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“An excellent novel. It takes the reader deep into the reality of ordinary life in Nigeria and is also funny, moving, and politically alert.”
— Giles Foden, award-winning author of The Last King of Scotland
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“Blessing’s is a distinctive voice, at once credulous and curious…The same might be said of Watson herself; her descriptions of character and place are beautifully observed. A promising new talent.”
— Independent (London)
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“It’s a profound shock to find themselves in terrible poverty, without clean water or electricity and subject to raids by the terrifying ‘Area boys’…Yet this is not a bleak book: there is humor and love, especially in the growing relationship between Blessing and her grandmother, a traditional midwife. Absorbing and passionate.”
— Guardian (London)
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“Christie Watson’s debut novel, set in the troubled Niger Delta, does what fiction does best: it captures place and characters so well that you feel you are also there. It is sincere, it is powerfully written, and it deserves to be read.”
— Helon Habila, award-winning author of Oil on Water
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“Watson has written an immensely absorbing novel. It is both heart wrenching and consoling.”
— Chika Unigwe, author of On Black Sisters Street
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“A sure-footed debut narrated by twelve-year-old Blessing, a girl growing up too fast in the troubled Niger Delta.”
— People
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“A fascinating, poignant story that had me laughing in places and deeply moved in others.”
— Ike Anya, Nigerian public-health physician and writer
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“The gripping, triumphant tale of a girl who chooses life over loss, in a sweet but savage world where oil is bled from the earth.”
— Lola Shoneyin, author of The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives
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“Lyrical and beautifully drawn, a poignant coming-of-age tale, set in an Africa few readers will have experienced. A must-read.”
— Lesley Lokko, author of Sundowners, Saffron Skies, and Bitter Chocolate
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“So good I had to lie down after reading it.”
— Trezza Azzopardi, author of The Song House
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“[An] assured, absorbing first novel…Watson’s cleanly told coming-of-age story generates real narrative momentum.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer
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“[An] impressive debut…Watson’s nuanced portrayal of daily life in Nigeria is peopled with flawed but tenacious characters who fight not only for survival but for dignity. Blessing is a wonderful narrator whose vivid impressions enliven Watson’s sensual prose.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“Alick lives up to Watson’s lyrical prose and delivers a gripping presentation of life amid war as well as a celebration of the will to survive.”
— AudioFile
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“Confronting issues of race, class, and religion, this work ponders idealistic ignorance in a way that is reminiscent of Chinua Achebe’s No Longer at Ease. Watson’s story will appeal to readers of African and literary fiction.”
— Library Journal
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“Through the lens of young girl’s coming-of-age, this breakthrough novel views the politics of contemporary Nigeria, portraying the clash between traditional and modern as it affects one extended family.”
— Booklist
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“A first novel that knows how to tell a story, concocting a voice that lures us. Perfect pitch is not reserved for musicians; some novelists have it, too. From the very first page of her very first book, Christie Watson proves she possesses it, creating a voice that tells a tale we can’t put down.”
— Barnes and Noble, editorial review
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“[An] absorbing first novel, told through the eyes of the bright and observant Blessing…A memorable debut novel about a Nigerian girl’s coming of age.”
— Kirkus Reviews