This novel was set in the Igbo homeland of Nigeria in the 1890’s describing a highly patriarchal village and its surrounding neighbours having to deal with the arrival of European missionaries.
The narrative is full of words and names tricky to grasp at times and the writing style made me feel strangely detached during most of this book.
The main character, Okwonko, is a fearless narcissistic man who defines himself by his own wealth and position within the clan. He is quite unlikable even if early on I could see cracks in his demeanour and sympathise with his upbringing.
What I liked:
The tales of African folklore interspersed throughout the book and all the superstitious beliefs typical of an African rural village, especially because I know next to nothing about Nigerian folklore.
What I didn’t like:
The watershed moment leading to Okwonko’s 7 year banishment from his village was only described in 3 short sentences. Okwonko’s actions at the end also didn’t correlate with his overall character and made me feel as if I missed some vital explanation/insight along the way.
