Arranged and forced marriages are the reality for many young teenage girls around the world. But does it really have to be this way?

This middle grade illustrated novel is based on the true story of Adi, as told to renowned Cameroonian author and poet Alain Serge Dzotap.

Adidjatou, or Adi for short, is a 13-year-old Cameroonian Muslim girl. Her family are nomadic herder people, but times are changing. Adi lives in a village, her dad is a motorcycle taxi driver, and her mom sells palm-oil doughnuts at the local market. She is a fourth grader at the local school, who enjoys swimming in the river and making little grass dolls for her sister.

This seemingly carefree existence comes tumbling down when Adi learns her uncle is to marry her off for a dowry. Only, her parents are not in agreement with the traditional way of doing things. They take her to Mama Ly, the wealthy benefactor of her village school, who also runs a refuge far from home. Here, Adi befriends other girls who have escaped a similar fate, learns to laugh again, and continues her schooling until she is ready to decide her own future.

It is a simple story, recounted in the first person by Adi and based on her personal experience of the world. There are wonderful bursts of lyricism in the narrative, however, such as this observation on the meaning of words to Adi and her friends before the school opened in their village:

“We could hear them, but we couldn’t see or touch them. I even thought a strong wind might steal them . . .”

References to local culture, flora and fauna also abound in the narrative. Adi is “thirteen dry seasons and as many rainy seasons old.” When she laughs, her mom asks if she’s swallowed “a thousand weaverbirds.”

The text is broken into manageable chunks set against multi-colored backdrops that are reminiscent of beautiful African cloth. There are also brightly colored single and double-page spreads that portray Adi’s life in the village, at school and in the refuge. Nearly all the characters are brown-skinned.

The detailed back matter includes a note from the author about his background and the importance of sharing Adi’s story with the world. Information about Cameroon – its geography, peoples and education system – is also featured, as is a glossary of the terms that may be unfamiliar to many readers.

Although this is Adi’s story, it is, of course, shared by many and draws attention to the ongoing tradition of arranged and forced marriages for young girls. The novel also provides fascinating insights into Cameroonian village life and culture.

Adi of Boutanga: A Story from Cameroon
Written by Alain Serge Dzotap
Illustrated by Marc Daniau
Translated from French by Alain Serge Dzotap
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers; publication date April 15, 2025
ISBN: 9780802856296

Reviews: School Library Journal/A Fuse 8 Production, WorldKidLit

You can buy a copy Adi of Boutanga here or find it in a library, here.*

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With thanks to the publisher for providing review copies of this book.

Laura Taylor previously posted at Planet Picture Book, a world children’s literature blog she founded in 2017. She is a small business copywriter, NAATI-certified translator of French into English and member of AUSIT. When she is not writing, she is reading and spending time with her two young children. She occasionally tweets @plapibo