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Top 5 African Books You Should Read

The marketing of African literature tends to be quite one-dimensional, focusing mostly on heroic tales of hardship presented in a sober, realistic, and ultimately upbeat tone. This perspective has long since been pushed to the background when seen from inside the continent itself, thanks to the effervescence and liveliness generated by continuing literary innovation and inventiveness. There are many great works from Africa, however, that you should have read by now. The following are 5 major literature books you should have read by now:

1. Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe - The in-depth look at Igbo culture in the pre-colonial era and the European invasion

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe was set in pre-colonial Nigerian society when it was written and released in 1962 to widespread critical acclaim. In the tale, Okonkwo, the son of the clan chief of the Umuofia people, must find a way to distance himself from the disgraceful history of his father. To do this, he makes it a point to approach things from an opposing perspective.

Foreign missionaries, bringing a new religion, governance, and culture that threatens the traditions and sovereignty of the Igbo people, complicated Okonkwo’s attempts to shepherd his people during Nigeria’s early colonial era. However, the culture of the Igbo people, which is also the author’s background, is based on a true civilization. The fictional character in the novel is based on one of these historical societies.

Even while numerous African tribes may have shared a language, a way of life, and certain practices, each of these groups also preserved its own distinct culture. According to Achebe, the Igbo culture places a great deal of significance on proverbs; he describes them as “the palm oil with which words are consumed.” It is important for the Igbo since they are an oral culture and want to ensure that their traditions and ways of thinking are passed down to subsequent generations.

2. The Memory of Love, Aminatta Forna - The intertwining stories of four individuals juxtaposed with great political upheaval

The events in the novel written by Forna take place in the city at nearly precisely that period – not long after the conclusion of one of the worst civil conflicts in the modern history of Africa – and she portrays perfectly the feeling of being numbed by brutality.

The catastrophic civil war that took place in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in the recent past has left the whole population with secrets to conceal. A talented young surgeon working at the capital hospital, Kai is having trouble with demons that are starting to jeopardize his ability to make a living. Elias Cole, a guy who was young when the nation was going through its difficult postcolonial years and who has things to tell that are not in the least bit heroic, is lying somewhere else in the hospital.

 

Adrian, a British psychiatrist with positive motives, brings Kai and Elias into the path of one lady who is at the core of both of their tales as the past and the present begin to intertwine in the bustling metropolis. Kai and Elias did not want to get closer to one another in this way. The Memory of Love is a masterpiece of exquisite writing and unusual insight. It flawlessly ties together all the lives of these three men to form a story about grief, absolution, and the permanent consequences of the past, as well as, at the end of it all, the very essence of love.

3. The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born, Nii Ayi Kwei Armah - A post-colonial story set in Ghana with a focus on Self-identity

A book that takes place in Ghana between 1965 and 1966. The events of The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born, which are set in Ghana after the country’s independence but before the toppling of Kwame Nkrumah on February 25, 1966, take place between Passion Week, 1965, and February 24. A freight clerk on a Ghanaian railroad struggles to resist the social and familial influences that might lead him to dishonest practices. 

It was the publication of this book that brought Ayi Kwei Armah to widespread attention. Overall, the work is a satirical takedown of Ghanaian society in the 1960s, under Kwame Nkrumah’s rule and just after independence. Similar to Things Fall Apart, it is widely cited as a masterpiece of post-colonial African literature.

4. Nervous Conditions, Tsitsi Dangarembga - A young adult story about gender and self-discovery, set in Zimbabwe

In the novel Nervous Conditions, the events take place in Zimbabwe when it was still called Southern Rhodesia or just Rhodesia before the nation gained its independence from Britain. The author pulls inspiration for the work from her own life, namely her childhood in Rhodesia during that period. The story is semi-autobiographical. The experiences of several different female characters in Nervous Conditions serve as the story’s focal point. These individuals either confront the typical patriarchal structure of their society or come to grips with it.

The novel explores the feelings of estrangement experienced by two young African women: Nyasha, who was raised in England and feels like an outsider among her people, and Tamba, who leaves her community to attend an expensive mission school. The young narrator, Tambu, will need to demonstrate a great deal of tenacity to triumph over all of the challenges that stand in the way of her advancement in life. She must also learn how to comprehend, in large part by way of the challenging trials that her cousin Nyasha has had to go through, the detrimental repercussions that British colonization has had on her community.

5. The River Between, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o - A story about culture, religion, and family

The River Between is a book written by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o that depicts the narrative of two separate tribes that have fundamentally different beliefs that are important to them.

Nevertheless, there are still many who have faith in peace and harmony, even though they share relatively few common beliefs. 

The ancient Gikuyu religious system and the Christianity that was introduced by colonial white immigrants are at the root of the conflict that exists between the two communities. The identification of Ngugi’s protagonist and antagonist, as well as the principles they uphold, provides insight into the author’s position concerning Christian missions and the religion itself.

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What are 5 major African books you should read?

The marketing of African literature tends to be quite one-dimensional, focusing mostly on heroic tales of hardship presented in a sober, realistic, and ultimately upbeat tone. This perspective has long since been pushed to the background when seen from inside the continent itself, thanks to the effervescence and liveliness generated by continuing literary innovation and inventiveness. There are many great works from Africa, however, that you should have read by now. The following are 5 major literature books you should have read by now:

1. Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe - The in-depth look at Igbo culture in the pre-colonial era and the European invasion

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe was set in pre-colonial Nigerian society when it was written and released in 1962 to widespread critical acclaim. In the tale, Okonkwo, the son of the clan chief of the Umuofia people, must find a way to distance himself from the disgraceful history of his father. To do this, he makes it a point to approach things from an opposing perspective.

Foreign missionaries, bringing a new religion, governance, and culture that threatens the traditions and sovereignty of the Igbo people, complicated Okonkwo’s attempts to shepherd his people during Nigeria’s early colonial era. However, the culture of the Igbo people, which is also the author’s background, is based on a true civilization. The fictional character in the novel is based on one of these historical societies.

Even while numerous African tribes may have shared a language, a way of life, and certain practices, each of these groups also preserved its own distinct culture. According to Achebe, the Igbo culture places a great deal of significance on proverbs; he describes them as “the palm oil with which words are consumed.” It is important for the Igbo since they are an oral culture and want to ensure that their traditions and ways of thinking are passed down to subsequent generations.

2. The Memory of Love, Aminatta Forna - The intertwining stories of four individuals juxtaposed with great political upheaval

The events in the novel written by Forna take place in the city at nearly precisely that period – not long after the conclusion of one of the worst civil conflicts in the modern history of Africa – and she portrays perfectly the feeling of being numbed by brutality.

The catastrophic civil war that took place in Freetown, Sierra Leone, in the recent past has left the whole population with secrets to conceal. A talented young surgeon working at the capital hospital, Kai is having trouble with demons that are starting to jeopardize his ability to make a living. Elias Cole, a guy who was young when the nation was going through its difficult postcolonial years and who has things to tell that are not in the least bit heroic, is lying somewhere else in the hospital.

Adrian, a British psychiatrist with positive motives, brings Kai and Elias into the path of one lady who is at the core of both of their tales as the past and the present begin to intertwine in the bustling metropolis. Kai and Elias did not want to get closer to one another in this way. The Memory of Love is a masterpiece of exquisite writing and unusual insight. It flawlessly ties together all the lives of these three men to form a story about grief, absolution, and the permanent consequences of the past, as well as, at the end of it all, the very essence of love.

3. The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born, Nii Ayi Kwei Armah - A post-colonial story set in Ghana with a focus on Self-identity

A book that takes place in Ghana between 1965 and 1966. The events of The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born, which are set in Ghana after the country’s independence but before the toppling of Kwame Nkrumah on February 25, 1966, take place between Passion Week, 1965, and February 24. A freight clerk on a Ghanaian railroad struggles to resist the social and familial influences that might lead him to dishonest practices. 

It was the publication of this book that brought Ayi Kwei Armah to widespread attention. Overall, the work is a satirical takedown of Ghanaian society in the 1960s, under Kwame Nkrumah’s rule and just after independence. Similar to Things Fall Apart, it is widely cited as a masterpiece of post-colonial African literature.

4. Nervous Conditions, Tsitsi Dangarembga - A young adult story about gender and self-discovery, set in Zimbabwe

In the novel Nervous Conditions, the events take place in Zimbabwe when it was still called Southern Rhodesia or just Rhodesia before the nation gained its independence from Britain. The author pulls inspiration for the work from her own life, namely her childhood in Rhodesia during that period. The story is semi-autobiographical. The experiences of several different female characters in Nervous Conditions serve as the story’s focal point. These individuals either confront the typical patriarchal structure of their society or come to grips with it.

The novel explores the feelings of estrangement experienced by two young African women: Nyasha, who was raised in England and feels like an outsider among her people, and Tamba, who leaves her community to attend an expensive mission school. The young narrator, Tambu, will need to demonstrate a great deal of tenacity to triumph over all of the challenges that stand in the way of her advancement in life. She must also learn how to comprehend, in large part by way of the challenging trials that her cousin Nyasha has had to go through, the detrimental repercussions that British colonization has had on her community.

5. The River Between, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o - A story about culture, religion, and family

The River Between is a book written by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o that depicts the narrative of two separate tribes that have fundamentally different beliefs that are important to them.

Nevertheless, there are still many who have faith in peace and harmony, even though they share relatively few common beliefs. 

The ancient Gikuyu religious system and the Christianity that was introduced by colonial white immigrants are at the root of the conflict that exists between the two communities. The identification of Ngugi’s protagonist and antagonist, as well as the principles they uphold, provides insight into the author’s position concerning Christian missions and the religion itself.

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