Whenever we sit in a book club, very rarely do we actually talk about contemporary African literature.
So why not change that?
Starting with giving a great recommendation of these following African novels will make you think, cry, and lose your mind all at the same time. So sit back, relax, and delve into the world that not many history books teach us. Download the ebooks for free from piratebayproxy.
African Novels You Should Read
If you are venturing into the world of African novels, here are five of them that you should read. They will totally blow your mind! Stories filled with social restaurants, independence and modernization, and love. These stories will leave you awestruck.
1. Coming To Birth – Marjorie Oludhe MacGoye
The storyline is a beautiful depiction of everything that happened after the independence of Kenya. The complication of the political narrative and how our two main characters, Paulina and Martin, navigates through the rules of city life.
The novel begins with Martin, who is deemed to be a successful man in Kenyan society. He is someone who is from the working class of the country, but with good education and a job in the city. He and his wife Paulina move to the city, and you will find many dimensions in the story.
Starting from the innocent love between our two main characters and how it is put to the test, eventually changing with time with a childless marriage. How do they cope with their emotions amidst all the political tension in their surroundings? The amalgamation of the personal and political journey of Kenya with newfound freedom is what you will love about the story.
2. Harvest Of Skulls – Abdourahman A.Waberi
This is probably the most famous African novel, which still causes ripples of awareness among many ardent readers. The Rwandan political genocide was probably one of the most gruesome mass execution in history.
In the year 1994, the Rwandan political elite planned a genocidal mass that slaughtered and killed almost 500,000 to 1,000,000 Hutu and Tutsi who lived in the country.
Four years after the tragedy, ten African authors visit Rwanda to witness the remains of the atrocious act firsthand. Due to political controversies, this well-known book is deemed as ‘stories’ and ‘fictions.’ But many call it a non-fictional bend, and it gets into the explicit details of the number of bodies and gives in-depth information about the matter.
Something that history often forgets.
3. A Bit Of Difference – Sefi Atta
A bit of difference takes a very interesting turn on someone who is a part of the third world country in Africa and now living in modern London. Working overseas and adjusting has been quite challenging for our protagonist Neola. However, when she goes back to Nigeria for her father’s five-year memorial service, there are all these changes she is encountering and how the Nigerian urban life is changing. This works as an eye opener for her, and she is slowly able to understand how the first world country sees Nigeria and how different and contemporary they are.
However, the story gets interesting when she is selected as an auditor to judge and decide whether certain African countries are eligible to get charity funds from European countries. Now, she is conflicted about her job and being the person judging her own culture.
Get Them Today!
Learning more about the third world countries in Africa and how they are progressing into the contemporary modern world is very important. Seems like the world and history often don’t talk about the major events of the African countries; whether we are talking about the genocide, the independence from the British colonization reign, or people navigating through modernization, you should read these books.
These books will give you a better insight into the beginning of contemporary African literature.
