By ForKulture • May 13, 2026
Who is a woman? This is a question I think we’ll continue to answer forever. Definitions are endless. A woman is a helpmate. A woman’s place is in the kitchen. If anything I personally think there's no one way to be a woman. A woman is many things all at once.
As a title, The Son of the House comes off as a book about men but on a deeper level, it is a book about women proving themselves in a patriarchal society that often forces them to shrink. This is Cheluchi Onyemelukwe’s debut—a thrilling, relatable and powerful attempt, I must say. The story chronicles the patriarchal system that shrinks women & how they must fight to find & prove themselves. Every chapter forces women to find a mirror, stand in front of it and sink into a reflective mood, searching for answers to endless questions.
Yes, a woman will marry this drunken brother of yours. For love; for money, though God knows best how he will ever make any; for his tall foolishness; or for children. Why? Because he is a man. With a penis between his legs. But you are a woman. With a womb which comes with an expiry date. (Pg. 133-134). This was Mama Afam’s resolution after Julie’s fight with her brother.
Julie hated how Afam lived recklessly as a drunk unbothered about building his life or future. She probably thought the fight would instill some consciousness in him but in the end, she is reminded of her place as a woman. In a patriarchal system, women don’t get as lucky as men. Everything about their existence screams expiration but not for men. A 50 year old man can get married anytime but not a woman. This statement is one of the most profound quotes from The Son of the House that hits deep. The book is set in a typical Igbo culture and tradition. It is an expose into how women are regarded culturally and how they navigate their path in the heavily patriarchal society. Similar to classic works like Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, The Son of the House offers a window to question cultural norms that stifles the existence of women.
Why? Because he is a man. With a penis between his legs. But you are a woman. With a womb which comes with an expiry date. (Pg. 133-134).