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The Fishermen

The Fishermen

Author(s): Chigozie Obioma

Location(s): Nigeria

Genre(s): Fiction

Era(s): 1990s

Location

Content

Man Book Shortlisted 2015

Told from the point of view of nine-year-old Benjamin, the youngest of four brothers, The Fishermen is the Cain and Abel-esque story of an unforgettable childhood in 1990s Nigeria. When their father has to travel to a distant city for work, the brothers take advantage of his extended absence to skip school and go fishing. At the forbidden nearby river they encounter a madman, who predicts that one of the brothers will kill another. What happens next is an almost mythic event whose impact – both tragic and redemptive – will transcend the lives and imaginations of both its characters and its readers. Chigozie Obioma emerges as one of the best new voices of modern African literature, echoing its older generation’s masterful storytelling with a contemporary fearlessness and purpose.

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Lead Review

A book that charts childhood and growing up in Nigeria…. ‘There is much to recommend in this debut, not least the insights into Nigerian culture and history… The novel excels in its depiction of...

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