Blessings (novel)
Author | Chukwuebuka Ibeh |
---|---|
Publisher | Viking Books |
Publication date | June 4, 2024 |
ISBN | 9780735248052 |
Blessings is a 2024 novel by the Nigerian author Chukwuebuka Ibeh. It was published by Penguin Random House's Viking Books imprint in 2024.[1]
Plot summary
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Author
[edit]Chukwuebuka Ibeh was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, on 1 January 2000.[2] He is currently pursuing an MFA degree at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.[3] His writing, described by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as "so wonderfully observant...with a nostalgia for the past,"[4] has appeared in McSweeneys Quarterly Review,[5] The New England Review of Books, Dappled Things,[6] and Lolwe.[7] In 2019, he was named by Electric Literature as one of the "Most Promising New Voices of Nigerian Fiction."[8]
Development and publication
[edit]Viking Books announced its acquisition of Ibeh's in October 2022.[9] In May 2023, a year before the book's release, the film rights were sold to The Artists Partnership, a talent agency based in London.[10] In that same month, Ibeh gave a TEDx Talk entitled: "What Are African Values?" delivered at TEDxWUSTL in St Louis, Missouri.[11]
Reception
[edit]Blessings was positively received, including public recommendation from Zadie Smith.[12] The New York Times' Joshua Barone praised the novel's prose, describing it as "revelatory yet unresolved, simple yet polyphonic, hopeful yet full of heartbreak."[13] In a five-star review, The Telegraph called it "a smart literary attack on Nigeria’s anti-gay laws."[14] The Guardian described the novel as a "poignant tale of a talented and sensitive Nigerian boy, Obiefuna, who is caught by his conservative father in a clinch with another young man," ultimately deeming it "an emotive, affecting debut."[15] Buzz Magazine called it "a profound exploration of identity and acceptance."[16] Sunday Times called it "a moving debut about love and loneliness."[1]
In a slightly less enthusiastic review, Times Literary Supplement praised the book's "remarkably well-executed scenes," while saying it expected "a more compelling portrayal of the city and people of Port Harcourt."[2]
Blessings was longlisted for the 2024 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.[17] The book landed among Esquire's list of recommended books of 2024.[18] USA Today named it among the year's "best books by Black authors."[19]
References
[edit]- ^ "Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh: 9780385550642 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". Brittle Paper. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ Mamata, Bidisha (2024-03-03). "Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh review – when a clinch is a crime". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ "Chukwuebuka Ibeh's Forthcoming Novel Secures Film Agent and 4 International Book Deals". brittlepaper.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ "Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh". Brittle Paper - Farafina. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ "Mary, Queen of Angels 2021". McSweeney's. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "Mary, Queen of Angels 2021". Dappled Things. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ Lolwe; Troy (2020-05-18). "The Ache of Longing - Chukwuebuka Ibeh". Lolwe. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ Zimmerman, Jess (2019-07-11). "Meet the Most Promising New Voices of Nigerian Fiction". Electric Literature. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ "Viking scoops 'miraculous' début by Ibeh in exclusive submission". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ "Chukwuebuka Ibeh's Forthcoming Novel Secures Film Agent and 4 International Book Deals". brittlepaper.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ What Are African Values? | Chukwuebuka Ibeh | TEDxWUSTL, 26 May 2023, retrieved 2024-03-21
- ^ "The Debut Novel Zadie Smith Wants Everyone to Read: Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh". brittlepaper.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ Barone, Joshua (2024-06-04). "A Queer Coming-of-Age Tale, Set in a Brutal Anti-Gay World". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
- ^ Waters, Katherine (2024-02-07). "A smart literary attack on Nigeria's anti-gay laws". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ Mamata, Bidisha (2024-03-03). "Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh review – when a clinch is a crime". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ Buzz (2024-03-14). "BLESSINGS: a profound exploration of identity and acceptance". Buzz Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
- ^ Digital, Make (2024-04-30). "2024 Longlist". Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
- ^ "The Biggest Books Landing on Your Reading List in 2024". Esquire. 2024-05-01. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
- ^ Mangino, Samantha. "These are some of the best books by Black authors to read in 2024". Reviewed. Retrieved 2024-06-08.