African Book List Series: Bucket List

Just like you have places to go and things to do on your bucket list (please tell me you have a bucket list), here is a list of African books carefully curated that you should have in your bucket list. You can title the bucket list; Bucket list: African books edition. You’re welcome.

The Classics:

So long a letter by Mariama Bâ

“the flavour of life is love, the salt of life is also love”

So long a letter is an epistolary and autobiographical novel. It talks of a woman’s experience with widowhood as well as post colonial Africa. This is book has been said to be one of the hundred best books to come out of Africa in the Twentieth Century.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

“that boy calls you father don’t bear hands in his death"

Things Fall Apart chronicles the decisions of a simple man called Okonkwo and the consequences that follow. Okonkwo regrets his decision but he can not undo his actions. In this proverbs rich story, we explore the life of the Igbos and we see a tradition and culture so rich that we can not help but appreciate.

Cry, the beloved country by Alan Paton

“Cry, the beloved country, for the unborn child that is the inheritor of our fear”

This is undoubtedly the most popular South African book. It talks about the relationship between one Zulu pastor, Stephen Kumalo and his son Absalom against the backdrop of racial injustice.

Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta

“a man is never ugly”

Someone once said a fitting title for the book should be “Sorrows of Motherhood”. It narrates the story of Nnu Ego, a woman who sacrifices her all for her children only to be left alone to suffer. Nnu Ego’s story could not be told better than anyone but Buchi Emecheta.

A Grain of Wheat by Ngugi wa Thiong’O

“Everybody who takes the Oath of Unity to change things in Kenya is a Christ”

Ngugi narrates the struggles Kenya faced before they were given Independence. The story is told in three books and this is one of them.

The African Child by Camara Laye

“It was stupid of us to keep silent”

The African Child by Camara Laye is an autobiographical novel that tells of the coming of age of a young boy in growing in Guinea. In this story, we go through themes like friendships, and how diseases robbed some children of their life.

The Beautyful ones are not yet born by Ayi Kwei Armah:

“Alone, i am nothing.”

This beautiful story talks about one man’s lone fight against the surrounding corruption and filth. The Beautyful ones refer to those who will be like this man. Sadly, they still haven’t been born yet.

The poor Christ of Bomba by Mongo Beti

“when the daughter dies, the son-in-law also dies”

This story is about a Reverend Father who aims to convert the people of a certain village. However, this is not to be as we are given a glimpse of a probability of his own conversion. It exposes the moral and spiritual hypocrisy of the white men who brought Christianity to Africa.

A Question of Power by Bessie Head

“Life is such a gentle, treasured thing. I learn about it every minute. I think about it so deeply.”

The role of power in the hands of the powerful and how they oppress the powerless is what this book is about. It shows the patriarchal society continually exploiting the weaker groups of people in the society.

Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi

“She is free to do what she wants and free not to do it.”

Narrates the experiences of a female prisoners and the reason she’s in prison. This story is told through the lens of Nawal as she tells of her experiences as a psychiatrist in Egypt.

Burger’s daughter by Nadine Gordimer:

“Love does not cast out fear but makes it possible to weep, howl at least”

Burger’s daughter talks of the effect of colonisation on Africans. It’s is a beautifully woven story.

Long walk to freedom by Nelson Mandela

“Freedom is indivisible…”

It is the autobiography of Nelson Mandela who is also called Madiba as a honourary title. He won about hundred awards in his lifetime including the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize.

Changes by Ama Ata Aidoo

“Love? Love? Love is not safe my lady, love is dangerous”

Changes by Ama Ata Aidoo talks of the plight of African women especially in marriages.

Contemporary African books

Of Women and Frogs by Bisi Adjapon

“Are your legs the highway a man passes through on his destination to marry someone else? They should be the destination, not the passage, sansanyi, useless tramp!”

Esi who has a Nigerian mother and a Ghanaian mother is surprised by what Ghana has in store for her when she goes there with her father. She finds that she has step sisters and a step mother. Adjapon’s style is so lucid one may tends to assume she’s writing about herself.

Tomorrow Died Yesterday by Chimeka Garricks

”There is no future for the children of the Niger Delta. Their tomorrow is already dead. It died yesterday”

It follows four boys who have been friends from childhood. Their lives change as oil exploration changes things in their homes. While Doughboy chooses a life of crime, Amaibi and beloved Kaniye choose to stand by what is right even though it comes at a heavy price.

Born on a Tuesday by Elnathan John

Something that has no roots and springs up with leaves and branches everywhere is bound to crash from the weight

This bildungsroman is about a young boy called Dantala, an almajiri and the adversity he faces. He and the many others who live like him are counted as “stars with no names” and many are buried in unmarked graves. It is a very moving story.

A Girl is a body of water by Jennifer Makumbi

Love is blood choosing blood

Also called ‘The First Woman.’ This book revolves around Kirabo a twelve year old girl who is curious about who mother is. We follow Kirabo as she meets with the village witch Nsuuta, the only woman who talks about her mother to her. Social issues are discussed like feminism, abuse and the love men have for their daughters.

The hairdresser of Harare by Tendai Huchu

“It’s difficult to stop loving someone, even when they have done something that you once thought unforgivable”

When Dumisani and Vimbai meet, there is coldness in the air. However, intimacy later breeds between the two. A shocking revelation of who Dumisani is threatens to end the relationship between the two. This story touches tender areas of human relations like family, intimacy and blurred lines.

We need new names by NoViolet Bulawayo

“Always, we were reluctant to come back.”

This story is of 10-year-old Darling and her friends in Zimbabwe’s Paradise slum. It follows Darling as she deals with her daily struggles and the difficulties of emigrating to the United States. Darling’s humour provides a soft landing for the difficult topics of violence, grief, identity struggle and sacrifice that she addresses .

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“Racism should never have happened and so you don’t get a cookie for reducing it.”

Chimamanda is known for her strong imagery. Princeton is a place readers feel like they know. But imagery aside, her observations about race and racism is spot on. She talks of the dual identity of the people who have two heritages and how it can be difficult to manage.

Faceless by Amma Darko

“My dream,” began the boy “is to be able to go home one day to see my mother and see a look of joy in her face at the sight of me. I want to be able to sleep beside her. I wish her to tell me she was happy I came to visit her… She is always in a hurry to see my back. Sometimes I cannot help thinking that maybe she never has a smile for me because the man she made me with, that is my father, probably also never had a smile for her too.”

One thing about Amma Darko is that she is a brilliant writer. Once you read one of her works, you tend to go in search for the rest because it elevates your tatse. In Faceless, she talks about children who live street lives, how abandoned they feel and their big dreams seem to be what others neglect to count as a blessing.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

“There are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood.”

Khaled’s debut is stunning and that doesn’t say half of it. He carefully examines war and it’s impacts on women and children. He says in the quote above that though there are many children, there is little childhood, war ruins a person’s childhood and a number of other things.

Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo

“Before you call the snail a weakling, tie your house to your back and carry it around for a week”

Akin and Yejide get married because they love each other. They are faced with infertility and Akin’s family force a second wife on Akin. This pushes Yejide to find solutions to their problem and it leads to more problems.

Not my time to die by Yolande Mukagasana

“a heart drowning in sadness can’t describe its pain”

Yolande is a Rwandan nurse married to a husband she loves and with three children. Her life changes when war breaks out Rwanda. Before the way, there is a prophecy that says it is not her time to die, and she indeed doesn’t die.

In every mirror she’s black by Lola Akinmade Akerström

“I would rather go back home and die fighting for something than die here in paradise doing nothing and listening to birdsong.”

We see through the eyes of three women what it means to be a black woman the classism, racism and fetishism they face. Each of the women have their stories but they also decide to face their struggles and “own it.” This black women represent Black women all over the world.

Rekiya and Z by Muti’ah Badruddeen

“That door has been a hijab for the women of this house since long before I knew them”

Rekiya and Z explore the themes of time and it’s fickleness, trauma and loss. This story is one that has been described as filling an absent narrative. The Nigerian Muslim woman is no longer shielded from the world and we can see her for who she really is. A person.

The secret lives of Baba Segi’s Wives by Lola Shoneyin

“The choices we have to make in this world are hard and bitter. Sometimes, we have no choice at all”

The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives explores the secrets of the three wives of Baba Segi. In this polygamous home, we see how people’s background influence their decisions. After some climatic events, Baba Segi eventually advices his son that the way polygamy is to be shunned.

Lightseekers by Femi Kayode

“Justice is not cruel, it is the lack of it that breeds cruelty”

This book begins with the journey of a Nigerian psychologist Dr. Philip Taiwo who is sent by a bereaved father to investigate the cause of his son’s death. His son and two other young students die by the hands of a lynch mob. This story is a must read for everyone because it talks of the evils of jungle justice and that it must be avoided.

An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma

“the worst thing adversity can do to someone is to make them become who they are not”

An Orchestra of Minorities is Chigozie’s explanation of what an orchestra is and who the minorities are. An award winning book, An Orchestra of Minorities is that book that provokes thoughts in the minds of the readers and opens their eyes to see more of the realities of the world.

The death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi

“Some people can’t see softness without wanting to hurt it”

This book talks of the life of Vivek Oji before he died. Vivek’s story is so moving and unforgettable that after the reading the story, I hear readers saying how Vivek was real to them. You could paint a picture of Vivek and readers will agree or disagree that he is the one in the picture.

Even When your voice shakes by Ruby Yayra Goka

“Silence is not always golden, sometimes it’s plain yellow”

Ruby has an unmistakable voice. In this story, she tells of the ills wrought by the powerful against the very powerless. This book was published with an earlier title “Plain Yellow.” Not only is it a captivating read, you may find yourself going back to it.

His only wife by Peace Adzo Medie

“Elikem married me in absentia; he did not come to our wedding”

We do not come by powerful heroines like Afi that easy. Afi decided that she deserved better in life and went after it. She did not care about the cultural implications, she cared for herself.

Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangerembga

“Let her try. Let her see for herself that some things cannot be done.”

Apart from its very catchy introduction, this book is special because of the tale it tells. It talks of gender and society as well as the effects of colonialism. The struggle of the African child to find a balance between the coloniser’s language and their mother tongue.

Nairobi heat by Mūkoma wa Ngūgi

“If you want the truth, you must go to its source. The truth is in the past. Come to Nairobi.”

African thrillers are gradually coming to stay and this one of them. We are shown a Nairobi where the police shoot first and ask questions later.

The muchwezi, the flower and the suitor by Zziwa Zinabala

“I scribble and scribble the song of Songs”

This story pursues the flower and suitor’s love story. Their love is heavily challenged by the muchwezi, an incubus (spirit husband in Nigerian Lingua.) It explores love, greed, African spirituality and Christianity in Africa.

Dance of the Jakaranda by Peter Kimani

“Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and I remember more than I have seen”

This tale is about the Independence of Kenya and the fact that the colonisers view themselves as the superior race. We also see how race or not, humans share similar emotions. We all feel fear, love, grief irresponsible of the colour of our skin.

Small by small by Ike Anya

“And it is the women, always the women; because among our people, it seems, the inability to have children is always the woman’s problem.”

It tells of Ike Anya’s story as a medical doctor in Nigeria. There are hilarious portions of the book as well as parts that are provoking and makes you wonder about the sources of “miracle children”. Ike’s writing is very remarkable and it’s very applaudable that we have a book like this in Nigeria.

Season of Crimson Blossoms by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim

“There is nothing quite like fighting against loss and, despite one’s best efforts, losing all the same”

The story was set at the outskirts of Abuja and revolves round 55 year old Hajiya Binta who has a relationship with 26 year old Reza who is a gang leader. This story is woven intricately and “reminds us … the irrevocable force of love and physical passion in the face of brutality”

Black Moses by Alain Mabanckou

“singing in the old-fashioned language of this good-hearted man, who sold us Hope at the lowest possible price”

Black Moses is a well written narrative of a boy whose name means; “Let us thank God the Black Moses is born our lands.”. He is simply called Moses in the book. As an orphan, he escapes and goes about this new life with two orphaned twins who used to torment him.

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