Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed this on audiobook from my library.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this a ton. I wasn't sure what to think going into this book. I had put it on my TBR list because it was a shorter novella audiobook I could get from the library. This was an intriguing and strangely engaging read.

The story is about a young man who is a writer in New York journeying back to his home town of Lagos, Nigeria. On his vacation there, he visits places from his childhood, old friends, and family and reflects on how Lagos has changed and how it compares to the rest of the world.

There are a lot of insightful discussions here. For example, he is especially focused on arts; fine art and music and how little of it there is because everyone is so focused on day-to-day survival. He also discusses the lack of museums and any recording of history; what is a nation without its history? Additionally, the lack of a manufacturing base and technology development means everything must be imported and people have very little understanding of the technology they do use, which has huge implications on society there.

I listened to this on audiobook and enjoyed it. It was well narrated and easy to listen to.

My Summary (4/5): Overall, I really enjoyed the wandering journey this novella took me on. I also really loved getting a closer day-to-day look at Nigeria, a country I know very little about. The writing is beautiful and the prose paints detailed and lifelike surroundings for the reader. I would highly recommend, this was very different from what I normally read but I really enjoyed it a lot. ( )

I only made it about halfway through this one (not enough plot for me - which I can also say about Marvels and Kingdom Come so there is a lot I'm sifting through that has too much description and too little plot; if there's no plot I'd rather be reading non-fiction) and even though it's obviously not for me I'll be forever grateful that I picked it up and came by chapter 10. The whole page is pure gold but I just have to share:

"It is not clear if he is living as victoriously as Pastor Michael, who, as is well known, owns both a Rolls-Royce and a Lear-jet, praise the Lord. But who also, inexplicably, has just died. The Lord moves in mysterious ways."

A great collection of vignettes. The frustration and impatience with Nigeria still allow for thoughtful reflection on a challenging and dynamic place. ( )

3 stars is generous. A unnamed narrator returns to his native Nigeria having fled his country for the U.S. following a long, self-imposed absence. He finds a country wallowing in economic stagnation due to corruption everywhere because workers do not earn enough from jobs to survive. The story is told in a series of vignettes as the narrator travels in his former homeland. Sadly, Cole does not develop his protagonist (the narrator) enough, and what little is conveyed is done via his reconnecting with friends and family and the alienation from his mother. I liked some of the photographs he took in Nigeria, but thought they could have been better integrated with his travels. ( )

This reads more like essays than fiction. Interesting characterization of the corruption of a nation otherwise rich in resources and unfulfilled potential. ( )