Childlessness, Soyinka and Achebe, and Folklore - #BooksoftheWeek: April 8, 2013

 
Every week, ZODML spotlights three great books from our extensive collection to inspire readers to try out books they might not have previously heard of. The selections fall under three major categories – fiction, non-fiction and children and young adult literature – so there’s a book to suit every taste. Also check out our archives and see what books have been selected in the past.
Fiction: Behind the Clouds by Ifeoma Okoye In this novel Ije and Dozie, a young couple, deal with the situation of childlessness, which almost destroys their home. Okoye's work sets out to present Nigerian women as dignified and humane individuals capable of personal integrity and economic independence. Non-fiction: Achebe or Soyinka?: A Study in Contrasts by Kole Omotoso This is a controversial study on Africa's two most widely read and, arguably, finest writers. Despite their shared levels of prestige, each represents a distinct area of Nigerian writing. On the one hand, there's Soyinka, the playful imagist steeped in the myth and magic of his native Yoruba culture; at the other end of the spectrum, Achebe's insightful depictions of Igbo cultural traditions. Children and Young Adults: The Adventures of Anum the Tortoise by Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo These stories are a captivating illustrated series of the adventures of the tortoise, a classic character in African folklore. He is captured playing his usual pranks; sometimes he succeeds, other times he fails and pays the price.