In her debut collection, Funmi Fetto presents nine compelling stories that span continents, and generations, all focusing on Nigerian women. From a migrant worker grappling with exploitation in London to a woman unearthing family secrets on the brink of marriage, each story offers a glimpse into a different facet of womanhood. Whether confronting betrayal, reclaiming suppressed identities, or quietly rebelling against societal expectations, Fetto’s characters are brought to life with empathy and sharp insight.
What sets Hail Mary apart is the emotional and cultural specificity Fetto brings to each narrative. She writes with an intimate understanding of the tensions that exist between heritage and assimilation, tradition and modernity, duty and desire. The women in these stories are often in conflict with the roles imposed on them by their families, their communities, and the cultures they straddle. Fetto allows their inner contradictions to breathe. Her prose is restrained yet evocative, capturing quiet moments of grief, rage, and revelation with power.
Moreover, the collection’s range of voice, circumstance, and emotional tone are fantastic. While each story stands alone, they are united by a shared emotional honesty and a clear-eyed view of the world these women inhabit. Fetto avoids sentimentality, instead leaning into the messiness of her characters’ choices and the grey areas of their morality. There’s a deep compassion in her writing, not because her characters are flawless, but because she lets them be flawed, complicated, and real. The result is a portrait of Nigerian womanhood that feels both expansive and intimate.
Quietly fierce and beautifully observed, Hail Mary marks Funmi Fetto as a vital new voice in contemporary fiction.
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