For a read you won’t forget
In Dependence
Nigerian-born writers have compiled an impressive roster of distinguished works over the last decades. Perhaps the first in my recollection is the classic
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
A more Recent Example is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ‘s witty and moving
And now we can add to the group
In Dependence
I was at first a bit put off by the title. It seemed a bit cutesy for my taste. And, of course, you won’t find the word “Romance” associated with many titles in Writer Working. However, I’m now completely won over. Not that I’m against romance. Absolutely not. Just not in the literary–if you can call it that–Barbara Cartland sense.
As a young man, Tayo Ajay sails from Nigeria to England to take up a scholarship at Oxford. The obvious interracial attractions and conflicts ensue. However, unexpected and wrenching circumstances also intervene. Neither he nor his lover can escape culture and geography. Here’s where Manyika’s tale departs from standard plotting. I won’t go into spoiler mode here, but I will say that we don’t have the standard boy-meets-boy-loses-boy-wins-back sequence. And the results are both painful and life-affirming. This is one to buy, read, and keep.
