Second Class Citizens by Buchi Emecheta

Buchi Emecheta’s novel, Second Class Citizen, was initially published in London in 1974 by Allison and Busby. Soon after, in 1975, George Braziller published it in the United States. The work is commonly regarded as semi-autobiographical and tells the narrative of a strong Nigerian woman who, facing strict tribal dominance of women and endless obstacles, manages to build a life of her own and that of her children. Similar to Emecheta’s own career path, the heroine Adah moves from Nigeria to London, where she “finds sanctuary in her goal of becoming a writer” amid horrible living conditions and violent marriage.