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A review by liralen
Africa39: New Writing from Africa South of the Sahara by Lola Shoneyin, Shafinaaz Hassim, A. Igoni Barrett, Jack Willow, Taiye Selasi, Edwige-Renée Dro, Ondjaki, Chibundu Onuzo, Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond, Mehul Gohil, Ndinda Kioko, Recaredo Silebo Boturu, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Stankey Onjezani Kenani, Dinaw Mengestu, Zukiswa Wanner, Nii Ayikwei Parkes, Linda Musita, Eileen Almeida Barbosa, Shadreck Chikoti, Abubakar Adam Ibrahim, Novuyo Rosa Tshuma, Nadifa Mohamed, Stanley Gazemba, Mary Watson, Monica Arac de Nyeko, Ukamaka Olisakwe, H.J. Golakai, Clifton Gachagua, Jackee Budesta Batanda, Richard Ali A Mutu, Namwali Serpell, Chika Unigwe, Okwiri Oduor, Nthikeng Mohlele, Wole Soyinka, Rotimi Babatunde, Sifiso Mzobe, Glaydah Namukasa, Tope Folarin, Mohamed Yunus Rafiq
4.0
The editor and judges of Africa 39 have pulled together 39 works of fiction by writers under 40 from sub-Saharan Africa. It's a fairly eclectic mix -- contemporary, historical, fantastical; some are standalone pieces and others parts of longer works. Many take place somewhere in Africa -- in the author's home country or elsewhere -- but a few take place in Europe or the United States. Some are stronger than others, but by and large they are tied together simply by being excellent, tightly woven stories.
As I would expect for an anthology, some of the stories worked better for me than others. A few I particularly enjoyed:
Mama's Future (Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond), in which Mama [Africa] is on her deathbed, trying to impart some last wisdom to her children, who have returned from the corners of the globe to attend to her. I wanted more out of this story, but conceptually I loved it.
The Professor (Edwige-Renée Dro), in which a woman must mourn the loss of a former professor with whom she had a not-quite relationship, but who also introduced her to a new way of looking at literature. Sweet and sad and delightfully understated.
This Is How I Remember It (Ukamaka Olisakwe), a story of an ill-fated love. Again left me wanting more, but in a way that makes me think it actually ended in the right place -- there's still a lot of story left at the end of it, but there are so many directions in which it could go.
The anthology is, though, very heavy on novel excerpts. Of 39 stories, 17 (if you go by the stories; 15 if you go by the table of contents. My copy is an ARC, though, and I assume this was corrected before publication) are parts of longer works. That's more than 40 percent, which seems far too high. This is not a criticism the writing itself, and in a number of cases I'd quite like to read the full novel (notably: Ebabma, Kinshasa-Makombo by Richard Ali Mutu; My New Home by Glayda Namukasa; Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi)...but, without question, I would have preferred a significantly higher proportion of standalone stories.
Definitely some writers to watch in here, though.
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.
As I would expect for an anthology, some of the stories worked better for me than others. A few I particularly enjoyed:
Mama's Future (Nana Ekua Brew-Hammond), in which Mama [Africa] is on her deathbed, trying to impart some last wisdom to her children, who have returned from the corners of the globe to attend to her. I wanted more out of this story, but conceptually I loved it.
The Professor (Edwige-Renée Dro), in which a woman must mourn the loss of a former professor with whom she had a not-quite relationship, but who also introduced her to a new way of looking at literature. Sweet and sad and delightfully understated.
This Is How I Remember It (Ukamaka Olisakwe), a story of an ill-fated love. Again left me wanting more, but in a way that makes me think it actually ended in the right place -- there's still a lot of story left at the end of it, but there are so many directions in which it could go.
The anthology is, though, very heavy on novel excerpts. Of 39 stories, 17 (if you go by the stories; 15 if you go by the table of contents. My copy is an ARC, though, and I assume this was corrected before publication) are parts of longer works. That's more than 40 percent, which seems far too high. This is not a criticism the writing itself, and in a number of cases I'd quite like to read the full novel (notably: Ebabma, Kinshasa-Makombo by Richard Ali Mutu; My New Home by Glayda Namukasa; Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi)...but, without question, I would have preferred a significantly higher proportion of standalone stories.
Definitely some writers to watch in here, though.
I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.