This Motherless Land

An extremely loose adaptation of [b:Mansfield Park 45032 Mansfield Park Jane Austen https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1397063295l/45032.SY75.jpg 224016803], although it actually feels more Dickensian than Austen-ish to me. A majority of the characters are either virtuous victims or venomous villains (sorry not sorry for the alliteration). Starting in 1978 and spanning 20 years, the plot focuses on Funke Oyenuga, who is sent to England from her home in Nigeria at the tender age of 9 when her saintly mother dies. In this strange new land, everyone is horrid to the mixed race girl, except for her lonely cousin Olivia Stone, who becomes Funke's protector. Nikki May is Anglo-Nigerian, and she incisively details the vast cultural differences between her two countries. There are disheartening similarities as well; Funke is subject to overt racism and subtler microaggressions in England, but she is also targeted by some Nigerians for her mixed race, “yellow” status. The first half of the book is bogged down in melodrama, as Funke undergoes humiliation after humiliation, mostly at the hands of her Aunt Margot. Olivia also lets herself be pushed around by her cold, demeaning mother, and she turns to drugs, alcohol, and meaningless sex to cope. The last third of the book shows both women finally taking control of their lives, finding love, triumphing over mean mothers (there's more than one), and living happily ever after. The pace is pretty rushed, and the resolution of a confrontation that has been brewing for more than a decade is squeezed into the final 40 pages. This Motherless Land has strong bones, but uneven pacing and too many flat characters prevent me from giving it a more enthusiastic recommendation.