A Wartime Childhood, a Long Walk to Freedom and an Unforgettable Adventure: #BookoftheWeek - December 16, 2013

Looking for a good book to read? 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. All of the books are available to borrow for free at our Community Library on Awolowo Road, Ikoyi. Be sure to check out our archives to see which books have been selected in the past.
Fiction: War Games by Dulue Mbachu For Basil Chekwubechukwu Odukwe (or Cheche), the good life as a rich landlord's son in Northern Nigeria suddenly turns nightmarish as the country descends into civil war. The five year-old is forced to escape to his ancestral village of Amafor in the south to start a different life in the shadow of traumatised parents and relatives, war crimes and songs, folksy pastimes, and exacting Catholicism. In this haunting and original debut novel, Mbachu enters the mind of childhood to tell a compelling human story with remarkable restraint and resonant narrative grace. Non-Fiction: Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. Following his triumphant release in 1990 from more than a quarter-century of imprisonment, Mandela has been at the center of the most compelling and inspiring political drama in the world. As president of the African National Congress and head of South Africa's anti-apartheid movement, he was instrumental in moving the nation toward multiracial government and majority rule. He is revered everywhere as a vital force in the fight for human rights and racial equality. Long Walk to Freedom is his moving and exhilarating autobiography, destined to take its place among the finest memoirs of history's greatest figures. Here for the first time, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela tells the extraordinary story of his life - an epic of struggle, setback, renewed hope, and ultimate triumph. Children and Young Adults: Time for Adventure by L. Solaru A peaceful bus ride and an old kolanut catapult Mary,Taiwo, and Audu into the year 3500 where Lagos rules the planet. Only they can save Earth from a terrible war with vengeful and destructive aliens. Share your #BookoftheWeek with us in the comments or by tweeting @ZODML!