Aya: The Secrets Come Out

Book Information

Aya: The Secrets Come Out. By Marguerite Abouet and Clement Oubrerie. Translated by Helge Dascher. Drawn & Quarterly, 2009.

My Summary/Review

Aya: The Secrets Come Out is full of complicated romances and social change. It's the third book in the award-winning Aya series. Aya, the main character in this colourful graphic book series, is a studious African teenager growing up on the dynamic Ivory Coast of the 1970s.


In this book, Aya patiently prepares her friends Bintou, Adjoua, and Felicite for the local beauty pageant, and provides ongoing support for them throughout all the difficulties they face. The tensions in this book come to a head quickly, when Aya's father's mistress brings her children for a visit and abandons them. Added to this, Bintou's father decides to marry one of Aya's friends, and Bintou plans to leave.


Readers will find that Abouet's writing and Oubrerie's illustrations tell Aya's story in a way that is sensitive, realistic, and at times, even humorous. Additionally, the recipes, tips and glossary at the back of the book give readers a light-hearted wider view of African culture.