Meet Yinka: a thirty-something, Oxford-educated, British Nigerian woman with a well-paid job, good friends, and a mother whose constant refrain is “Yinka, where is your huzband?” Yinka’s Nigerian aunties frequently pray for her delivery from singledom, her work friends think she’s too traditional (she’s saving herself for marriage!), her girlfriends ... more >
Dear Jane Igharo, It was the premise (and the pretty cover) caused me to request an ARC of your debut novel, Ties that Tether, a contemporary romance. The story concerns Azere, a Nigerian-Canadian advertising executive whose life is turned upside down when she meets and falls in love with Rafael, ... more >
What would you do if you woke up one night to find the shadow of a giant chicken passing your bedroom door Go and investigate of course! A hugely entertaining look at the fascinating masquerade culture of West Africa, from the perspective of a plucky young Nigerian girl who finds ... more >
I was a cranky reader on social media this year, so I was surprised to discover that like Jayne’s, my top ten list runneth over. In hindsight, I think some my crankiness was due to the difficulty I had finding satisfying reads in historical romance, traditionally my favorite genre. Please ... more >
Dear Ms. Okorafor, Having read and enjoyed the first book in your If-Harry-Potter-was-a-girl-in-Nigeria series of young adult novels, Akata Witch, I’ve been looking forward to the sequel, Akata Warrior. The books’ protagonist is Sunny Nwazue, an African-American girl born to Nigerian immigrant parents and now living in Nigeria. Sunny has ... more >
Dear Ms. Okorafor, Twelve-year-old Sunny Nwazue is fascinated by candles. In Nigeria, where Sunny lives, the electrical company turns off the lights at night, and Sunny keeps candles in her bedroom in case she needs light. One night, she lights such a candle and it shows her something—a vision of ... more >