Description

The Night is Not For You . . . It Has Always Belonged to HER

She’s a cautionary tale told by mothers to their young children, ‘Come back before it gets dark.’
She’s a warning to lecherous young men, ‘Don’t wander the streets late at night.’

A man’s body is found viciously murdered behind a neighbourhood’s 24-hour corner store, sending shockwaves through the tightknit community in this small-town neighbourhood. All the victim’s family and bystanders want is to make sense of this brutal crime and move on with their lives.

But all seven-year-old Layla wants is a pet donkey. To her, a donkey is the epitome of freedom and being self-sufficient – to think for herself, go anywhere by herself and live an independent life.

As the killings continue, Layla’s world unravels. Rumours start to fly of supposed hoofprints and a woman with hair like black silk. As the ambiguous messages in lipstick and sweet smell of perfume cause the finger of blame to point towards the women, Layla herself grows into a woman.

The kind of woman she has always dreamt of becoming – A woman with sharp instincts. A woman who cannot be tamed.

This is a story of old world meets new, of modernity and isolation as a community turns on its women in an effort to protect their boys and men – but mostly importantly, this is the story of one woman’s freedom.

Publisher Review

Quotah’s portrayal of a young girl grappling not only with herself, but with the true nature of the world – in and out of the murky light of human monstrosity – is painfully earnest, and one that feels both necessary and timely. She paints us a world that feels ripe for the taking, much like the flowers that make up Layla’s perfumes, but also foreign and warped. This is a book that I will return to time and time again, particularly when the world feels vibrant and violent. — MEGAN BONTRAGER, author of The Sea Hides Its Dead The Night Is Not for You is a fierce coming of age novel unlike any I’ve read before. Steeped in dread and a wild, aromatic atmosphere, this story is a shapeshifter – from murder mystery to folktale to family drama and back again. Through this mutability, Eman Quotah perfectly captures the dark heart of girlhood, the fear of what lurks in the night, and the thrill of lurking there yourself. — JEN JULIAN, author of Red Rabbit Ghost This wonderfully chilling and entirely immersive feminist horror story from Quotah (Bride of the Sea) opens with seven-year-old Layla, who dreams of owning a donkey . . . Quotah dances on the line between supernatural and psychological horror and masterfully incorporates elements of folklore into the everyday pains of growing up as a young woman under patriarchy. The characters are well drawn, the suspense is taut, and a great final twist proves very fun. There’s a lot here to sink one’s teeth into. * Publishers Weekly, ‘Starred Review’ *