The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives by Lola Shoneyin is a fictional story set in the western part of Nigeria. It tells the story of Baba Segi, an admirably rich merchant who believes that having many wives and children makes him a successful man and a figure to reckon with in society. Despite his affluence and fame, he is uneducated and extremely egoistic.
Baba Segi has four wives. Each wife has a different character, yet they all live together under the same roof in what appears to be harmony, though this later leads to many problems.
The first wife, Iya Segi, is a controlling and proud woman. She manages the household and uses her position to bully the other wives. She is afraid of losing her power, so she treats the others badly.
Iya Tope, the second wife, is quiet and religious. She pretends to be gentle, even though she is unhappy and jealous within. She obeys Iya Segi mainly to avoid chaos.
Iya Femi, the third wife, is shy and fearful due to the abuse she suffered in the past. As a result, she allows the other wives to manipulate her.
Bolanle, the fourth wife, is young and educated. She speaks good English and behaves gently. Baba Segi likes her because she is different from the others, but her education makes the other wives jealous.
With Bolanle’s arrival in the family, the peace in the house gradually disappears. Because of the love and attention shown to her by Baba Segi, the other wives begin to resent her. They insult her, overwork her, and even try to dehumanise her. Despite all this, Bolanle remains strong and composed.
The problem becomes more serious when Bolanle does not get pregnant, and everyone blames her. Baba Segi and his relatives believe she is barren. She is insulted and humiliated because society often assumes that women are responsible for infertility.
The hidden truth is eventually revealed during Bolanle’s medical examination at the hospital. It is discovered that Baba Segi is infertile, which comes as a shocking revelation to everyone. It is then exposed that the first three wives had secret affairs with other men in order to have children. They did this to survive in the marriage, since a woman without children is considered worthless in society.
As a result, Baba Segi feels ashamed and angry when he learns the truth, and his pride is greatly shattered. Bolanle, who is innocent and honest, decides to leave the marriage. She choses her freedom and dignity over continued suffering. The other wives remain with Baba Segi because they are trapped by their secrets and their dependence on him.
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives is thus a scintillating novel Lola Shoneyin uses to deconstruct the societal but erroneous perception that women are always culpable for the inability to procreate in African and more specifically, Nigerian marriages. It basically posits that it takes two to tango.
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I was not expecting the plot twist at the end of the novel and the closet revelations that came with it. It was an exciting read. Baba Segi, for all his boast about his sexual prowess, is sterile after all.