Jamati Book Club

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The Street, The Icarus Girl, and Everything Good Will Come

everything good will come

Nigerian Sefi Atta’s novel Everything Good Will Come charts the fate of two african girls, one born of privilege (Enitan Taiwo) and the other (Sheri Bakare) a lower class “half-caste”. One is prepared to manipulate the traditional system while the other attempts to defy it. the tale traces this unusual friendship into their adult lives, against the backdrop of tragedy, family strife, and war-torn Nigeria.

the street

Biyi Bandele-Thomas’ novel The Street is populated with such characters as Mide the bookseller who moonlights as a stand-up comedian and Haifa Kampana who is obsessed with the tall girl at his local 7-eleven. Nehushta hasn’t spoken with her father Ossie in 15 years. He dropped into a coma when she was 13 and now that he is out of the coma and healthy, she must get to know him all over again. Ossie must emerge from the subconscious world he has been inhabiting and come to grips with his life in modern London.

the icarus girl

Helen Oyeyemi made history by completing The Icarus Girl when she was only 18. Jessamy is born to a British father and Nigerian mother. She writes haikus and reads Shakespeare, but regularly throws tantrums and avoids social interaction at school and at home. Her parents take her to Nigeria for the summer with the hope that the change in scenery will do her some good. In Nigeria, Jess meets TillyTilly, a mysterious girl who seems to know everything. In TillyTilly, Jess finds a sense of belonging and intimacy for the first time. But is TillyTilly real? The Icarus Girl is a story of twins and ghosts told with Nigerian mythology.

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