the tone of the writing and how the sentences are put together is really pleasant to read. I didn't find myself emotionally engaged or caring about the characters though.
pretty enjoyable read overall. ( )

The novel has the simplicity and lyricism of a folk tale and yet it managed to convey, so deeply, the numbness and defilement of human relationships among people living in corrupt authoritarian regimes. The bareness of the prose did not prevent me from experiencing this novel as a devastating indictment of state-sponsored violence. I was upset by it. ( )

This was an absolutely thrilling debut novel. Atogun manages to capture so much and his style is bereft from any unnecessary words or details. His magnificent work is full of meaning, emotion, and purpose. This is the type of writing that I like to read and, for a debut author to reach this kind of level, is amazing. This is an author that I will look out for. The ending is a treat too. Definitely worth the read- especially for those interested in world literature.

5 stars. ( )

3.5 A new author out of Nigeria, this is a simply told tale, almost like a fable, of a musician who is forced to leave his country because his music is turning people away from The President. When in exile he revives a letter that his girlfriend in Lagos has been taken by the government and he returns to his home with the mission of freeing her from the dictatorship. On his arrival he find he has been forgotten, by his neighbors and his friends, his guitars stolen from his house, leaving him with only the instrument he carries.

The difficulties of those in the arts under a dictatorship can definitely be drawn from this story. The power of music to change and reach out to the people. The amnesia and fear that people learn to live under in order to survive. As Taduno tries to find his girlfriend and make the people remember, as well as to find the voice he seems to have lost, he is presented with a moral dilemma. Does he betray all to save her, or does he betray her by not pursuing the terrible opportunity the President presents to him? I took this quote to heart and it captures much of what this book is saying, "When the music is silent, you hear the laughter of the tyrant."

A short book, quick read but with a powerful message. ( )

Something about this book reminded me of The Gracekeepers. I love this style of writing. ( )