An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma
Obioma was first nominated for the Booker shortlist with his 2015 debut novel, The Fisherman; his sophomore book published in early 2019 follows the same precedent.
From the publisher: “A heart-breaking story about a Nigerian poultry farmer who sacrifices everything to win the woman he loves, by Man Booker Finalist and author of The Fishermen, Chigozie Obioma.”
From Booker Judge Afua Hirsch: “This is a book that wrenches the heart with its story of love, migration and inner turmoil, told with remarkable language from start to finish.
Narrated by a cast of characters from Igbo spiritual tradition, the story of Chinonso, the chicken farmer begins and ends with tragedy. But his quest for a life with Ndali, the woman he loves, drives him to seek status and wealth as an African migrant in Europe, to transcend Nigeria’s formidable class boundaries. The spirits look down on these human dramas of small town Nigeria and reveal the rich complexity of another realm along the way.
Obioma’s is a tale of Odyssian proportions that makes the heart soar, and a crucial journey into a heartache that is both mythical and real. A stunning book.”
