Hail Mary: Stories

Fetto, an editor at British Vogue, spotlights Nigerian women struggling to break free from their confines in her bracing U.S. debut. In “2 Samuel 6:14,” a woman plots to flee her abusive pastor husband in Nigeria for the U.S., after secretly entering and winning the green card lottery. “Unspoken” finds Londoner Amaka considering a marriage proposal from her Anglo-British partner, James, which compels her to contemplate all she’s buried since a traumatic incident tore her family apart. In the title story, Riliwa, an undocumented immigrant in England, yearns to see the young son she’s left behind in Nigeria. Her desperation leads her to consider a friend’s offer of a loan and help with her documents, despite sensing the aid will come at a steep price. “England is hard,” Riliwa’s friend says. “But I now understand the system.... Why do you think they call me Hail Mary?” A woman conspires in “Underneath the Mango Tree” to put an end to her Nigerian village’s gossip about her childless marriage. Fetto infuses all nine stories with colorful Yoruba and Igbo cadences, and she makes each character distinct. These tales paint a memorable portrait of women’s desires. (Apr.)