The year has been riddled with many great literary works and
African literature has no doubt had a great year; what with it being a rich
tapestry of differing cultures and vibrant story telling. With great works
calling out from every direction for the readers’ attention, narrowing down the
decision to just 10 books has been a categorically tough task. I have however
done it, here they are, the top 10 African novels of 2014.
1.
We Need New Names – NoViolet Bulawayo
We Need New Names’ back cover reads ‘Then
we are rushing, then we are running, then we are running, then we are laughing
and laughing and laughing.’ This speaks volumes to the type of read this
is, the reader gets the sense that there is a pursuit of sorts, a moving
towards a particular thing. The story is told through a 10year old girl named
Darling living in a colourful shanty town called Paradise whose residents
attempt life through tumultuous settings. Her aspirations together with those
of her friends are big, they dream of greater futures. Darling, actualises
these desires as she relocates to America, this draws very closely to
Bulawayo’s own reality. From this point onwards the story becomes a coming of
age tale. A young woman trying to make sense of a foreign world.
There is a basicness to be found within the
storyline, the beauty and poetry of the Bulawayo’s native language is
contained, with obvious purpose, through the fibres of the narrative. It feels
almost as though the words first existed in the writer’s natural tongue.
2.
Americanah – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Yes, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie features
twice on this list and this is for multiple reasons; she has had a great year,
she’s a great writer and she’s become what could be termed a figure of popular culture.
Firstly, this is a big book! That being said though, it is not a difficult read
especially if you’ve read other works written by the author. The writing style
and narrative flow to a point where it feels as though a friend was telling you
of what had happened to another friend. The themes carried within Americanah
are love and race and the former instantly comes to the fore as the
protagonist, Ifemelu meets and falls in love with Obinze. Through the winding
twists of fate Ifemelu finds her way to America whilst Obinze dares the
undocumented immigrant life in London.
A prickling loneliness and dislocation is a constant throughout this novel,
This book is of cause a love story, spanning through time and distance, but it
is also a lot more than that, it brings to the fore matters of
self-identification and volatile feelings of depression. It is a marvellously
written work that opens up doors to exploration and so much more.
3.
Radiance of tomorrow – Ishmael Beah
An impressively tender peak into post war Sierra Leone, this is what Ishmael
Beah delivers in this novel. He first published a memoir ‘A Long Way Home’ in 2007 and was quickly heralded, making best
sellers lists and garnering adornment from critics and fans alike. Radiance of
Tomorrow is somewhat of a continuation of the story told in his first book. It
speaks of the return home and the process of reconstruction, the attempts made
at moving forward after the devastation.
In the book, Beah Writes, Mama Kadie may
yearn to ask, ”How are you, your children and grandchildren, your wife, their
health?” but she knows better. “These days one must be careful to avoid
awakening the pain of another.” Instead, Mama Kadie thinks, “We are here, and
we must go on living.” This is a
central cognitive point for the narrative, the resilience of putting back
together the broken pieces, the hope that the bad will soon fade into
nonexistence and the continuous scuffle to make peace with thoughts of the
past, the present as well as the future.
4.
Every day is for the thief – Teju Cole
Every Day is for the Thief tells the story
of a man returning home to Lagos, Nigeria after having been away for some
fifteen. Upon his return he reconnects with old friends, an ex-girlfriend and
family and he reconnects with his native land, the consistent thump, the
constant shuffle and vivacity that is Nigeria. We later learn of the reasons
for his departure – fallout with his mother and his father’s passing. He
quickly realises that this city is no longer what he remembers and Cole tells
so vividly the familiar yet strange, the forlorn yet beloved feelings of the
protagonist towards this city. He removes all the romantic notions ever written
about Africa and paints it in its truest form, describing places and people and
occurrences so opulently the reader forms clear images in their mind.
No one write like Cole, he is brilliant and
gaudy.
5.
All our names – Dinaw Megestu
A huge clash, a big bang calling you to take note. This is the simplest way to
describe this book. Isaac is the novel’s chief character and is introduced to
the reader as he moves from his home in Ethiopia to study in Uganda. As in many
of the novels written by African writers, the notion of foreign lands offering
greener pastures is almost always present and this book is no different. Isaac
wants more – a greater life and reinvention - and considers the possibility of
attaining this elsewhere. The interracial relationship between Isaac and Helen is
the plot’s first agitator, bringing to the fore the book’s crucial areas.
Isaac, newly arrived to America meets Helen, a white social worker who is
responsible for his case. Their affair is instantaneous and bonds the two to
further explore their identities as individuals.
Timing is absolutely crucial to this story as two characters chronicle very
separate yet interwoven tales and Megestu is great with this, writing skilfully
all the while allowing enough room for the story to grow exclusively within the
reader’s mind.
6.
Foreign Gods, Inc – Okey Ndibe
Ndibe has created a beautiful body of work with a storyline so astounding and
so engaging. Foreign Gods, Inc which is the tale of a man named Ike who returns
home to Nigeria with the intention of stealing a statue of a once famous lord
of war and selling it off upon his return to New York. A prominent feature in
the novel is the smallness of Ike’s ambitions when the story begins; this in
contrast to the big city within which he exists is mention worthy, particularly
because this city cares very little for him. Beaten down and broken, he views
the sale of the statue as his opportunity to attain the slice of American life
he has for so long now wanted.
Ndibe writes with a great vibrancy, allowing the reader to feel, taste and
smell the hardships of life, the desperation encapsulated within trying to
fully exist in a foreign land and with a similar exuberance paints Nigerian
culture and life with a swift realism. Throughout the narrative I found myself
rooting for Ike to come out victorious, but I also humoured myself because even
though Ndibe writes a serious, thought provoking story he does it in a
strikingly funny way.
7.
Dust – Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor
Winner of the 2013 Caine Prize for her short story ‘Weight of Whispers’, Yvonne
Adhiambo Owuor’s debut novel Dust is the epitome of human experience. The story
kicks off steadfastly from word go. Odidi the narrative’s protagonist is
fleeing for his life, gets gunned down and dies. The reader later learns that
the circumstances pertaining to his death relate to corruption which forms the
central part of the novel and its themes. Life, death, truth, deceit, and love
offer support to this overall theme.
The plot is action packed and fast, ensuring that the reader is never left to
feel a sense of deficiency. With the turn of every page there’s something new;
beautifully written and a refreshingly original plot. Owuor delivers a greatly
poetic prose that is not afraid of standing out and separating its self from
the rest.
8.
Half a yellow sun – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Bravely attempting to retell history, Adichie writes a beautifully woven tale
that tells the story of the 1960s Nigerian civil war, the bond a young houseboy
has with his employers and betrayal. Various sub-themes make up the back bone
of this novel and this in turn encourages it to further appeal to the reading
masses, love, race, class and ethnic loyalties are a few of these. The novel’s characters,
although varying, hold a few similarities; the glaringly evident uncertainty
about the future, the feeling of displacement and the great need to belong.
First published in 2006, the novel claimed the Orange Prize for Fiction 2007
went on to garner major popularity in 2013, with a movie adaptation featuring
formidable actors such as Hakeem Kae-Kazim, Thandie Newton as well as Chiwetel
Ejiofor filmed in that year and released in 2014. The novel continues to gain
momentum and has no doubt solidified Adichie as one to pay particular attention
to for a long time to come.
9.
Peace and Conflict – Irene Sebatini
Peace and Conflict appears to be a
heart-warming tale of family life told through the eyes of 10 year old Roberto,
but is in fact so much more than that. Although the family structure is an
important one throughout the narrative, the actual issues dealt with are of a
political and socio-economic nature; theft, dictatorship, the British massacre
of Kenya’s Mau Mau rebels, the poaching trade and intergenerational relations
amongst others.
This is a beautifully written piece of literature that explores views on
morality and justice through the eyes of a young boy growing up in a world not
without its confusions.
10.
The Sculptors of Mapungubwe – Zakes Mda
This is Mda’s first novel since 2009 and though the wait may have been long and
the novel’s start-up slow. I was not disappointed. This is a magical epic about
two brothers in constant rivalry. The dynamics of the relationship between Chata
and Rendani offers up the possibilities for a grand tale of family and love;
and is this not what great fables primarily comprise of? It was also very
refreshing to read about pre-colonial South Africa and Mda went back, not just
in time, but also in art form. His writing and the story told reminded me of ‘Mhudi by Sol Plaatje’ very primitive
and focused solely on story telling.
With Sculptors of Mapungubwe, Mda attempts to prove that he’s still got it and
he comes out triumphant.
