Book reviews

BOOKS

by Nigerian Writers

Most of the books here are selections from the Literary Hub Bookshelf known for smart, engaged, entertaining writing about all things books. One thing that I know now is the greatness of Nigerian writers. The unique approach of Nigerians attitude to whatever they do. In every profession, writing included, we are good and special and the whole world is testifying to that. We have moved a bit ahead with this quarter’s Books by Nigerian Writers. - compiled by SALAMATU SULE

Author: JUDE IDADA Title: BOOM BOOM

Jude Idada’s Boom Boom is the winning book for the 2019 NLNG Prize for Literature Children’s novel category, dedicated to all warriors who have fallen and those who are still living. Boom Boom tells the story of Osaik an eight-year-old and Kompa his dog who tries to do all they can to assist Eghe (Eghosa) his five-year-old sister from an unbearable disease. Oasik, Kompa and his father must find a donor match for Eghe Boom Boom’s Sickel Cell Anemia after it tragically claims their mother’s life to become a star in heaven. The search for a donor is not easy, as virtually everyone, including Osaik is no match for Boom Boom to get a transplant and live a normal healthy life like everyone. The 227-page novel is quite a zestful, humorous and instructive. While the plot is flawless, it is a fiction with purpose. The heart of the novel is to dissuade anyone who may wish to entertain the idea of a relationship to think twice before they do so. Idada uses JJ Osagie to drive home his point as he says: “Love is beautiful and is should always be celebrated, but the love that enables this disease is a selfish kind of love. So, if you are in a relationship where you know that there is a chance of bringing a child with Sickle Cell Anemia into the world, please, think twice about it.” Boom Boom-pg -221 Idada’s style can be liken to that of Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens in every sense as the author’s craft of characterization is so skillful that a reader is left with the memories of Ehe Boom Boom, Atasweswe...

Author: OBINNA OKE Title: DESERT BREAD

Obina Oke, a rising new voice in the Nigeria literary scene is one story teller to watch out for. His debuted novel, Desert Breed published by AMAB publisher in 2019 takes us through the torturous quest of the protagonist Uche, the protagonist as he battles for survival in the face of man inhumanity to his fellow man. Each tale is a cliff hanger as a reader journeys along with fear and hope for the protagonist who at every now and then struggles for survival. Uche loses his mother to the cold hand of death by a wicked step mother who ensures his life is stalled and never to make any meaningful progress. He wins his Uncle, Umai’s sympathy shortly after his father’s death and runs to leave with him in Onisha. Happy that his life will turn around for the better, Uncle Umai’s wife crude nature and cold attitude brings up a new nightmare as all relationship between him, his cousins and Uncle is cut short. Happy about the fact that he is able to go to school, he hopes again inspit of the great turbulence to live in a desert and fear where everyone else, have opportunity of a normal life. Anezi Okoro, a professor of medicine and author of One Week, One Trouble puts it more succinctly as he says: “Obinna Oke is a totally captivating story writer who attempts the reader a few times to drop the book, doubting if he was the real story teller. Uche, the principal character bobs and weaves into the story, leaving unbealivable outcomes. For a young medical doctor, not a seasoned actor, the storyteller leaves the reader full of doubt about his authenticity. The two entrances of Lilian into the story leaves palpitations and fears. The future of this story that rends the heart and delicately stiches it back, leaves openings and options which you need to fill”.

Author: Marvin Abe Title: The Voyage of Saints

In a fit of rage, just like the Typhoon, Michael Ajose’s life comes crashing like a chattering piece of glass. The novel, The Voyage of the Saints, is all about the quest for survival in an environment where evils are lurking at every point. It is quiet emotionally gripping with cinematic visuals and tension that rises and falls through every victory, love and happiness, fears and tears. In fact, Marvin Abe’s novel is too fictional to be true. If Michael could protect the Akwa Ibom vessel from sinking in the face of the clone typhoon, why not Lami the love of his life? Michael’s, story of a happily never after, all starts from that point when he dreams of a wife at the age of twelve years old, furthering to the fact that his destiny was bound by this very woman. Loving Lami becomes an addiction that his family finds offensive. She is his soul and to get at Michael, she stands like a rock that must be set aside. Segun will hear none of it especially when it has to do with his younger brother becoming the better person if not the best from the family. Mama vows that his union to Lami will yield no good and the rest is history orchestrated by his siblings. The 366-page novel which includes a tributary note and about the author, can be categorise as a historical faction given the background information about Lami Ajose. In the tributary note, the author tells us clearly that this is no ordinary fiction and indeed, Lami Modesola Abe (Lami Ajose) is true as he writes: “You were my angel. You saw the vulnerability of life ahead of me. Things I could not see. You paved my path and lit my horizon. You taught me to love, to trust, to live and to fight through life’s bumps and bruises. Words will never be enough to appreciate you. Thank you” -Pg. 364 About the Author Marvin Abe is an experienced Manager with a demonstrated history of working in the Maritime and Oil and Gas industries, which has earned him wide industry acclaim and recognition in the areas he has served. He has an MBA in shipping and logistics from Middlesex University, London, UK and a post graduate diploma in Maritime Operations and Management from City University, London, UK.

Author: Chukwudi Eze Title: The Return of Half - Something?

Reading Chukwudi Eze’s novel, exposes a reader to the Intercultural communication that is woven into culture prejudice and Intolerance that is typical of a biracial feature. The plot which is twisted in the net of romance and a curse that awaits young Emmanuel, if he fails to return home to serve his people as his father’s only death wish. The conflict opens up as he falls deeply in love with Rebecca who is from a typical Jewish conservative family. Emmanuel attends a highbrow event where he is expected to network and meet with established and top players in the industry with his cousin. Meanwhile. a pretty woman catches his attention but she doesn’t pay him any courtesy as she grapples with her heart break.

He believes she is the pearl that was handed over to him in his dream and makes a desperate effort to win her acquaintance. But his cousin, Anna, informs him that a relationship between him and the lady cannot happen but with this pearl already in his hands to own and keep for better or for worse, the rest is history… His Half-Something-ness causes him too many problems as he damns all racial consequences when he took the long walk to working for Rebecca and the eventuality of his fight against the massive spill of oil in his west African home. How Emmanuel conquers all in the face of love, race, adventure, murder and discovery is what the novel is all about and not when Rebecca carries his son- Ikemefuna, the grandson of Uchechi the great! In spite of racial intercourse, which has been necessitated by business and ordinary life, history and cultural exclusivity still have a great influence on the individual’s outlook. This can be seen from Rebecca’s father’s reaction to her relationship with Emmanuel when he said:

“My ancestors have faithfully kept our tradition and I am determined to follow in their footsteps. I have built my business to become one Wall Street’s most successful firms, with plans to transfer its management and ownership to you and your brother, he paused. For you to succeed in life and in business, because the two are interwoven, you must act responsibly in your choice of a husband. Most of the people you will be dealing with are conservatives. It takes one heedless action like this to destroy all that has been carefully achieved over many years.” (Pg. 99 TRHS) The historical antecedent of which Rebecca’s parents relied on to base their opposition of the marriage of Rebecca to Emmanuel is the core of racism which some time is promoted as a political ideology which exclude some racial groups from active participation in the political process. Socially, sometimes this exclusivity emerges in the form of xenophobia, ethnic jingoism and religious bigotry. These negative stereotype of prejudice are the cultural antecedents which people believe in and forms the bases of their reaction to any radical process of acculturalization. As it is not based on any scientific fact, these prejudices have gradually crumbled in the face of rational actions or on the course of love like that of Emmanuel and Rebecca.