Patience Is a Subtle Thief

A Novel

By: Abi Ishola-Ayodeji

Narrated by: Liz Femi

Hope and circumstance define a young woman’s life in this heartbreaking tale of lost innocence, set in politically volatile 1990s Nigeria, from an exciting and fresh voice in global literature.

For as long as she can remember, Patience Adewale, the eldest daughter of Chief Kolade Adewale, has been waiting for confirmation that she is loved, that there is a place where she truly belongs. Patience lives a sheltered life within the secure walls of the family’s mansion in Ibadan, but finds no comfort from her distant father and stepmother Modupe. Her only ally is her younger sister, yet even Margaret’s love and support cannot overcome Patience’s insecurity and uncertainty.

More than anything, Patience wants to know why her father and uncle banished her mother from their compound years ago—and whether her mother is even alive. Determined to discover the truth, Patience embarks on a desperate search to find her mother. Answers begin to surface when she moves to Lagos for university and unexpectedly reconnects with her cousin Kash.

Kash and his friend Emeka are petty thieves with an opportunity to make a big score. To pull it off they need help—and enlist Patience and Emeka’s straight-arrow brother, Chike, to become partners in their scheme. The thieves’ plan is to quit after this job. But unforeseen events lead to unexpected consequences—and demand a price from Patience that may be too steep to pay.

Suspenseful and evoking the subtleties of Nigerian life in an fresh and unexpected way, Patience Is a Subtle Thief is a heart-wrenching story of one young woman’s precarious journey to adulthood, and the risks and sacrifices it takes to follow her heart.

©2022 Abi Ishola-Ayodeji (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Worth It!

Good Story. Believable characters. Has depth. Not overplayed. Easily engagement to the story line. Relatable. Relevant backdrop.

Glad I Listened!

What a great listen. The story line was real and believable and the narrator was perfect.

Patience

I loved the narration. It took me a few chapters to get drawn in but once I learned the characters, I was hooked. I was hoping for more at the end but believe that it left the door open for another book.

Loved it!

This was an amazing listen, loved the story and delivery. It is absolute class.

Narrator is an excellent story teller.

It’s a deliciously complicated book that makes me feel I’m witnessing the life of a young person I at times judge and with whom I feel impatient…. only to soon realize how much like her I am. That might have made me turn the book away (beautifully written, just so close to home) except for the brilliant narration by Liz Femi. She is a force who truly holds my attention to the details, uncomfortable or not. She does it vividly, and powerfully acts out each character so it’s more like a virtual experience for me. I looked her up and saw she is an actor. Now I know what I like best in a narrator, Listening to more of her beautiful work now.

Twists, turns and unwavering entertainment

The book had me on the edge of my seat, with plenty of moments that made me root for the protagonist. Full of twists and turns, it maintained a clear, entertaining direction throughout.

Great read

I enjoyed reading this book from beginning to the end. Captivating story. I would like a continuation of the story.

Well done!

Great introduction to an African culture with its joys and complexities. Sometimes a little hard to understand accents, but totally worth the listen.

Terrible narration

Do not buy. Horrible story. Horrible casting of narrator. This is juice not worth the squeeze