Part of the ‘Into and out of Africa’ reading
journey.
Set in what is now part of Nigeria in the back
half of the nineteenth century; this short novel tells the story of Okwonko, a
man of substance in his village and in the wider Umuofia clan.
Life is not easy in sub-Saharan Africa, what
with rains and droughts, but from a difficult start in life Okwonko has made
good. But change is on the way as the first white missionaries establish
themselves close by and cultural conflict looms. The old ways, revered by
Okwonko, are already weakening, and the white man’s challenge to the ancestral
gods could threaten the unity and solidarity of the clan.
The life in the village before white
intervention is well described, as from an insider rather than an external
observer – the reader is left to intuit much of this alien world. Indeed this
could be a science fiction or fantasy land so strange does it seem with its taboos,
hierarchies and accepted violence.
The intrusion of the missionaries is related
even-handedly; they are not portrayed as evil or grasping, just different and
rather persuasive with their acceptance of those persecuted or rejected by the
clan, for example twin babies abandoned (as abominations) in the forest by the
natives or those harshly punished for other transgressions.
Through it all, Okwonko battles with his own
demons, a fear that he has inherited his father’s weakness and failure, and a
temper that is backed up with his strong physical prowess. These undermine his
good intentions and hard work so it is not only the clan that is in danger of
falling apart.
It is a short and fascinating read deserving
of its reputation as ‘one of the first African novels written in English to
receive global critical acclaim’. Sometimes that kind of praise can be off-putting,
but don’t be - this is just a good book.
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