House Woman
‘Unique, bold and unsettling’ Aiwanose Odafen
‘Perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Daisy Johnson’ Amy Gentry
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My name is Ikemefuna Nwosu, and I am your wife.
One day in Lagos, young dancer Ikemefuna is put on a plane to Houston to meet her new husband, Nna. Promises are made to her – about her education, about the man she will marry, about her freedom.
None of them are kept.
A few months later, self-professed feminist Nna finds a beautiful woman cooking in his parents’ kitchen. They tell him Ikemefuna is his wife, there to give them the grandson they’ve been waiting for. She appears obedient, malleable.
But she is no ordinary wife.
In the Texas heat, patience runs on short supply and the atmosphere in the house becomes increasingly strained, increasingly violent. Desperation makes people do strange things…
Unpredictable and unsettling, HOUSE WOMAN is a delicious thriller you will never be able to forget.
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‘Haunting . . . a neo-gothic thriller, complete with a magnificently horrifying villain’ Daily Mail
‘A modern successor to Gaslight: disorienting and disturbing’ Kirkus Review
‘Unflinching, unforgettable’ Layne Fargo
‘Gripping’ Glamour
”'An assured debut from an exciting new voice, Nworah has written a gripping, twisting take that is a blend of psychological thriller and horror.” - Glamour
”'A neo-gothic thriller…complete with a magnificently horrifying villain.” - Daily Mail
'An impressive and moving first novel' Irish Times -
”'There’s more than a hint of horror in this claustrophobic and very disturbing domestic thriller.” - Guardian, 'Best Crime and Thrillers'
”'A deeply immersive and wrenching study of the life of a young woman in an arranged marriage and the thorny paths she must navigate in her quest for freedom. This debut shines with a brilliance that will run through you clean as an arrow. I’ve yet to read a story so gutting, yet tender and thoughtful in its handling of such an important subject” - Ukamaka Olisakwe, author of OGADINMA
”'Unfurls bloody truths about the lives of girls and women in language that writhes and burns on the page. A jaw-dropping debut of intimate horror perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Daisy Johnson” - Amy Gentry, author of BAD HABITS
”'To read HOUSE WOMAN is to encounter characters that are alive in their desires. They want what they want and they want it now. Nworah’s debut is full of twists and sentences that will stun you. A book rich in surprises” - Kemi Falodun, writer, journalist and author of SOUNDBENDER: THE MANY LIVES OF BEAUTIFUL NUBIA
”'An unflinching, unforgettable slow-burn thriller, HOUSE WOMAN reveals searing truths about women’s bodily autonomy and the hidden Gothic horrors of marriage while refusing to provide any simple answers - and the novel is all the more satisfying for it. Adorah Nworah is a stunning literary talent, and her debut will enthral you, incense you, and haunt you forever” - Layne Fargo, author of THEY NEVER LEARN