A review by tonireads
Voice of America by E.C. Osondu
4.0
I am fully on board the short story train now. There have been so many stellar collections in the past few years. This one actually came out last November and I finally dug it out of the "to be read" pile. I'll actually post pictures of that pile one day.
Osondu's stories are set in Nigeria and the U.S. and focus mainly on the hopes and dreams of the Nigerian people. Young boys living in a refugee camp dreaming of being adopted and living abroad. A young man sent to study in America by the hard work of his family, only to return disgraced. A woman so desparate to have a child that she returns to Nigeria and allows her mother-in-law to take her to a healer. My favorite is "A Letter From Home", where a mother gently prods her son to send money home and remember his roots and not marry a White woman.
In an age where all we hear about Nigeria is corruption and scams, this is beautiful insight into its people, their culture, and their motivations.
Osondu's stories are set in Nigeria and the U.S. and focus mainly on the hopes and dreams of the Nigerian people. Young boys living in a refugee camp dreaming of being adopted and living abroad. A young man sent to study in America by the hard work of his family, only to return disgraced. A woman so desparate to have a child that she returns to Nigeria and allows her mother-in-law to take her to a healer. My favorite is "A Letter From Home", where a mother gently prods her son to send money home and remember his roots and not marry a White woman.
In an age where all we hear about Nigeria is corruption and scams, this is beautiful insight into its people, their culture, and their motivations.