This Motherless Land

This Motherless Land (2024) is a novel by Anglo-Nigerian novelist Nikki May. As a retelling of Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park, it tells the story of Funke who, at the age of nine, loses her mother and brother in a car accident in Nigeria. She is sent to live with her mother’s sister in England, where she struggles to adapt to a life of change, dislocation, and unbelonging. She befriends her cousin, Liv, and the novel follows their journeys over the course of 20 years, exploring themes of Self-Identity Amid Cultural Dislocation, The Importance of Support in Surviving Trauma, and The Interplay Between Prejudice and Privilege.

This guide uses the 2024 1st US HarperCollins hardcover edition.

Content Warning: The source material features depictions of racism, sexual harassment and assault, suicidal ideation, substance use, pregnancy loss, death, self-harm, and child loss.

Plot Summary

Nine-year-old Funke Oyenuga lives in Lagos, Nigeria, with her mother, father, and younger brother, Femi. Her mother is a white woman from London while her father is a Black man from Nigeria. After their marriage, her mother was disowned by her family. Although Funke has never met her white family in England, she hears stories of their estate—The Ring—and their wealth.