The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa
by Stephen Buoro
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Pub Date 13 Apr 2023 | Archive Date 13 Apr 2023
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Description
‘Exudes a wonderfully vivid sense of place and leads the reader inside the head of its teenage hero’ IAN RANKIN
'I fell in love immediately... Hilarious' MAX PORTER
Fifteen-year-old Andrew Aziza lives in Kontagora, Nigeria, where his days are spent about town with his droogs, Slim and Morocca, grappling with his fantasies about white girls – especially blondes – and wondering who his father is. When he’s not in church, at school or attempting to form ‘Africa’s first superheroes’, he obsesses over mathematical theorems, ideas of black power and HXVX: the Curse of Africa.
Sure enough, the reluctantly nicknamed ‘Andy Africa’ soon falls hopelessly and inappropriately in love with the first white girl he lays eyes on, Eileen. But at the church party held to celebrate her arrival, multiple crises loom. An unfamiliar man claims, despite his mother’s denials, to be Andy’s father, and the gathering of an anti-Christian mob is headed for the church – both set to shake the foundations of everything Andy knows and loves.
Introducing an extraordinary new literary talent, The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa provides a stunning lens into contemporary African life, the relentless infiltration of Western culture and, most of all, the ordinary but impossible challenges of coming of age in a turbulent world.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9781526637994 |
| PRICE | |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Sarah B, Reviewer
Wow what a fabulous book entertaining witty and heartbreakingly sad at the same time
The author has a unique voice with sharply poetic language making the novel a literary gem whilst at the same time being an immersive entertaining read .
I immediately felt invested in the life of Amy Africa and will never forget him and his family and friends The book is populated by a cast of real totally believable people who’s characters are described so well I could imagine them all easily .Their relationships and friendships develop as the novel progresses and give the story depth and complexity .The author does not flinch from portraying difficult subjects such as racism and incest .These subjects are covered carefully and with subtly.The difficulty of life in Nigeria and what makes young Africans want to try escaping across the Sahara to a rosier future is the heart of this book There are however plenty of lighthearted episodes which give the novel balance
The strong sense of place and of African identity is clear from the very start
It is rare to read a first novel with such promise ,I can see this on the Booker long list I for one will be watching its progress with interest it has been one of my favourite reads this year
I read an early copy on NetGalley Uk the book is published in the Uk 13th April 2023 by Bloomsbury publishing plc
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