Culture | Nigerian fiction

Wit and wisdom in “The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa”

African literature is rich in coming-of-age-tales. Stephen Buoro’s first novel is one of the best

A Christian Adara boy prays along with his mother while attending the Sunday's service at Ecwa Church, Kajuru, Kaduna State, Nigeria, on April 14, 2019. - The ongoing strife between Muslim herders and Christian farmers, which claimed nearly 2,000 lives in 2018 and displaced hundreds of thousands of others, is a divisive issue for Nigeria and some other countries in West Africa. (Photo by Luis TATO / AFP) (Photo credit should read LUIS TATO/AFP via Getty Images) — Thoughts and prayersImage: Getty Images

Apr 5th 2023

EVERYONE IN AFRICA believes in God, reckons the hero of Stephen Buoro’s debut novel, “The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa”. “It’s the only way we can survive.” People leave home praying that there will be electricity when they return. On the road, they pray that they will avoid motor accidents; if they crash, they pray the hospitals will be functioning. Their prayers mostly go unanswered, but still they pray. “Life in Africa is a long prayer,” Andy Africa explains.

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Original sins”