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Adi of Boutanga is a gentle story about a harsh reality for young women in Cameroon (and elsewhere in the world).
Adi of Boutanga: A Story from Cameroon by Alain Serge Dzotap, illustrated by Marc Daniau. Eerdmans, 2025. 60 pages.
- Reading Level: Middle grades, ages 10-12
- Recommended For: Ages 10 and up.
Adi is short for Adidjatou. When she is thirteen dry seasons old, her uncle (the patriarch of the family since he’s the eldest) decides it’s time for her to marry. But Adi doesn’t want to marry! She doesn’t feel like an adult; she feels like a little girl.
Thankfully, Adi’s parents also don’t want her to marry this young. They find a new home for her with her teacher and other young girls. And Adi’s parents keep their word to visit often and bring her news and special treats from home. When Adi grows up, when she is twenty two dry seasons old, she begins a new chapter….
Words are curious little thing. They don’t just chase away our fears or dry our tears: they also express our feelings, which have grown like fence posts in the living hedge of my chameleon-grass village.
This is a remarkably short book that looks almost like a picture book (it is filled with lovely illustrations), but the subject matter places it firmly in middle school (and up) territory. Spare text serves to keep the sobering facts on the surface, but it offers plenty to talk about. The author (who is from Cameroon) includes a note in the back that is worth reading; the author met the real Adi!
Considerations: none
Bottom Line: A great resource for learning about another country and for introducing a hard subject in a gentle way.
Related Reading from Redeemed Reader:
- A Review: The Golden Necklace by Mitali Perkins is a mystery novel for this same age group; it also looks at arranged marriages (although the girl in question is older).
- Reviews: More books set in Africa that you might enjoy include Akissi: Tales of Mischief, A Long Walk to Water, and the Rwendigo Tales.
- Reviews: For older readers, here are some other books that tackle hard subjects and also take place in Africa: Auma’s Long Run and Buried Beneath the Baobab Tree.
You may purchase Adi of Boutanga from Amazon.
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