August is meant to be a calm breath between seasons, rain washing away old worries, whispers of fresh starts in the air, and second chances ripe for the taking. But if your version of a new beginning leans less towards gentle resets and more towards tearing down the walls, changing identities, and clawing your way […]
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August is meant to be a calm breath between seasons, rain washing away old worries, whispers of fresh starts in the air, and second chances ripe for the taking. But if your version of a new beginning leans less towards gentle resets and more towards tearing down the walls, changing identities, and clawing your way to reinvention, you’re in the right place.
These five Nigerian novels will pull you through the chaos and thrill of starting again, whether it’s by necessity, fate, or sheer desperation. From biting satires that force you to reckon with yourself, to heart-wrenching tales of rediscovery, here are five books perfect for August, stories about people who change their names, their fortunes, and their destinies.
Blackass, A.Igoni Barrett
Blackass kicks things off with biting wit and irreverent humor. When Furo Wariboko wakes up on the day of a job interview to find himself suddenly white—well, mostly white—Lagos flips upside-down to accommodate him. Furo’s new complexion becomes his golden ticket, sending him hurtling through doors previously slammed shut. But what happens when the cost of this new privilege becomes unbearably steep?
Barrett’s satire skewers race, identity, and the Nigerian obsession with appearances. Blackass was awarded China’s 21st Century Best Foreign Novel Award and nominated for major honors like the PEN Open Book Award, the Kitschies Golden Tentacle, and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, marking Barrett as one of Nigeria’s boldest contemporary authors.
The Girl with the Louding Voice, Abi Daré
In Abi Daré’s stirring The Girl with the Louding Voice, reinvention is survival. Adunni, a spirited fourteen-year-old, refuses to be silenced despite a forced marriage and the cruel constraints of domestic servitude. Her dream to obtain an education and raise her voice in a world that insists on drowning her out is both devastating and fiercely inspiring. Written with infectious energy, Daré crafts a voice you won’t forget, championing the strength it takes to rewrite your story.
This debut landed Daré the Bath Novel Award before its publication, thrusting her onto the literary stage as one of Nigeria’s most promising new voices.
Welcome to Lagos, Chibundu Onuzo
Chibundu Onuzo’s Welcome to Lagos is a beautifully chaotic love letter to a city built on second chances. Army officer Chike Ameobi deserts after defying orders to harm civilians, taking along a ragtag group of outcasts, each one desperate for renewal. Lagos welcomes them with all its chaos and contradictions, setting them on an unexpected collision course with corrupt politicians and idealistic journalists.
Warm, humorous, and sharply observant, Onuzo’s novel embraces the resilience found within uncertainty. Her work has been celebrated internationally, with accolades including the Betty Trask Award and shortlists for both the Dylan Thomas and Commonwealth Book Prizes, solidifying her role as a key literary voice for the modern Nigerian experience.
The Son of the House, Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia
Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia’s profound and moving novel, The Son of the House, explores what happens when second chances arise in the most unexpected—and terrifying—circumstances. When two women from vastly different walks of life are kidnapped together, they find themselves revealing secrets and uncovering bonds stronger than their differences. As the hours stretch, their intertwined stories unravel decades of societal pressures, dreams deferred, and the desperate yearning for fresh starts.
Tender yet unsparing, Onyemelukwe-Onuobia’s book was honored with the prestigious Nigeria Prize for Literature and was shortlisted for Canada’s Scotiabank Giller Prize, marking her as one of Nigeria’s most important contemporary novelists.
I Do Not Come to You by Chance, Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani
Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani’s brilliantly satirical debut, I Do Not Come to You by Chance, offers a wickedly humorous look at reinventing oneself through deception. Kingsley Ibe has always followed the rules, but when unemployment and family crises strike, he succumbs to the dubious charms of his charismatic uncle, Cash Daddy—Nigeria’s most notorious 419 scammer. Kingsley soon finds himself caught in a moral freefall, discovering just how slippery the slope between desperation and greed can become.
The novel won the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for Best First Book (Africa) and the Betty Trask Award, launching Nwaubani as an unforgettable satirical voice illuminating modern Nigeria’s contradictions.
Explore July’s reading list here.
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