Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Published 2025 · 352 pages · 82,684 words · about 6 hours at an average pace

How hard is Cursed Daughters to read?

Cursed Daughters scores 57 out of 100 for difficulty on ReadingRate, making it quite demanding. The score is a weighted composite of nine measures: four of how hard the prose is to parse, five of how hard the meaning is to extract.

Vocabulary: 48 out of 100
The vocabulary is contemporary and accessible, with some Nigerian slang and cultural references (e.g., "gangan," "aso ebi," "mamalawo"). While not overly complex, the inclusion of Yoruba terms without explicit translation might pose a minor challenge for some readers. This is similar to *The Great Gatsby* in that the vocabulary is accessible, but the cultural context adds a layer of understanding.
Sentence structure: 50 out of 100
The sentences are generally straightforward, with a mix of short, declarative statements and longer, more descriptive passages. There are instances of dialogue and internal monologue that contribute to the narrative flow. The syntax is comparable to *The Great Gatsby* in its balance and readability.
Abstraction: 55 out of 100
The narrative primarily focuses on the concrete experiences and relationships of the characters, particularly Ebun and Monife. While the story explores themes of family, love, and loss, it does so through the lens of their daily lives and interactions. This is similar to *Remains of the Day*, where emotional abstraction exists beneath a surface narrative.
Information density: 58 out of 100
The book presents a moderate amount of information per page, balancing plot development with character exploration and cultural context. The narrative moves at a steady pace, revealing details about the characters and their world gradually. This is comparable to *The Great Gatsby* in its compressed but clear storytelling.
Narrative indirection: 68 out of 100
The narrative relies on some degree of inference, particularly in understanding the characters' motivations and the underlying tensions within the family. The reader must piece together the significance of the family curse and its impact on the characters' lives. This is similar to *Midnight's Children* in that the reader must piece together multiple timelines and character motivations.
Symbolic density: 62 out of 100
The novel incorporates symbolic elements, such as the mermaid imagery in the prologue and the significance of the Falodun family curse. These symbols add layers of meaning to the narrative, inviting readers to interpret their significance in relation to the characters' experiences. This is similar to *Heart of Darkness* in that the journey is symbolic.
Ironic distance: 48 out of 100
There is some ironic distance in the narrative, particularly in the contrast between the characters' expectations and the realities of their lives. The humor and social commentary provide a layer of irony, but the emotional engagement remains relatively direct. This is comparable to *Moby-Dick* in that there is humor amid tragedy.
Resolution withholding: 65 out of 100
The ending withholds complete resolution, leaving some questions unanswered about the characters' futures and the ultimate fate of the family curse. The ambiguity invites readers to contemplate the ongoing impact of the past on the present. This is similar to *Lolita* in that the aftermath is known but the meaning is open.
Structural complexity: 50 out of 100
The narrative structure is relatively straightforward, with a chronological progression and a clear point of view. However, the inclusion of flashbacks and the exploration of multiple characters' perspectives add some complexity. This is similar to *The Great Gatsby* in its use of retrospection and flashbacks.

How Cursed Daughters is regarded

Cursed Daughters holds a literary regard score of 25 out of 100, weighing its place in the canon, its critical reception, its influence on other writers, and the standing of its author. Regard is measured separately from difficulty: a demanding book is not necessarily an admired one.

Where Cursed Daughters sits in Northrop Frye's Anatomy of Criticism

Placed by a full reading of the text (154 passages), not from reputation. Each verdict quotes the passage that earned it. On the axis from myth to irony, Cursed Daughters scores 58 out of 100. A second mythos, romance, pulls at it with a weight of 0.25. About the map of stories.

Mode: Low Mimetic
Eniiyi felt as though she were the ghost in the room and Monife the one who was flesh and blood.
Symbol: Mythical (archetypal)
She was untethered. A mermaid in the deep blue sea.
Mythos: Tragedy i (tragedy i)
The golden boy lost his innocence, the cousin lost her honour, the girl lost her will to live and the curse gained for itself another victim.
Genre: Novel + Romance
Fikayo, daughter of Kunle, son of Tobi, daughter of Yemisi, daughter of Wemimo, daughter of Feranmi (the one who was cursed), was plagued with an autoimmune disease.

Where the story of Cursed Daughters takes place

  • Lagos, across three generations, 1994-2025 (1994 to 2025), the main setting
  • Yoruba village, Feranmi and the first curse (1800 to 1850)
  • Lagos, Monife's student years, 1994-2000 (1994 to 2000)
  • Lagos, Ebun raising Eniiyi, 2000-2012 (2000 to 2012)
  • Lagos, Falodun house and Victoria Island, 2024-2025 (2024 to 2025)

5 things that are true of Cursed Daughters, with the passage for each

  1. Monife is buried at twenty-five, and the baby Ebun is carrying arrives five weeks early after her waters break on the day of the funeral.

    because it was early yet, her baby wasn’t due for another five weeks.

  2. The family dog, Sango, is said to have lived almost three decades.

    He has lived for almost three decades already.

  3. Mama G tells Monife to pin a paper with Kalu's name on it inside her sanitary pad.

    Then you go wear this pad when your blood dey heavy.

  4. Zubby's father reveals he is Golden Boy, the man Monife loved.

    ‘Knew her? I loved her.’

  5. Osagie, the suitor who keeps bringing flowers, turns out to be Eniiyi's father.

    ‘She is my daughter!’

Scenes in Cursed Daughters that Frye would name

41 sightings of Frye's terms in the text. The strongest:

Anagnorisis, untitled
Monife drowned. But it wasn’t an accident. Tolu tells Eniiyi that her aunt's death was suicide, recasting the family's silence.
Demonic imagery, untitled
a mouth crowded with dagger teeth, hands that were deformed and decaying Mami Wata is the demonic counter-image to the fabled mermaid, and the sea becomes the family's underworld.
Katabasis, untitled
In the waters, she wrestled the curse. It was more beast than person, and her hands kept sliding off. The closing dream sends Eniiyi to the bottom of the sea to fight the curse.
Pathos, untitled
It was impossible to tell where her tears fell as the waves washed her clean. The prologue enacts Monife's sacrificial drowning.
Agon, untitled
They were found locked in combat, with torn clothing and blood trickling from various deep scratches. The first wife's fight with Feranmi is the original contest that produces the curse.
Epos, untitled
It will not be well with you. No man will call your house home. The first wife's public oration is the founding spoken curse.

Books that share these scenes with Cursed Daughters

About the author

Oyinkan Braithwaite