Staff Pick
In a charming collection of interconnecting stories centering on Nigerian immigrants living in Belgium, Chika Unigwe explores the pains of feeling out of place, in a country or in a marriage. Recommended By Keith M., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
Better Never Than Late charts the unconventional lives and love affairs of a group of Nigerian migrants, making their way in Belgium. The collection is centered around Prosperous and her husband Agu, and the various visitors who gather at their apartment each week. These interconnected stories explore their struggles and triumphs, from unhappy marriages (of convenience or otherwise), to the pain of homesickness, and the tragic paradox in longing to leave Nigeria so that you may one day return to it.
Review
“Chika Unigwe writes radiant fiction about Nigerian characters and their encounters with Europe and its ideologies. This essential book shines a light on personal experiences of migration in ways that illuminate and surprise.” Bernardine Evaristo, author of Girl, Woman, Other
Review
“I loved this book, a universal story of people on the move, a marvellous patchwork of the lives of different people from Nigeria.” Rachida Lamrabet, author of Vrouwland
Review
“These stories are so vital, funny and finely made, they make it a little easier to live in a world where love is so important, and yet so unpredictable.” John Freeman, writer and editor of Freeman’s
Synopsis
- A new collection from an acclaimed and award-winning writer - Follows the unconventional lives and love affairs of a group of Nigerian migrants, bringing a very personal slant to issues of topical interest. - Explores issues of immigration, sexual assault and class dynamics. - Second title in new Cassava Shorts imprint
About the Author
Chika Unigwe is a Nigerian writer and author of four novels. She earned a PhD from the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, for her dissertation entitled “In the Shadow of Ala: Igbo Women Writing as an Act of Righting”. Chika has received a number of awards for her writing, including the 2012 NLNG Prize for Literature, for her novel On Black Sisters’ Street. She is the recipient of a number of fellowships, including the 2014 Sylt Fellowship for African Writers. She currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.