Zikora

A Short Story

By: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Narrated by: Adepero Oduye

The emotional storms weathered by a mother and daughter yield a profound new understanding in a moving short story by the best-selling, award-winning author of Americanah and We Should All Be Feminists.

When Zikora, a DC lawyer from Nigeria, tells her equally high-powered lover that she’s pregnant, he abandons her. But it’s Zikora’s demanding, self-possessed mother, in town for the birth, who makes Zikora feel like a lonely little girl all over again. Stunned by the speed with which her ideal life fell apart, she turns to reflecting on her mother’s painful past and struggle for dignity. Preparing for motherhood, Zikora begins to see more clearly what her own mother wants for her, for her new baby, and for herself.

©2020 Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved

Critic reviews

“The actor Adepero Oduye as narrator shifts seamlessly between characters, and I hung onto her every word.” (The New York Times)

“The multitalented actress, director, singer, and writer Adepero Oduye provides an outstanding Nigerian-accented narration, charting Zikora's thoughts and feelings surrounding her failed relationship, her attempts to navigate new motherhood as a professional woman, and her developing understanding of her own mother's challenging relationship with Zikora's father in Nigeria.” (AudioFile Magazine)

“[Adichie] is delivering brand-new material to a world that needs her talents more than ever.” (Entertainment Weekly)

Captivating

The story’s universal theme makes it relatable to all women. Adichie’s magical use of language always leaves the reader wanting more. As a woman, who faced a pregnancy with a partner, I felt as if she was telling my own story. As a child, who witnessed my parents separation, I was too naive to see that it had been a result of both parents’ decisions; but I idolized my father and blamed my mother. I say this to say her words lead to self-reflection.

I WANT MORE TOO!!!

Yes!! A story that has not been told! Original.
Powerful. Loved it and definitely want more!! We have definitely dated the same guys and questioned the same thoughts during childbearing. Loved it

Beautifully captivating story

She has done it again. What a beautifully captivating story. It is wonderfully written and narrated.

Amazing Writing

I really hope she makes this into a full length novel. I’m so intrigued by the characters.

Emotive and powerful

Chimamanda paints a lush portrait of a woman in distress with words that evoke emotion and draw the listener in. This short piece reminds me why she's held in high esteem. I loved it.