Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli (Someday, Maybe) is truly a wild ride. Protagonist Aṅụrị grew up the star of her stepmother's "momfluencer" content and now she's desperate to save her sister from the same emotional wreckage she struggles with.
When Aṅụrị's mother died shortly after childbirth, her father left their home in Nigeria for the leafy neighborhoods of London. Deep in his grief, he hired Ophelia to care for the infant Aṅụrị. He fell in love with the beautiful blonde nanny and married her. Her blog ostensibly began as a way to share stories and photos of Aṅụrị with the family back in Nigeria, but it grew into a lucrative empire.
Nwabineli explores fascinating cultural issues. What can parents ethically share about their children online? And what happens when money enters the equation? Nwabineli also digs into race, beauty, and the friction between first- and second-generation immigrants. Nuance abounds. Even Ophelia is a complex, if still deplorable character, as she falls prey to the social-media mirage of sparkling, round-cut perfection.
This novel raises the bar for the phrase "a compulsive read." Its conflicts are fraught. Aṅụrị's motivations and plight compel readers to emotionally invest in her. And while Nwabineli covers intense territory, humor and friendship add an unexpected and welcome lightness. A cast of endlessly supportive friends creates a cozy atmosphere that counterbalances the fever-pitch tension. Allow Me to Introduce Myself is a gorgeous gem of a novel. --Carol Caley, writer