Dear Alaere

Alaere Benson is your typical modern, professional woman in search of that elusive work-life balance and societal acceptance in Lagos. When she gets a job at Criole, she is excited to be working for a multinational company, but it does not take long for her to see that Criole is dysfunctional and bears an eerie similarity to Nigeria. As she struggles to find her footing in her new role, she witnesses a never-ending theatre of murder, sexual harassment and mysticism. At home, she is happily married to ‘Laja, but they begin to have problems when they experience difficulties having children and their situation is compounded by extended family interference. With things spiralling out of control, she is forced to reassess how she feels about the chaos around her and takes charge of her life with her often humorous, frank diary entries. As she confronts and grapples with her experiences, she finds peace and healing through the catharsis of writing.A moving tale of overcoming challenges with persistence and steadfastness in the journey of life. There is a lot to learn from this novel. – Yenie Emmanuel, author, The Book of April.Eriye has written a captivating story about love, rivalry, betrayal, career, womanhood, and the sometimes unexpected challenges of life in one of Nigeria’s most loved cities, Lagos. Through Alaere’s dairy, she navigates a world most of us can only dream of with a familiarity that introduces her as a voice that needs to be heard. – Michael Afenfia, author, The Mechanics of Yenagoa.