In Beneath the Lion’s Gaze, each character contends with a violent dictatorship, with none emerging guiltless or unscathed. Set in Addis Ababa in the mid-seventies, Maaza Mengiste’s debut novel gives a glimpse into the surveillance state perpetuated by Mengistu Haile Mariam’s military regime, which deposed Emperor Haile Selassie and effectively ended Ethiopia’s three-thousand year-old monarchy.
Read More“Tokumisa Nzambe po Mose yamoyindo abotami namboka ya Bakoko,” which means “Thanks be to God, the black Moses is born on the earth of our ancestors” in Lingala, is a mouthful for most. Instead, everyone—excluding the priest who christened the titular protagonist and orphan—settles for “Moses” after the biblical character who frees the Israelites, from slavery. To this end, Moses spends his teenage years examining the meaning of his name and how it guides his destiny, if at all.
Read MoreSet against the backdrop of 19th century Ghana, The Hundred Wells of Salaga tells a tale about slavery, love, loss, courage and duty though the eyes of Aminah, a slave who dreams of travelling far and wide to sell shoes like her father did, and her mistress Wurche, a strong-willed princess more interested in attending political meetings than in domestic work.
Read MoreWhat happens when you go to bed a black man and wake up white? That's the question A. Igoni Barrett's novel Black Ass answers with a blend of sharp humor and keen intelligence.
Read MoreShe Called Me Woman is a portrait of 25 queer Nigerian women. Their anonymised, first-person accounts range from family dynamics to childhood memories to first sexual encounters. With the exception of two narrators, the women reflect on what it’s like living as a queer person in Nigeria.
Read MoreTranscendent and sober, Freshwater examines the imbalances between the spirit and flesh and presents the battles waged in the unseen world over the corporeal. It dares to question the conundrum of humans as spirits encased in flesh—or flesh embodying sprits, depending on one’s convictions.
Read MoreThe second installment of Leye Adenle’s Amaka Thrillers series follows the lawyer protagonist as she tracks down the son-in-law of an ultra-powerful political party leader for his deadly assault of a prostitute. Political drama, shambolic elections and questionable police tactics are laid bare, making for a riveting read from the first page to the very end.
Read MoreAma Ata Aidoo’s debut novel testifies to Africa’s problems with relation to Western interference and the predicament in which the continent finds itself today. Through personal observations and conversations, Sissie, the Ghanaian protagonist, delivers a sarcastic and humorous discourse on a myriad of issues ranging from the borrowed Victorian idea of billing strong, outspoken women as unladylike to white saviour-ism.
Read MoreTrevor Noah’s memoir Born a Crime is a funny and insightful account of growing up in pre and post-Apartheid South Africa as a biracial boy and doubles as a paean to his mother, Patricia, whose significant presence in the book marks her undeniable influence over the comedian’s life.
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