These are stories of Nigeria and of America, and of the frayed bonds that connect the two. Hostages are taken from an American expat bar. Attempts are made to get visas, and those who have succeeded return covered in wealth or in ignominy. Children are told tales of spirits who ride on horses and take bad little girls as their wives, but when hooves and flames do come to their house they are real enough. A man arrested at a brothel is posed as an armed robber by a corrupt police force. The radio station Voice of America brings a new pen pal, and some very high hopes, to a group of young men. This is a Nigeria of gossip and spells, of families and refugee camps, and Osondu makes it his own. Voice of America is a brilliantly original, deft and darkly funny book.
Voice of America
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'Osondu succeeds in creating a vivid and fully imagined world that is uniquely his own. It is a wonderful achievement.' --Petina Gappah, Observer
'Osondu's prose style is that of the raconteur. It is direct and unmannered, it is inventive and humorous, but above all it is compelling' --Helon Habila, Guardian
'Osondu's stories cleverly combine narrative understatement, a vigorous prose style and the ability to shock and delight ... An outstanding debut' --Bernardine Evaristo, Financial Times
'Containing hope and humour along with hardship and heartbreak. It's easy to see why Jonathan Franzen is a fan' --Daily Mail
`In deceptively simple narratives, Osondu charts the borderlands where different cultures meet with great skill'
--Sunday Times
'Osondu's prose style is that of the raconteur. It is direct and unmannered, it is inventive and humorous, but above all it is compelling' --Helon Habila, Guardian
'Osondu's stories cleverly combine narrative understatement, a vigorous prose style and the ability to shock and delight ... An outstanding debut' --Bernardine Evaristo, Financial Times
'Containing hope and humour along with hardship and heartbreak. It's easy to see why Jonathan Franzen is a fan' --Daily Mail
`In deceptively simple narratives, Osondu charts the borderlands where different cultures meet with great skill'
--Sunday Times
About the Author
E.C. Osondu worked as a copywriter for Ogilvy & Mather before moving to the US in 2004 to pursue an MFA at Syracuse University, studying with Mary Gaitskill and George Saunders. He received the 2009 Caine Prize for African Writing for his story 'Waiting' and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By A. Ross
TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover
This debut collection of 18 short stories (all of which I believe were previously published in various literary journals and magazines) combine to paint a vivid picture of the lives of everyday Nigerians and of Nigerian immigrants to America. (Nigerians are by far the largest African immigrant nationality in the U.S. and I happen to live in one of the largest concentrations of them.) The title is very apt, as almost every story has some kind of connection to America, even if it's just as a roads-paved-with-gold promised land. The stories generally fall into three categories: those which show how tough life is in Nigeria, those which present a Nigerian aspiring to life in America, and those which show the struggles of Nigerian immigrants in America (as a Nigerian immigrant to America, the author seems well versed in all three categories). These themes are so strong throughout the stories that I after I read the first several, I had to set the book aside and limit myself to a story every other day or so. Each story is a captivating, well-told, and often witty, vignette -- but they definitely start to blur together when not given room to breathe. Potential readers should also know that the menfolk of Nigeria do not come out very well in Osondu's depictions. They tend to be either corrupt, cruel, drunk, violent, immoral, lazy, and selfish, with surprising few exceptions (and the women tend to be smart, wise, and much-beleaguered). While the individual characters and situations don't really cast lasting impressions, the combined effect of the stories does build a fine sense of place and people. Well worth reading if you live in one of the major Nigerian-American communities (Houston, New York, suburban Maryland, etc.) and definitely worth reading if you have an interest in contemporary African literature.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Gilli
Format:Hardcover
Having read two or three encouraging reviews of this book, I was anxious to read it for a couple of reasons. One, was because i love the short story genre, i can sometimes get bored by a novel and loose impetus in reading it due to its size; secondly, i was interested in hearing this voice ie of africans, specifically Nigerians in a modern context. This book fulfilled on both levels and beyond. It manages to cover many different voices. It is filled with humour, sadness and truth. It is excellent.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Myne Whitman
Format:Hardcover
There were a number of very good stories out of the 18 that make up Voice of America. EC Osondu has a graceful narrative voice and it echoes across all stories, making the book a smooth read. In `Bar Beach Show', we are served up a slice of history with some superstition thrown in. I liked this story and it is the one I think that has the most local flavor. I found out that Bar Beach, formerly known as Victoria Beach, not only hosts a wish-granting mermaid every seventh month of the year but also that a strange animal lands on the beach and soon disappears as mysteriously as it came.
I also liked `Pilgrimage', where Osondu gently explores the connection between African-Americans and Africa through the prism of religious tourism. A visitor to TB Joshua is not healed by him but by a coven of traditionalist sisterhood in the market. It was also a pleasant surprise that the recent rash of expatriate kidnappings in the Niger Delta was tackled over a tapestry of the local club girl culture in `An incidence in Pat's Bar'. The bar owner asks, "Who is going to help the cow with no tail to drive away flies?" when an unemployed American is kidnapped. My overall favorite however, is the title story and the last in the book, where Osondu employs simplicity to poignantly tell the story of a young man in need of a pen pal.
I also liked `Pilgrimage', where Osondu gently explores the connection between African-Americans and Africa through the prism of religious tourism. A visitor to TB Joshua is not healed by him but by a coven of traditionalist sisterhood in the market. It was also a pleasant surprise that the recent rash of expatriate kidnappings in the Niger Delta was tackled over a tapestry of the local club girl culture in `An incidence in Pat's Bar'. The bar owner asks, "Who is going to help the cow with no tail to drive away flies?" when an unemployed American is kidnapped. My overall favorite however, is the title story and the last in the book, where Osondu employs simplicity to poignantly tell the story of a young man in need of a pen pal.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bought 2
Brilliant short stories I read a library copy, savoured each and every story, I loved it so much I bought 2 copies on Amazon to give to friends.
Published 2 months ago by Lima
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
I am very impressed with this great collection of short stories. Great effort and lovely read. Didn't expect to enjoy it as I'm not a great fan of modern day Nigerian literature... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Ahl
4.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant read
One of the reading highlights of my year was buying this book. Excellent and well written book which left you wanting more!
Published 5 months ago by S. U.
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