When Funke’s mother dies in an accident in Lagos, she’s sent to live with her maternal family in England. Against a backdrop of condescension and mild neglect, sensible Funke strives to fit in, determined to become one of them.

Free-spirited Liv has always wanted to break free of her joyless family, to be nothing like them. Fiercely protective of Funke, she at last has an ally. The two cousins give each other what they need most: love.

But the past casts long shadows and the choices made by their mothers haunt them, shaping the trajectory of their adult lives. Can they escape their legacy?

Witty, warm, hugely entertaining, This Motherless Land bridges three decades and two continents, delving into the thorny territories of race and culture and belonging. At its heart is a story about love and how it can make the difference between surviving and thriving.

Ronke, Simi and Boo are inseparable mixed-race friends living in London. They have the gift of two cultures, Nigerian and English, though not all of them choose to see it that way.

Everyday racism has never held them back, but now in their thirties, they question their future. Ronke wants a husband (he must be Nigerian); Boo enjoys (correction: endures) stay-at-home motherhood; while Simi, full of fashion career dreams, rolls her eyes as her boss refers to her urban vibe yet again.

When Isobel, a lethally glamorous friend from their past arrives in town, she is determined to fix their futures for them. Cracks in their friendship begin to appear, and it is soon obvious Isobel is not sorting but wrecking. When she is driven to a terrible act, the women are forced to reckon with a crime in their past that may just have repeated itself.

A darkly comic and bitingly subversive take on love, race and family, Wahala will have you laughing, crying and gasping in horror. Boldly political about class, colorism and clothes, here is a truly inclusive tale that will speak to anyone who has ever cherished friendship, in all its form.

Fabulous friendship novel with a killer edge for fans of BIG LITTLE LIES and EXPECTATION SOON TO BE A MAJOR BBC TV SERIES 'A journey of friendship, revenge and finding your true self. Gripping' STYLIST MAGAZINE 'I would definitely recommend this book to friends. I already have!' BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB 'What makes this slow-burn story of friendship and vengeance refreshing and original is the exhilarating ease with which it portrays a London steeped in the colours and sounds of Lagos' THE TIMES, Best Popular Fiction Books of 2022 ------------ Ronke, Simi, Boo are three mixed-race friends living in London. They have the gift of two cultures, Nigerian and English. Not all of them choose to see it that way. Everyday racism has never held them back, but now in their thirties, they question their future. Ronke wants a husband (he must be Nigerian); Boo enjoys (correction: endures) stay-at-home motherhood; while Simi, full of fashion career dreams, rolls her eyes as her boss refers to her urban vibe yet again. When Isobel, a lethally glamorous friend from their past arrives in town, she is determined to fix their futures for them. Cracks in their friendship begin to appear, and it is soon obvious Isobel is not sorting but wrecking. When she is driven to a terrible act, the women are forced to reckon with a crime in their past that may just have repeated itself. Explosive, hilarious and wildly entertaining, this razor-sharp tale of love, race and family will have you laughing, crying and gasping in horror. Fearlessly political about class, colourism and clothes, the spellbinding Wahala is for anyone who has ever cherished friendship, in all its forms. READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH WAHALA 'This book is absolute fire. I could not put it down. Fantastically written, the story is so engaging and tense. Sexy, dark, addictive. What an incredible novel' ***** Reader review 'Dark and addictive with a surprising twist (that i won't give away!) and Nikki's writing is completely flawless' ***** 'I couldn't believe it was a debut. I couldn't put it down. Nikki May has written a fantastic story of friendship, revenge and jealousy' ***** 'Wonderful characters with plenty of rich and vibrant detail of their shared culture from hair to food' ***** Authors love WAHALA too: 'Witty, tense and entirely addictive' ABIGAIL DEAN, author of GIRL A 'Funny, tragic, piercing portrait of modern women and friendship written in glittering and discerning prose' EMMA STONEX, author of THE LAMPLIGHTERS 'Terrific. Nikki May writes so well about friendship, food, fashion and the many ways modern women can stumble in their careers and personal lives' CLARE CHAMBERS 'This has bestseller written all over it. Fast-paced, funny, shocking, unputdownable. I loved it' PAULA HAWKINS author of GIRL ON THE TRAIN and A SLOW FIRE BURNING 'Sharp, precise, unapologetic, modern. In one word, Exquisite!' Lola Akinmade Akerstroem, author of IN EVERY MIRROR SHE'S BLACK 'I have a feeling this book is going to be huge' MARIANNE CRONIN, author of THE ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF LENNI AND MARGOT 'Fantastic! Brilliant writing about food and friendship. I was left wanting more' SARAH PEARSE, author of THE SANATORIUM

SOON TO BE A MAJOR BBC TV SERIES '"WAHALA" means trouble and there's plenty of it' GUARDIAN 'Full of food, humour and pitch-perfect observation' STYLIST 'All the ride-or-die realness of female friendship' RED MAGAZINE Three friends. Three 'perfect' lives (or so they pretend). Here comes Trouble Ronke wants Happily Ever After and 2.2. kids. She's dating Kayode and wants him to be 'the one'. Her friends think he's just another in a long line of dodgy Nigerian boyfriends. Boo has just what Ronke wants - a kind husband, a gorgeous child. But she's frustrated, unfulfilled, and desperate to remember who she used to be. Simi is the golden one with the perfect lifestyle and a career. No one knows she's crippled by impostor syndrome and tempted to pack it all in each time her boss mentions her 'urban vibe.' Her husband thinks they're trying for a baby. She's not. When the high-flying, charismatic Isobel explodes into the group, she seems to bring out the best in each woman. But the more Isobel intervenes, the more chaos she sows, until Ronke, Simi, and Boo's lifelong friendship begins to crack. How close to the edge will she push them? READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH WAHALA 'This book is absolute fire. I could not put it down. Fantastically written, the story is so engaging and tense. Sexy, dark, addictive. What an incredible novel' ***** Reader review 'Dark and addictive with a surprising twist (that i won't give away!) and Nikki's writing is completely flawless' ***** 'I couldn't believe it was a debut. I couldn't put it down. Nikki May has written a fantastic story of friendship, revenge and jealousy' ***** 'Wonderful characters with plenty of rich and vibrant detail of their shared culture from hair to food' *****