No Difference Between Africa and Kasali’s Africa: A Review of Feyisayo Anjorin’s Kasali’s Africa
Synopsis Kasali Adebayor, a prominent farmer in the city of Akure, a husband of five wives, fancies himself as an activist for good governance while wielding the big stick of patriarchy over his family members. In the fast-changing African political landscape...
The End of Where We Begin: A Refugee Story
Rosalind Russell’s creative non-fiction novel The End of Where We Begin is a compelling feature of the refugee experiences of displacement, loss, love and hope. This captivating novel revolves around three main characters: Veronica, Daniel and Lilian, whose life...
Memory’s Inescapability: A review of Ifesinachi Nwadike’s “How Morning Remembers The Night”
The inextricability of literature and reality is a standard which gives literary pieces varying degrees of quality. Grief, sorrow, regret, joy and happiness amongst others are fabrics or components which lace our memories. Ifesinachi Nwadike's 33 poem collection...
A Lesson on Womanhood in ‘Perfect Imperfections’
There is just something gripping about the narratives of women navigating their way through life and Makanaka Mavengere-Munsaka’s debut novel is no exception. ‘Perfect Imperfections’ is like a cross between the Real Housewives franchise and Desperate Housewives all...
Nyong’o delivers shining brilliance in her book, “Sulwe”
She can act, she can sing, she is intelligent, she is gorgeous and she is an author. There is nothing Lupita Nyong’o cannot do! Her sudden shot to stardom was something we never anticipated but is also something we never knew we needed. Now the Mexican-born Kenyan...
Book Review: The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta
From this book's title, I expected this to be a heartwarming story about motherhood and all the smiles and butterflies that it comes with. A pretty shallow expectation, right? I know, don't judge me. Unfortunately for me, this story was everything BUT joyful. I guess...
Detail and evocation in Chigozie Obioma’s “The Fishermen”
I know it’s a "rule" to not judge a book by its cover, but I broke that rule when I first saw the cover of Chigozie Obioma's book. It’s very simple, yet absolutely attractive. From the title, you expect the novel to be about a bunch of fishermen, which is not entirely...
Book review: If You Keep Digging by Keletso Mopai
And what if I should begin by telling you that, reading, I have been chuckling, and sniffling, thence to laughing, and weeping? No, I will not do so. That is not how one begins a book review. “Reader, be assured, this narrative is no fiction.” – W.E.B. Du Bois...
The Didacticism, Satire, and Nostalgia of ‘Garri For Breakfast’
Seun Lari-Williams' poetry collection, Garri For Breakfast, clearly emphasizes the elemental titular inextricability by deeply and aptly highlighting the human plight, not failing to include the experiences and mundane realities which are overlooked and usually taken...