were inherently good, get caught up in evil, as once she trained as a guard, she participated and even lead raids to capture innocent people who were then sold into slavery. She tried to appease herself by releasing people who were feeble, old, or children, only taking those who could withstand being slaves. She was kind to the children and those who needed someone to protect them in the compounds as well. The Stolen Daughter is a story of courage, determination, fear and strength. In a man's world, and a world of slavery, women were chattels, never worth much, but Sìkémi gains respect through her abilities, tenacity and the steps she takes to save her masters. This story is inspired by true events and while heartbreaking in part, there is also an uplifting feeling as the story progresses. We learn about the British attempt to end the slave trade, the love that some characters find, and the courage of a young woman who lost her family and her freedom in the worst possible way. Highly recommended. I read historical fiction to learn about times and events that I am not familiar with, and this book scored huge in that regard. I definitely recommend this one.

The Stolen Daughter by Florence Olajide. Ṣìkẹ́mi is a tom boy who really unfortunately gets taken by a slave trader and she’s miffed about it. It’s a true story which is really quite depressing but it’s very well written and once it gets going it’s very fast paced. It’s not a bit of history I read a lot about but it’s very interesting once it gets going (oh my god get going). My take away from this is don’t get kidnapped.

This was a good story. I had a some difficulty understanding phrases like “kissed her teeth” and “cut her eyes at him” but I enjoyed seeing traditional terms.

This was such a special book. I loved how Olajide writes - it was so moving and incredible to read. It was such an amazing book on resilience, overcoming hardships, and female courage and strength.

4.5⭐ This story was beautifully written. Sikemi is very strong-willed and was determined to find her family after being captured from her home village. She becomes a slave and that in itself had me so nervous for her when she had it in her mind to escape. I kept wondering while reading "how will she do it?" because we know as the reader that her Madam's could or most likely would kill or torture her for trying to escape. But still Sekemi wants for nothing but to see her family alive. It's what is keeping her alive while being held captive.

It was enjoyable to also learn about the history of slavery in what was known as Yoruba land and then find out that now makes up Nigeria in present day (I hope I read that correctly). Very interesting. This story also reminded me in a lot of way to The Island Queen by Vanessa Riley, which was one of my favorite reads from last year. I highly recommend reading this story, thank you so much to Netgalley and the author for an arc copy.

On the cusp of adulthood Sikemi's life is thrown into turmoil as her village is set on fire and she's captured by slave traders. The book is a coming of age story that follows Sikemi's life as she goes from a normal girl to a slave and finally a female warrior. As Sikemi struggles to come to terms with her new life, she is also desperate to find out what happened to her family and home village.

**Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture, and Florence Ọlájídé for an eARC of The Stolen Daughter.

I enjoy books with strong female characters and this one had plenty. With the main character Sikemi we have a coming of age story in the midst of horrible circumstances. I found this to be an action packed page turner. Sikemi was a remarkable girl who was determined to reclaim the life that had been so brutally taken away from her. She relied on her unconventional upbringing and her sense of self preservation to position herself favorably in the house of her master, Madam Tinubu. Madam Tinubu herself was an anomaly and used everyone in her circle to her own selfish ends. This book laid out the forced assimilation and take over of the Yaruba people and the early groundwork for the country of Nigeria with compassion.

I received a copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is such a well written and heartbreaking story of a young, determined girl's journey of enslavement under a rich madam of Yorùbáland. A story of her resilience, bravery and hard work in order to elevate her skills. Hers is a tumultuous journey to freedom.
The author has masterfully woven a captivating, emotional and unforgettable story that draws the readers in from page 1.
This was my first book on African historical fiction related to slave trade and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Although, there were topics that could act as triggers for some readers but they make the story and the characters (especially that of Ṣìkẹ́mi and Ìbidún) even more realistic and strong.
If you enjoy historical fictions, then this well paced book with likeable female characters and beautiful female friendships won't let you down.

Thank you @randomthingstours for this copy of The Stolen Daughter.

Yorùbá Kingdom, 1848.

During a raid on their village, 14-year-old Sìkémi is separated from her family. She’s captured and headed for the slave market, where she is subsequently sold to Madam Tinúbù.

Life in slavery is tough. Sìkémi often gets into trouble, however, when she saves a child’s life, her life changes and becomes more bearable.

When she discovers a conspiracy to poison Madam, she steps in to help. In return, Madam offers her a request; she can ask for anything, but not her freedom.

Sìkémi chooses to train as a warrior and to join Madam’s guard. It will give her an advantage to plot her escape and to be reunited with her family…

This was such a harrowing story set during the dawn of British colonialism.

Sìkémi was an inspiring character, however, when she trained as Madam’s guard, she started capturing innocent people who were then sold into slavery. Essentially, she did what was done to her. That was the part I didn’t like. I know she did it to survive, but I thought she might show more compassion and empathy. She didn’t take people who were feeble and old, she only took those who could withstand being slaves.

Overall, this book portrays an interesting part of history, which was unknown to me. It’s definitely thought provoking and will make you think.

Thanks to Bookouture for the NetGalley widget.

This is a very plot-driven book; I did enjoy that, but I really wish there was more focus on character and relationship development. It felt hard to get invested in characters because of the lack of this. However, I thought Sikemi was written very well, and since she was the main character, the focus was on her character development. Her character is so strong and resilient; what she went through and the hard decisions she had to make really shaped her as a person. I also really liked Ronke as the story went on, and I would love to read about her life and experiences from her own perspective.
 
You could tell a lot of care and passion went into writing this book. She put a lot of meaning into it, especially when writing about the different historical events.
 
This book really rushed through a timeline, which I'm not always a fan of. I felt it could have gone through some events faster and others slower. There were ebbs and flows of slow-paced parts and fast-paced parts.

The Stolen Daughter by Florence Ọlájíd won me over with a stunningly vivid West African setting and a strong female lead character.

Ṣìkẹ́mi is stolen from her village, and the life she now lives is very different from the life that was planned out for her from birth. The author’s attention to detail let me immerse myself fully in the world, experiencing the horrors, feelings of hopelessness, and then celebrating the fighting spirit that Ṣìkẹ́mi that developed.

I feel like I learned a lot reading about Ṣìkẹ́mi’s plight, and I loved the lush descriptions of Africa. The political landscape was intricately detailed and fascinating.

One part of the plotline took me by surprise. While I understood that Ṣìkẹ́mi did what she needed to survive, her moral compass definitely disturbed me at times. I think it would make a fascinating book club read, as there are some great discussion points.

This was a fast paced book, with a multi-dimensional character whose vulnerabilities and strengths are equally showcased. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My thanks to Sarah Hardy at Bookouture for a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

Diving straight into the action, as The Stolen Daughter opens in mid-nineteenth-century Nigeria, we meet 14-year-old Ṣìkẹ́mi, living in a small Yoruba village with her parents, little brother Kúnlé and extended family, many of whom are disapproving of her unusual ways. Having been brought up by her father much like a son, even being trained to hunt (at least until Kúnlé arrives on the scene), Ṣìkẹ́mi delights in the forest and the outdoors but as a girl she is expected to conform to other behaviours and is also betrothed to Fọlárìn. But her village is suddenly raided by slave traders one night and Ṣìkẹ́mi soon finds herself in the slave market in the town of Bàdágrì from where she is purchased for the home of the powerful and wealthy Madam Tinúbú.

Though Madam Tinúbú’s slaves are well fed and given all the basic facilities, life is still hard. Ṣìkẹ́mi must start at the bottom of the rung chopping wood but works her way (once she understands how power equations work in the compound) to being assigned different tasks. With her headstrongness and outspokenness, trouble is never far behind. But luck is on her side as she does manage to get past each successive episode, alongside growing in stature in the household. Eventually she finds herself by the side of Madam Tinúbú herself, the latter allowing her to train as a warrior and be part of her guard. With it, Ṣìkẹ́mi gets one thing her heart desires, but her real aim remains escaping and finding the family she was separated from.

Combining historical and fictional characters and set against a historical scenario, Florence Ọlájídé gives us a strong and spirited character in Ṣìkẹ́mi, who is at the same time realistic and flawed. In her ways and actions (wanting to be a warrior for instance, or preferring the forest to the indoors), she questions stereotypes and through the chances that come her way does go on to break them as well. She can’t bear injustice or unfairness stepping in even if it brings trouble on herself and shows compassion where she can. She is independent and brave, not easily intimidated but does show sense when she is in a situation beyond handling. At the same time, she is convincingly portrayed having to give into or herself committing what she would consider abhorrent when there is little choice or letting her temper or at times her emotions get the better of her to her detriment. Her decisions and actions may be questionable sometimes but for the most part, her heart is in the right place.

In some senses, women’s role and challenges at the time is an issue this novel looks at in some form or other all through—from unwanted advances which those who were slaves had to simply bear or weren’t trained to fight off to the roles traditionally expected or even taking on role not traditionally for women. Ṣìkẹ́mi is not the only one who challenges these. Madam Tinúbú a powerful and wealthy slave trader and former Queen consort who played with politics and power (not always successfully) at a time when the British were establishing a presence in their midst as also Ẹfúnṣetán Aníwúrà, another successful Yoruba Cheftain, merchant and slave trader, whom we encounter later in the book also did and both these were real-life powerful figures at their time. As Ṣìkẹ́mi’s story unfolds we also get a look at these two remarkable women, their lives and political manoeuvrings as also the broader political and social scenario that was unfolding at the time.

Likewise is the cruel world of slavery and slave trade. Slave markets bustle and traders profit but what of those who have been reduced to commodities? Some shipped off to strange foreign lands (in this case a scenario that is present but not explored), others in their own lands having to bear hardships and challenges every day. While those in establishments like Madam Tinúbú’s mightn’t have wanted for food or basic needs (like hygiene), the work was hard and if they happened to cross the wrong person, either punishment or resale was their fate. But even before they got there, there would be the harrowing experience of capture that Ṣìkẹ́mi goes through and must later put others through (even though she shows some compassion sparing the weak), separated from the families and homes they loved, many times never to return.

The story itself is well told and keeps one reading all the way as Ṣìkẹ́mi goes quite literally from one adventure to another bringing on trouble and enemies—particularly so in the initial parts. Even later while her position is in some ways more settled, Madam Tinúbú’s political manoeuvrings and various conspiracies and plots playing out all around keep her (and indeed us readers) on her toes as she also tries to find a way to escape (or perhaps be freed) and find her family. The author has done a wonderful job weaving in Ṣìkẹ́mi’s fictional tale within the broad contours of Madam Tinúbú and Ẹfúnṣetán Aníwúrà’s real ones.

All-in-all The Stolen Daughter is an engaging piece of historical fiction which gives us an interesting story amidst a historical backdrop I knew little about and which I enjoyed reading very much.

A very fascinating story of a young girl who is captured and sold into slavery in 19th C West Africa and becomes a warrior and fights for her freedom . Ṣìkẹ́mi is definitely an interesting character and her story is quite different than anything I’ve read before . The west African politics got a bit more confusing for me in the second half - there was a lot going on- and I wish we had seen more character development on some of the side characters . Overall, this was a an interesting story and a quick read and I definitely learned about a time and place in history I was not too familiar with.

Wow. This was such a powerful and emotional read. It read like a movie. I admired and appreciated Sikemi's strength and determination. The story was told in such a way I had a hard time putting it down. It was a phenomenal page turner and the characters were some of the best I've read in a minute. At some point, I would like to do some research on the person this book was loosley based on. My heart was broken, but it eventually was put back together again. This is the part of history some people in this country don't want us to know about, the strength and power we come from. This was such a well written story and If you enjoy historicals, this is one that you need to put on your list.

Thank you Bookouture for inviting me to be part of the Books on Tour for “The Stolen Daughter”. This is about the slave trade in West Africa, a part of history I was not familiar with.
Sìkémi gets captured from her village. She befriends the other slaves and is a favorite of the Madame. She never gives up trying to get back to her parents and brother.
If you want to read about an unknown part of history, this book is for you! I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. Many thanks to the author, Bookouture and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
#TheStolenDaughter #BooksSetInAfrica #NetGalley #Bookouture #BooksOnTour #BookLove #Bookstagram #NewBook #ILoveBooks

The Stolen Daughter is a good historical fiction book about Sìkémi who is captured in slavery but survives and remains hopeful so that she can be reunited with her family. This was a page turner from beginning to end and the author wrote this really well. The book had great characters and plot was really good, I enjoyed reading this and would recommend this one to any reader who loves a good historical fiction book. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this book in exchange of my honest review of The Stolen Daughter.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for this eCopy to review

The Stolen Daughter was an insightful read into how Ṣìkẹ́mi became a slave, how she never stopped fighting for her freedom and to find her family again. It was interesting to see how she came to want to protect her captures and the families she creates with the other slaves. I felt it was a bit slow in the middle with all the political manoeuvres, but really enjoyed the ending.

A heart breaking read