My reading of this novel would have been greatly enhanced by a clearer understanding of Igbo culture and history. Nevertheless, I enjoyed being immersed in Dimkpa’s life ... Awoke’s writing is impressive; his metaphors are refreshing and vivid.
Keenly narrated by Dimkpa, the tale is shot through with Nigerian history and insights into the ways in which political and societal oppression stymie his attempts to get ahead. This artful story of resilience is tough to shake.
Lyrical interstitial chapters slowly disclose the mystery of Dimkpa’s family status as ohu ma, but the prose is more typically plainspoken. That makes the story clear, but also dulls it somewhat: Awoke plainly aspires to offer a cross-section of contemporary Nigeria and its shortcomings, but it lacks the tart, satiric bite that would match Dimkpa’s sense of injustice ... Still, the novel has a sturdy spine in Dimkpa.
