Proudly Nigerian

How do you get to know your daughter when she is dead? This is the question which takes a mother on a journey of self-discovery. When her daughter Yinka dies, Mojisola is finally forced to stop running away from the difficulties in their relationship, and also come to terms with Yinka the woman. Mojisola’s grief leads her on a journey of self-discovery, as she moves into her daughter’s apartment and begins to unearth the life Yinka had built for herself there, away from her family. Through stepping into Yinka’s shoes, Mojisola comes to a better understanding not only of her estranged daughter, but also herself, as she learns to carve a place for herself in the world beyond the labels of wife and mother. A bold and unflinching tale of one women’s unconventional approach to life and loss.

In the fictional country of Madia, a prostitute runs into the sea and drowns. The last man who spoke to her, the ‘madman’ Bukuru, is arrested and charged with murder. In court, Bukuru, representing himself, counters the charges with bombshell allegations. He speaks of government complicity in a series of atrocities, accusing the Madian ruler of rape and murder. His startling testimony is hushed up and Bukuru is sent back to prison, where his fate is grim. When a young journalist wangles a visit to his cell, they journey through turbulent decades of history that illuminate Bukuru’s life and the nation’s.

Brave and powerful, Arrows of Rain brilliantly dramatises complex factors behind the near-collapse of a nation. It is the lyrical, resonant and propulsive first novel by one of the most exciting contemporary novelists.

Religious fervour culminates in an exorcism for one unfortunate maid. A harrowing encounter on a train haunts Añuli. A mother abandons her child in search of personal freedom. A wife joins her husband, only to be met with news that threatens their relationship.

This richly imagined collage of interconnected stories follows Prosperous and Agu, and the motley community of Nigerian ex-pats who gather at their apartment each week. Their reality is one of dashed hopes, twisted love and the pain of homesickness, even as they fight to make their way in this new world.

Better Never Than Late is a layered and affecting portrayal of the everyday absurdities and adversities of migrant life.