The Visit (Black Stars)

Author: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Available Formats: Kindle (£0.00), Audible (£1.74)
Format Read: Audible
Year Published: 2021

When I first started reading The Visit, I was a little confused. Like most books I read, I went in blind—no previews, no reviews—just an open mind. But within a few pages, I realized what was happening, and I absolutely loved it!

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie flips the script in this thought-provoking short story. The Visit follows Obina, a house husband with a successful wife, as he receives a visit from an old friend who now lives in America. Obina is unemployed, staying at home to care for their children while his wife works long hours, often away with vague work-related excuses.

But here’s the twist—women rule the world. They hold positions of power, dictate societal norms, and push forward agendas that concern them. Adichie masterfully inverts gender roles, highlighting the everyday realities of patriarchy by making men experience what women often go through. One of my favourite details? The award women receive for “contributing to the human race” when they give birth—pure gold!

This short story is sharp, insightful, and delightfully subversive. It challenges conventional gender dynamics in an entertaining and profoundly reflective way. Another brilliant piece from Chimamanda that left me thinking long after I finished it!

About the Author

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a renowned Nigerian writer and feminist known for her powerful storytelling on themes of identity, gender, race, and migration. Her notable works include Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun, Americanah, and We Should All Be Feminists, based on her widely influential TED Talk. I have loved reading all these books, and I have equally loved: The Thing Around Your Neck; Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions and Notes on Grief. I am looking forward to reading her new offering due to be released in March 2025: Dream Count. Most of Chimmamanda’s books are accessible and affordable, especially on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited.

She strongly advocates for African narratives, rejecting the “single story” of the continent, and has received numerous accolades, including the MacArthur “Genius” Grant and honorary degrees from top universities. Her work has shaped contemporary discussions on feminism, race, and postcolonialism, making her one of our time’s most influential literary voices. Chimamanda is one of my favourite authors; I have read all her works. She was instrumental in my feminist journey.