5 MUST-READ AFRICAN BOOKS IN 2023!
Books are my pillar of strength. I have always loved reading.
I started primary school at the age of three and by the age of nine, I could read extensively out of necessity. Books allowed me to escape the physical world in which I was an oddity.
At the beginning of this year, I decided to return to my first passion. To tell you the truth, I haven’t been disappointed. Books are rejuvenating, enlightening and most of all empowering.
As a matter of fact, whenever I read, I feel like a gate to a new world has been opened, a world that is free for me to explore to my liking and to my heart’s desire.
I am excited to read new authors but I also have my favourites to whom I keep going back to because they always fulfill their literary promises.
To make my reading list in January I consulted Brittle Paper and I was excited to see all the tantalising new releases.
My choices were mainly based on the themes of the books. I am rather drawn to realistic fiction and works that have been written by African women and talk about family life and personal journeys.
In my early days of reading, I loved 19th-century novels by English authors such Charles Dickens and the Brontë sisters: Charlotte and Emily. As a young woman, I discovered Emile Zola’s works that I still adore to date.
The books that I am going to share with you today have been picked because of the prominence of their writers or the stellar reviews that they got. The storylines were also appealing and I cannot wait to read the contents of the books.
I got paper versions for easy reference when I do my own reviews of these books. Oftentimes, I read on my Kindle because of its convenience.
Please find below the 5 African books that I cannot wait to dive into and soak in all the wisdom that they surely conceal!
5 Must-Read African Books (Book 1): “Daughter in Exile”, by Bisi Adjapon, Nigerian Author
The book tells the story of Lola, a 21-year-old Ghanaian girl who emigrates to the US after meeting an American marine. Despite her mother’s disapproval, Lola leaves everything she had previously cherished: her career, apartment, friends and family and plunges into the unknown.
Adversity awaits her in America as she becomes an undocumented immigrant. As the book blurb says, “her fate hangs on whether or not she’ll grow in courage to forge a different life from the one she’d imagined and whether she’ll succeed in putting herself and her family together.”
The book currently costs $24.32 and it has 395 pages. The publisher is HarperVia, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Below are some of its excellent reviews:
Reviews Found on the Cover of the Book
- “Sensuous and intelligent, insightful and riveting, Daughter in Exile is a deft exploration of motherhood and love, told through through the eyes of a young woman determined to create her world on her terms. This is a must-read.”—Maaza Mengiste (Ethiopian-American writer)
- “What a rollercoaster! Daughter in Exile is an unflinching tale of what immigration to the West can be. It is also the humanity that is America, the contradiction that is the church, and the resilience of an African woman: Bisi Adjapon does not hold back. It was hard to put down.”—Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (Ugandan author)
- “In Daughter in Exile, Adjapon shows the indomitability of the human spirit while using words sparingly. A fantastic melding of art meeting message, Daughter in Exile is that must-read novel that we didn’t know we needed until we got it”. —Zukiswa Wanner (Zambian-born writer)
This is Bisi Adjapon’s second book. Her debut novel was The Teller of Secrets (2021) which was highly acclaimed. She has been previously published in New York Times and the Guardian and she is also a recipient of two awards in Human Relations and Teaching.
5 Must-Read African Books (Book 2): “The Middle Daughter”, by Chika Unigwe, Nigerian Author
This is another story about resilience and courage. Nani is only 17 when her father and her older sister die. When she feels isolated and misunderstood by her grieving mother and sister, she turns to an itinerant preacher who is described as a self-proclaimed ‘man of God’. He pretends to have all the answers but soon turns into an oppressive husband. What will it take for Nina to reclaim her old life and become truly happy? What will be the cost?
The current cost of the book is $23.84. It has 310 pages and its publisher is Canongate Books. Here are some of the reviews about the novel.
Reviews:
- “The Middle Daughter is a finely-drawn portrait of a young woman’s resilience in the face of violence and grief.” —Paula Hawkins (British author)
- ‘Chika Unigwe is a writer of great conviction and superior insight.’—Aminatta Forna (Scottish writer)
- ‘A meditation on the need we all share for belonging, and family, and love; a commentary on the journey we must all take in search of freedom.’—Helon Habila (Nigerian novelist)
Chika Unigwe is a renowned Nigerian author. Her previously published works include: Night Dancer (2011) and On Black Sisters Street (2007). She writes in both English and Dutch.
5 Must-Read African Books (Book 3): “My Life as a Chameleon”, by Diana Anyakwo, Nigerian-Irish Author
This is a coming-of-age story about Lily, a sixteen year old girl living in Manchester, England. Her deceased father was Nigerian and her mother is Irish. Lily grapples with issues related to her mixed identity. What will happen when she returns to her birthplace, Nigeria, after 5 years of her father’s death?
The book’s blurb describes My Life as a Chameleon as a ‘powerful story, about family secrets and how they can destroy even the deepest bonds. It is a story about finding your place in the world and realising you deserve to be there.”
You can get the paperback version of the book at £8.27. The book has roughly 285 pages and was published by Atom, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, which is part of Hachette UK. Here is what other authors think of her book.
Reviews:
- “An exceptional debut. It’s a journey of both hope and despair, a story of empowerment, of self-discovery, bravery and courage. Diana Anyakwo is an exciting and welcome new voice in the YA world (Young Adult Fiction World).”— J.P. Rose (Nigerian, Jamaican and Anglo-Irish author)
- “Captures the details of growing up, of navigating friendships, learning to feel comfortable in your skin and finding your own voice. I was completely absorbed from the moment I opened the book.’—Andreina Cordani (British author)
This is Diana Anyakwo’s debut novel. We are looking forward to read more of her works!
5 Must-Read African Books (Book 4): “A Spell of Good Things”, by Ayòbámi Adébáyò, Nigerian Writer
This is the long-awaited story about two Nigerian families caught in the traps of “wealth, power, romantic obssession and political corruption.” The main characters of the story are two young people: Eniolá and Wúràolá.
On one hand, we have, Eniolá, a boy who resembles a man because he is tall for his age. He dreams big while running errands for the local tailor since the loss of his father’s job.
On the other hand, Wúràolá is a girl that comes from a rich family. She is depicted as perfect with a promising future. Nevertheless, she is tired of working as a doctor in her first year of practice.
The two people’s lives are forced to intertwine after a local politician takes interest in Wúràolá.
It will cost you $19.80 to read the book. It has 327 pages and was published by Canongate books. Below is a list of reviews for the book.
Reviews Garnered from the Book
- “Adébáyò writes not just with extraordinary grace but with genuine wisdom.” — New York Times
- “Adébáyò’s mesmerising prose is suffused with heart and sharp emotions…a triumph of storytelling.” — Chika Unigwe (Nigerian author)
- “Intricate, haunting and timely.”— Sefi Atta (Nigerian-American writer)
- “A novel that takes all the promise of [‘Adébáyò’s] debut Stay With Me to another fabulous level. Her writing has a captivating power that becomes irresistible, detail by detail, page by page, making A Spell of Good Things a truly unforgettable read.” — Margaret Busby (Ghanaian-born writer)
Ayòbámi Adébáyò is a Nigerian author who was born in Lagos. Her debut novel Stay With Me (2017) was shortlisted for several prizes including the Women’s Prize for Fiction. It is also thanks to the same book that she won the 9mobile Prize for Literature. The book was also translated into 20 languages! Impressive!
5 Must-Read African Books (Book 5): “The Language of Languages, Reflections on Translations”, by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Kenyan Literary Giant
This non-fiction book encapsulates the author’s works written over the past 20 years. It champions dialogues and unity between African languages. As a matter of fact, translation is viewed as a conversation between cultures. The book especially fights against the hierarchy of languages, stating that one language is not more important than another.
The Kenyan author actually views himself as a ‘language warrior’. He first started writing his books in English then switched to his native language, Gikũyũ. Afterwards, he began translating his own works and has extensive experience in this field.
The book costs $19.00 and contains 100 pages. There are currently not many reviews for this book.
Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o is an esteemed award-winning novelist, essayist and playwright. His famous novels include A Grain of Wheat (1967) and Petals of Blood (1977).
Further Exploration: 5 Must-Read African Books in 2023
Read:
- African Fiction: Lesson 1-Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a Fearless and Influential Writer
- African Fiction: Lesson 2-Chigozie Obioma, between Modernity and Tradition
- African Fiction: Lesson 3-NoViolet Bulawayo, a Literary Darling
Watch:
Shop:
About the Author
Thandi Ngwira Gatignol is the founder of Learn English With Africa. She was born on June 11th, 1981 in Blantyre, Malawi. When she was 19, she left her country of birth for France. She currently lives with her two daughters and husband in Poland.
Thandi holds a Bachelor’s degree in English studies obtained at the Université Paris X Nanterre in France and a Certificate in Journalism from Malawi. She has taught English as a French Ministry of Education certified teacher both in France and in Poland. She speaks six languages fluently, including French, Polish and Italian. She is now learning Kiswahili, German and Spanish. Salt No More is her debut novel and you can find her other books here on the website or on Amazon.
Blog Article: 5 Great African Books I’ve Been Dreaming About in 2023! I Finally Got Them! © Learn English With Africa, June 2023
