The Liquid Eye of a Moon

Awoke’s memorable debut chronicles the coming-of-age of Dimkpa, a teenager with limited prospects in Nigeria’s hierarchical caste system. His father, the second-oldest man in their village, struggles to keep the family fed and sheltered, hoping one day to assume the supreme role of village elder. Dimkpa’s loftier goals include attending secondary school and eventually earning enough money to lift his family out of poverty and afford a proper gravesite for his beloved aunt. When Dimkpa’s father is passed over in favor of a younger villager, Dimkpa moves in with his cousin Beatrice in Lagos, where his desperation leads him to agree to take part in naked boxing matches in a rich man’s mansion. He then tries and fails to become a quarry laborer in Awka, before returning to his village in defeat. After a tragic event, he gains a newfound maturity and a more realistic understanding of what is attainable for himself and his family. Keenly narrated by Dimkpa, the tale is shot through with Nigerian history and insights into the ways in which political and societal oppression stymie his attempts to get ahead. This artful story of resilience is tough to shake. Agent: Annie DeWitt, Shipman Agency. (June)