Explore mental illness through Igbo mythology in Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Explore mental illness through Igbo mythology in Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma Took My Breath Away
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma is set in the 1990s in Akure, a small town in Nigeria; and centers around four brothers who commit to fishing at the forbidden (and cursed) Omi-Ala River. Their father, Mr. Agwu, wants his sons to be juggernauts—children who will “dip their hands into rivers, seas, …
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Feminist Decree for the 21st Century
Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions contains powerful, simple, and witty gems for moving towards gender equality. This manifesto is essential reading for mothers and fathers who are raising young children, and others who envision raising children in a gender-equal world. The fierce and powerful truth is this: …
Who Is the Bearer of History and Who Gets to Tell the Story?
Bukuru, the “madman,” and Femi, the journalist, are both memorable characters in Arrows of Rain by Okey Ndibe. Who is the bearer of history and who gets to tell the story? In this novel, a prostitute has washed ashore, and the only person who can provide information about what happened …
Chinelo Okparanta Explores a Taboo Relationship in a War-Torn Nigeria
In her debut novel, Under the Udala Trees, Chinelo Okparanta explores sexuality in a war-torn Nigeria. Two girls, Ijeoma and Amina, must reconcile their feelings for ea ch other within a culture that only values heterosexual relationships. Although the Biafran War does not take center stage in the novel, the war’s background …
Is Love Still Love If It Is Entangled With Violence From a Parent?
In Speak No Evil, Uzodinma Iweala highlights some of the realities of growing up in a Nigerian immigrant household in the U.S. Things get real for the Ikemadu family when Niru’s dad, Obi, discovers Niru is queer; “It is an abomination!” The novel tells the heartbreaking story that unfolds. Uzodinma does a …
What Does It Mean to Be a Nigerian Immigrant in America?
The Thing Around Your Neck centers on Nigerians, the Nigerian diaspora, and the performance of living between two cultures. These short stories explore what connects us to each other and our country of origin. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is adept at telling stories about the Nigerian immigrant experience in the U.S. and …
History and Familial Lineage Take Center Stage in Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Homegoing begins in eighteenth-century Ghana and spans several centuries (eight generations!) to follow the generational line of Maame, an Asante woman. Maame has two daughters. She gives birth to Effia while she is enslaved by the Fante and gives birth to Esi after she escapes to Asanteland. Effia marries an …
Igbo Mythology, Fate, and Free Will in Chigozie Obioma’s An Orchestra of Minorities
Igbo Mythology In Igbo mythology, Chukwu is the creator of all things and the chi is the guardian spirit. The chi lives in the body of their host and serves as a witness. When their host dies, the chi gives an account (to Chukwu) of how the host lived their life. …
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is a True Classic
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe was the book that sparked our desire to reclaim my time! We do this by -only- mostly reading stories written by Black and African authors. In re-reading Things Fall Apart as an adult, I see things a bit differently— at least in my conclusions about Okonkwo. …