Of Africa by Wole Soyinka
To be honest, this text is a bit all over the place and Soyinka’s conclusions are not as tightly drawn as I expected. However, in Of Africa Soyinka is attempting to tackle “Africa’s culture, religion, history, imagination, and identity” and “understand how the continent’s history is entwined with the histories of others”. This, quite simply, is no easy task! Soyinka ambitiously takes this on and writes as though he is having an intimate but eloquent conversation with an eager yet indivisible (and well-read… as Soyinka assumes the reader’s familiarity with World history and politics) reader sitting at his feet. Soyinka cements himself as a treasure. This is made evident in Of Africa by Soyinka’s vast historical and cultural knowledge as well as the plethora of notable gems sprinkled throughout the text.
The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta
“Her love and duty for her children were like her chain of slavery.”
The above is a powerful quote from Emecheta’s The Joys of Motherhood that encapsulates the dichotomy between modernity and motherhood. In less than 250 pages, Emecheta succeeds in scripting a tale that is both social commentary and compelling story. Set in a small village in post colonial Nigeria and moving to the bustling capital of Lagos, this is the story of Nnu Ego and the tragedy and triumphs of childbirth. Thus far, this is a beautiful novel and one that I will more than likely recommend for our Afro-readers.
The Afro-Librarians 