Nigeria
Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe (various editions)
In his 1958 classic, Nigerian born Chinua Achebe offers a complex portrait of Ibo culture before and after the white man’s arrival. Through the story of Okonkwo’s rise and fall, Achebe realistically presents traditional village life in part one and how “things fall apart” under colonialism in part two.
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“Okonkwo’s return to his native land was not as memorable as he had wished. It was true his two beautiful daughters aroused great interest among suitors and marriage negotiations were soon in progress, but, beyond that, Umuofia did not appear to have taken any special notice of the warrior’s return. The clan had undergone such profound change during hhis exile that it was barely recognizable. The new religion and government and the trading stores were very much in the people’s eyes and minds. There were still many who saw these new institutions as evil, but even they talked and thought about little else, and certainly not about Okonkwo’s return.” – from Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe