BONFIRES OF THE GODS

In Oki’s debut novel, set in 1997, an ethnic conflict disrupts the lives of a disparate group of Nigerians.

The Itsekiri and Ijaw communities clash in the city of Warri, Nigeria, and Oki’s narrative follows a group of initially unconnected characters whose paths intersect and diverge as the violence intensifies. Laju and Tonye are engaged, but their love isn’t enough to overcome the objections of Laju’s grandmother, an Itsekiri chief, who doesn’t want her marrying an Ijaw man. Brothers Mogha and Seye, who live in the United Kingdom, were hoping to surprise their father with a visit, but when they arrive, they realize that he’s fled—and that his home is now the target of a local militia. Physician Toritseju and her journalist husband, Jolomi, find that their jobs make it impossible for them to avoid the conflict. Law student Oyinmiebi is drawn into the situation by his cousin Zuokumo but tries to avoid the violence near his home. Over the course of the fighting, coincidence brings characters together (Mogha and Seye end up in Toritseju’s hospital; Oyinmiebi and Jolomi end up at the same battle), and their stories offer moments of tragedy and heroism. The book’s final section takes place six years later, bringing resolution to the various character arcs, just as ethnic tensions rise again. Oki does an excellent job of bringing the reader into a piece of recent African history. Local dialect (“I sidon house dey wait for my cousin wen wan begin make-up like a girl before leaving the house”) is interspersed with standard English in a manner that will allow readers who may be unfamiliar with Nigerian Pidgin to follow along. Although occasional flashbacks sometimes complicate the timeline, they offer valuable character development and give emotional resonance to the various relationships. Oki also shows the political and interpersonal aspects of the conflict within communities, driving home the tragedy of widespread violence.

An engaging novel of personal stories within a broader conflict.