The Baby is Mine caught my eye for two reasons: author Oyinkan Braithwaite wrote one of my favourite deadpan reads of 2019 (My Sister, the Serial Killer) so I very much wanted to read another story by her, and this book is part of The Reading Agency’s Quick Reads campaign; an initiative to get more people reading.
Opening sentence: I was living with Mide (she of the wide hips and kinky hair) when we heard the news.
100 pages of perfection
Everything I loved about the way Oyinkan Braithwaite writes was here in The Baby is Mine. Through its 100 pages and generous font (a purposeful combo to make the experience of reading as accessible to as many people as possible) it tells a strong story – with brilliant moments of deadpan wit.
Set in Lagos, Nigeria during lockdown (it’s now the second book I’ve read with a lockdown reference – after I Know What You’ve Done – wondering if it will become the norm in upcoming novels?) the author uses the enforced encapsulation to create a tight, tense setting for her story.
When Bambi’s girlfriend discovers he’s been cheating, she kicks him out. He moves in with his Aunty Bidemi, not ideal as she is both grieving the loss of her husband to Covid and has a newborn baby. But it’s lockdown, so his options are limited.
It turns out Bambi isn’t the only houseguest, Esohe is there too. She was his uncle’s mistress and claims the baby is, in fact, hers… This is the captivating situation Bambi finds himself navigating and makes for an excellent story.
The Reading Agency Quick Reads
The Reading Agency is a charity with the focus to encourage more people (children and adults) to discover the joy of reading. I first heard about it while reading Dear Reader by Cathy Rentzenbrink as she worked for the charity.
It intrigued me then as I thought it was a brilliant initiative and when I saw that six new Quick Reads titles were released in May 2021 I wanted to give them a read. Plus, they retail for only £1. If this is the high standard then I’ll be snapping the rest up ASAP!
- Get your copy of The Baby is Mine here;
- Published by Atlantic Books May 2021;
- 104 pages;
- My rating:
Books on the 7:47 
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