I love Chigozie Obioma's writing since I first read his The Fisherman. This was definitely a companion read to Half of a Yellow Sun and a riveting read.

A devastating book about the horrors humans can inflict on others. The characters felt so real, it was hard to read this account of the Biafran War and a siblings search for their loved one navigating through violence.

I don't understand how this wasn't on this year's Booker list. Utterly stunning writing, which brings the devastation people have experienced in front of our eyes.

This book was exceptional. I will be recommending it to my pupils to show how 'realism' can be done.

I was not familiar with the Nigerian Civil War before reading this. Even though some of the passages were difficult to read, I could not put it down. Would definitely recommend this book and I will look forward to reading more by this author.

Books like this are the reason I read fiction. I am blown away…

It is a war story and yes it is brutal...but there is so much more. Friendship, brotherhood, love.... A boy grows into a man while fighting a war that is not his own. Initially looking for his brother but found so much more.

I can't wait to read more of this author's work.

Chigozie Obioma’s "The Road to the Country" is a captivating story set during Nigeria’s civil war in the late 1960s. The novel expertly blends historical realism with mythological elements, delivering a compelling and emotional narrative.

The main character, Kunle, is a reserved university student whose life is disrupted when his younger brother disappears during the war. Kunle embarks on a challenging journey, both through the war-torn Nigerian landscapes and through his own inner struggles, grappling with guilt and the quest for redemption.

The novel excels in intertwining personal and political aspects. Obioma vividly portrays Nigeria during the Civil War, depicting its scarred landscapes and fractured populace. Amidst the turmoil, the story shines with moments of profound humanity, showcasing acts of brotherhood, love, and resilience.

"The Road to the Country" demonstrates Chigozie Obioma’s storytelling prowess, resonating as a historical account, a psychological exploration, and a mythic tale. It provides an unforgettable glimpse into a nation in turmoil and a young man’s journey toward redemption. This book is a notable addition to contemporary African literature, solidifying Obioma’s position as a significant voice in the literary world.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for approving the ARC in exchange of an honest opinion.

This is a mythical gem of a story. The author has already made his name on Booker nomination shortlists so is established but this 'story' engages so much with realistic and often violent descriptions of the Biafran against the folklore of the Igbo families left behind under the eyes of The Seer - a teller of tales and fortunes.
Two brothers Tunde and Kunle have a wonderful childhood with friends and family but a tragic accident to Tunde leaves Kunle guilt ridden and needing to escape and also find his brother. Leaving with a Red Cross group to help aid those injured in growing local military fights then Kunle finds himself separated from safety and signed up as a young soldier at the heart of the eastern region in Nigeria where ferocious war and injuries are escalating.
I was interested in the involvement of the British military and the fall of Engu at Milliken Hill was unknown to me and the author creates an intriguing and sympathetic relationship between Kunle and Agnes. The area around this part of Nigeria is beautiful but scarred with death and the running blood of the barbaric killing.
Torture, conscription, love, memory of past life (Kunle reading 'Jane Eyre' was lovely) and the author shows a deep understanding of the Igbo and the underbelly of the Biafran cause in the 1960s.
There is truth. Terror and ultimately the kinship of brothers.

Chigozie Obioma’s first two novels were both Booker Prize shortlisted (putting him I think in a very rare club – No Violet Bulawayo is the other name that springs to mind) – respectively “The Fishermen” and “An Orchestra of Minorities”.

As an aside Obioma was a judge for the Booker Prize in 2020. And while I know from interviews about his own work that he does not really think about “representation” in his writing but rather simply telling the stories he knows, I was still and remain very surprised to see him be part of a prize jury which: chose to represent African literature on its longlist by two white South Africans; which also contained a near children’s book whose inclusion was only really justified by it being the first by a Nobel Laureate since his Prize win, while ignoring the first novel in 50 years by the first ever Sub-Saharan African Nobel winner.

In terms of this book – in a World Literature Today article he talked about the book as follows – in terms of his research into the Nigerian Civil War (a subject he had always wanted to write about): "What I found during the process of research is that there are two kinds of fiction about a war: wartime fiction (a work of fiction that centers around a war, following characters living through the war) and war fiction (which focuses on the men and women fighting the war, that is, the fighting). There are some notable and internationally regarded wartime novels such as Half of a Yellow Sun … But for a war of such scale, there is no major war novel in at least the modern times. …..”The Road to the Country” hopes to fill this gap. It is a war novel that covers the thirty months of relentless and brutal fighting in what I now call the Biafra war of independence. "

It shares elements from both of his previous books:

From “The Fishermen” in particular: the concept of brothers who develop sibling rivalry over time – with the relationship between the brothers both key to the dynamics and plot of the novel but also acting as an allegory for Nigeria and its regional and tribal divisions; and the idea of a prophecy playing out in a life.

From “An Orchestra of Minorities”: the concept of a love story in a relationship beset by difficulties; a narrator who has its own first party sections but who, drawing on African spiritual powers, narrates the main part of the book as a partial omniscient observer, successfully re-appropriating the standard (but often criticised) form of third-party Western novelistic narration into a more ancient tradition of African story telling.

For both the writing in English but with mixed translated and untranslated Igbo, Yoruba and Nigerian English slang – and a strong line in description and metaphor.

Here the narrator is not a Guardian Spirit/Chi (from Igbo tradition) as in “Orchestra of Minorities” but the Seer (Igbala) who uses the Yoruba divination tradition of Ifá – and who in 1947 (some thirteen years ahead of Nigerian independence) has a vision twenty years in the future of an “abami eda” – someone who will die and return to life.

That person is Kunle (Yoruban father and Igbo mother – although unable to speak Igbo) – and the book opens with him trying to write in narrative a single act which changed his life. At nine years old (in 1956) he and his then girlfriend Nkechi (an Igbo) send Kunle’s three-year younger brother outside while they practice embracing – only for Kunde to be struck by a car and crippled for life.

For his life until now: Tunde resents Kunle with no sign of forgiveness; Nkechi – out of guilt – transfers her affection to Kunde; Tunde’s parents he knows wonder if he is cursed and talk about a prophet that visited on the day of his birth and who, as Christians, they turned away; Tunde avoids any form of close relationship or real engagement with the world.

Now at University he is visited by his Uncle with an urgent message that with the war that has broken out in the East of the country (a war which seems to have passed Tunde by) Tunde has absconded from home and gone to Nkechi’s family whose home village is in the war zone.

After a visit to the house of the old Seer (who his father tells him announced at independence that a terrible civil war would follow) and an odd encounter with him, Kunle decides to undertake a redemptive/atoning dangerous journey into the war zone to try and find and bring back Tunde. Initially he travels with the Red Cross, but while deserting them and trying to futilely make his way across the war zone he is captured by Igbo soldiers and due to his Igbo mother is conscripted into their army (with the clear threat that otherwise he will be executed as a West-Nigerian/Federal spy).

From there – the story interspersed with sections written in first person by the seer about his divinations (these are welcomingly much shorter than the Chi sections in the author’s previous novel – which were its clear weak point) – we get Kunle’s story as seen by the Seer (in the third party sections this is indicated by the occasional variation on “One watching from above can see” – and by occasional episodes where Tunle senses his presence as he fights in the increasingly brutal and desperate (given the overwhelming odds the Biafrans face) war: first as a regular army member and then in an irregular commando division run by a historical German mercenary (Rolf Steiner) where over time he forms a sexual relationship with another member – Agnes.

Much of the action is dominated by the brutal action of the fighting, of the atrocities of the invading Federal army, or by the increasingly desperate hunger and famine faced by the civilian population – and while at times this can feel repetitive it is I feel very effective in communicating the experience of the war (rather than of the wartime).

Whereas Kunle’s colleagues are motivated by a combination of patriotism for their new state or a desire for vengeance on the federal forces (Agnes for example fighting in revenge for the massacre of her husband and boys) – Kunle is fighting simply to avoid being killed by the Federal troops or shot by the Biafran ones – but with the constant thoughts of whether to return to his mother and father, attempt to do what he came for and find Tunde, he does at various times leave or attempt to flee the battlefield.

Of course from the prophecy we know that Kunle will himself eventually fail in his attempts to avoid death – and when it does happen (around half way through the book) there is a brief section while he is still dead which reminder me closely of some of the opening scenes of the Booker winner “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida” and in parts of another Limbo, Civil War-aftermath set Booker winner “Lincoln in the Bardo” – but then Kunle is dragged back to life and the story seems to largely resume as before – with perhaps the biggest change in his relationship with Agnes which only adds another but competing reason for him to flee the fighting.

At first I must admit I was a little unsure what the point of the death and return to life was – this is very much not a Christ style resurrection to a new incorporeal form or to convince others (in fact he does not mention his death or experiences to anyone other than Agnes). But then I was drawn to the Igbo proverb which forms the epigraph for the book “The Story of a war can only be fully and truly told both by the living and the dead” and realised that Tunle is both a victim and a survivor of this war and so best placed as a medium to tell the (see above) war fiction.

And as the book and war near their end – the living part of the story takes over from the dead part of the story – as Tunle’s relationships with his own family (a reconciliation with his brother – facing his own complex relationship with Nkechi caught up like all of them in the war’s horrors, a reuniting with his parents) and with a new family he forms with Agnes become more prominent.

In tandem the Seer’s vision starts to draw to a close and he reflects on what he has seen: why he could not use his prophecy to prevent war (despite a decision he realises he takes in 13 years time to give up his powers by predicting, immediately post-independence that “Nigeria Will Dissolve Into War in Seven Years”); why war is seemingly an inevitable consequence of human society; what will happen in his own life over the next twenty years (a life he has already glimpsed through Tunle’s meeting with him) and what his role is in Tunle’s life.

And this all proceeds a moving and hopeful final chapter.

Overall this may I think be Obioma’s best novel to date – I would be far from surprised to see it at least Booker longlisted.

The book tells the story of the Biafran conflict through the microcosm of Kunle, a half Igbo young an in his 20s, who, through a series of mishaps, ends up being conscripted into the Biafran army at the beginning of the conflict. Through his personal travails we see less of the politics and more of the minutiae of life at the front line, and how that affects the individual. In some ways, it's the Biafran version of All Quiet on the Western Front.

It is an excruciatingly vivid depiction of the ravages of war, and the cruelty of day to day events. It is also an interesting psychological profile of the protagonist, and an example of a certain personality type that ends up being rather good at a war he never should have been fighting.

What I liked most about the book was the extent to which the book described life in Nigeria during the war, and how, through that, it created an extraordinarily strong manifest against war, especially as the moral highground is ambiguous and constantly shifting. It was also a great vehicle to learn more about the details of the war on the ground - the effects of the blockade, the role of mercenaries, the motivations of the soldiers, and the hopes and fears of the population. More than anything, it reminded me once again of the futility of war, and the effect that ideas thought of by politicians and generals can have on the single individual, and how essentially invented ideas of nationhood (whether wanting independence, or denying it) can destroy masses of human beings, maim yet others, and destroy the psyche of an entire generation.

What I liked less were two things. The first is the aspect of the seer. I really didn't understand what value it added - it just made the story extra complex, without adding anything substantive. It was like that Chekhovian gun, but this one fires not shots. The second thing, and this is my main peeve with the book, was the relatively shallow way the protagonists are depicted. It almost felt like the author tried hard to make them come alive, but, unfortunately left them almost like sketches of characters without depth or dimensionality. The protagonist was robotic, with the odd emotional outburst. The impression I got left with is that the author can tell a great story, but struggles to depict credible characters.

I recommend it to anyone interested in the Biafran war (though, Half of a Yellow Sun is infinitely better, in my view), and the history of Nigeria. If folks are keen on a good character driven story - skip it.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

A dark and tense novel, a young man searching for his lost brother, then becoming lost himself. The war in Biafra in all its tragedy. Lovely writing for an eye opening story.

The Road to the Country is a story about love, friendship, family and war. I have to admit I had no idea about Biafra so reading about it and what it meant to the people who tried to fight for it it was interesting and I learned more about history. But it's not only about history it's about more than that. Kunle, a student in Lagos, goes in the search of his brother who ran from home after the girl he was in love with. Going after him he finds himself involved in a war he didn't quite believe is real but then he sees the reality of it, that it's not as majestic as some people wanted to believe it is. Anyway, there he finds the true meaning of friendship and love.
The story is slow paced but the writing style is quite beautiful and it makes you want to grasp the words and the feelings that the characters have to deal with.

Hmmm. I don't even know how to review this one because of how beautifully written it is but how I still struggled to get into it.

It follows the story of Kunle who leaves Akure for the eastern part of Nigeria (then Biafra) in search of his brother who suffers a disability that Kunle blames himself for. It is on this journey that he is caught and forced to become a Biafran soldier. The new development derails him from his initial course. He’s forced to take on a new identity to blend into his new normal. He meets new people including a woman he falls in love with and who will change his entire reality. Regardless, he still holds the hope that someday he’ll find his brother and they can return home to their worried parents.

While I appreciate the story's characters and the war's role in shaping the plot, I have to admit that I'm not a fan of war-themed books. I think a beautifully done movie adaptation would be more up my alley. I’d rather watch than read about a war. But that's just my personal preference. It’s understandable why this book is slowly placed, unfortunately, it's just so hard for me to get into as a lot of descriptions put me off.

While I struggled to get into the story, I found the dialogue between Kunle and his newfound brothers in the camp to be enjoyable. Their characters are very likeable and very close to reality. I also appreciate how the war isn't just a backdrop but the meat of the entire story.

Overall, this book may not have been my cup of tea, but I appreciate having the opportunity to read it and thank Random House UK via NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

A brutal look at the Biafran war, mixed with a splash of magical realism. We follow Kunle, a man caught up in the war by mistake, fighting for a side he feels no loyalty to, and constantly out of his depth. Obioma writes in such powerful prose - this is not an easy read, and you truly feel Kunle’s fear, his desperation, his blood and sweat seep through the page.

Deeply moving and an engrossing read. For me, at its best when it leans into the magical realism, which Obioma uses to great effect in creating some memorable scenes.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC

The Road to the Country is a hard-hitting, brutal novel set against the backdrop of the Biafran war. Kunle, the main character, is our eyes and ears into this conflict, whose details will be unfamiliar to many in the West. He is beautifully drawn on the page, and the heat and the sweat and the danger of those days seeps through on every page. This was a truly engrossing novel of war.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC.

This is really beautifully written with some very hard-hitting and impactful thematic work explored. Very excited to see what this author writes next.

'The Road to the Country' is a proper war novel, of the sort I don't often read. In my experience lot of literary fiction set in wartime focusses more on civilian characters or life away from the battlefield. 'The Road to the Country' however is a war story first and foremost and sticks closely to the frontlines throughout. The central character is Kunle, a young man who travels to the newly declared republic of Biafra in order to bring back his younger brother. Instead he ends up conscripted into the Biafran army, fighting in a horrific conflict that saw unspeakable brutality both on the front lines and perpetrated on civilians.

The story follows Kunle very closely and includes in depth descriptions of the fighting and realities of life for the young soldiers. As you can imagine, it is not pleasant and this is not a cheerful read in any way. It is however very well written and powerfully described, as you'd expect from a writer of Obioma's skill. It is framed via a Seer who is experiencing the whole story of Kunle's military life as a vision, shortly before Kunle is born. The Seer tries to warn everyone about the coming war but no one listens, so events pan out just as he foresaw.

I can't say that I liked the story, and I think it would be hard for anyone to do so as it describes such appalling things. But that is what happens if you choose to read about a war and want an even half-realistic account. It certainly brings home just how horrible war is, if anyone needed to be reminded of it. Of course the reader will know that the Biafran war did not end in the favour of the breakaway state, and that adds to the sadness you feel particularly at the beginning, knowing what the outcome will be.

If you are looking for a power and unflinching war novel, this is a good choice. It is well written and makes you feel as though you are there - the only problem with that being that no one could possibly want to be. But I'm still glad I read it, as sometimes it's good to read outside of our comfort zones particularly when there is so much brutal conflict going on in the world today. It certainly made me feel lucky that I was only having to experience the events through a story and not in reality.

"The Road to the Country" by Chigozie Obioma is a powerful and poignant novel that takes readers on a journey through the tumultuous period of the Biafra war. Obioma's vivid storytelling transports readers to a time of political unrest and cultural upheaval, capturing the resilience and spirit of the Nigerian people. Through the eyes of the protagonist, we witness the devastating impact of war on families and communities, while also exploring themes of love, loss, and the pursuit of freedom. With compelling characters, Obioma crafts a gripping narrative that leaves a lasting impact on the reader.. I really enjoyed this book and I would love love love to have hardcopies of this once released 🥰🥰🥰🥰