The "superb and tragic" Booker Prize finalist about a Nigerian poultry farmer who sacrifices everything to win the woman he loves, by the author of The Fishermen ( Boston Globe* ) Set on the outskirts of Umuahia, Nigeria and narrated by a chi,* or guardian spirit, AN ORCHESTRA OF MINORITIES tells the story of Chinonso, a young poultry farmer whose soul is ignited when he sees a woman attempting to jump from a highway bridge. Horrified by her recklessness, Chinonso joins her on the roadside and hurls two of his prized chickens into the water below to express the severity of such a fall. The woman, Ndali, is stopped her in her tracks.
Bonded by this night on the bridge, Chinonso and Ndali fall in love. But Ndali is from a wealthy family and struggles to imagine a future near a chicken coop. When her family objects to the union because he is uneducated, Chinonso sells most of his possessions to attend a college in Cyprus. But when he arrives he discovers there is no place at the school for him, and that he has been utterly duped by the young Nigerian who has made the arrangements.. Penniless, homeless, and furious at a world which continues to relegate him to the sidelines, Chinonso gets further away from his dream, from Ndali and the farm he called home.
Spanning continents, traversing the earth and cosmic spaces, and told by a narrator who has lived for hundreds of years, the novel is a contemporary twist of Homer's Odyssey. Written in the mythic style of the Igbo literary tradition, Chigozie Obioma weaves a heart-wrenching epic about destiny and determination. **
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of January 2019: In 2015, Nigerian writer Chigozie Obioma’s debut, The Fisherman , was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize and announced the arrival of a talented new author. There is no drop-off in his sophomore effort, An Orchestra of Minorities , about a young farmer who, having fallen in love with a woman from a wealthy family, risks everything to prove his worth. As he did in his first novel, Obioma merges African and western storytelling traditions—in this case, the tale is narrated by the young man’s chi, or guardian spirit, and the story is patterned after The Odyssey —to create a dramatic, character-based novel. Readers will become immersed in his main character Chinonso’s journey, but it will leave them thinking about bigger themes as well—like the balance between self-determination and fate (or luck); and about the capacity for some to take advantage of others, and how that sort of mistreatment gets paid forward. --Chris Schluep, Amazon Book Review
Review
Named a 'Most Anticipated Book of 2019' by EntertainmentWeekly , Vanity Fair , Hello Giggles, PureWow,Literary Hub, and *Fast Company Named one of '* 11 Writers to Watch in 2019' by the Los Angeles Times " Gorgeously written , with a twist of magicalrealism and a heavy dose of sad reality, this is your big novel of thewinter. " Washington Post**
" Transcendent . . . Chigozie Obioma's secondnovel is a rare treasure: a book that deepens the mystery of the humanexperience." *Seattle Times*
"A tale of mythic nature and epic scale at timesrecalling Homer's Odyssey -a sweeping story about destiny and thepower of choice." *Vanity Fair*
"Destined to become a classic."*Hello Giggles*
"A multicultural fable that heralds a new master ofmagical realism. . . . It's a special writer who can take the familiar tropesfound within AN ORCHESTRA OF MINORITIES * and infuse them with new life,transforming them into something exciting and unexpected. Happily, Obioma isexactly such an author." *" Bookpage, starred review
"A deeply original book that will have readers laughing at, angry with, and feeling compassion for a determined hero who endeavors to create his own destiny". Kirkus, starred review
"Obioma overwhelms readers with a visceral sense ofChinonso's humanity, his love, his rage, and his despair as he strugglesbetween fate and self-determination." * " Library Journal,* starred review
"Obiomaalchemizes his contemporary love story into a mythic quest enhanced by Igbocosmology. . . . Magnificently multilayered, Obioma's sophomore title proves tobe an Odyssean achievement." Booklist , starred reviews
"Unforgettable second novel . . . Obioma's novel iselectrifying, a meticulously crafted character drama told with emotionalintensity. His invention, combining Igbo folklore and Greek tragedy in thecontext of modern Nigeria, makes for a rich, enchanting experience." Publishers Weekly, starred review
"An ambitious and immersive tale about love andsacrifice, told by an ancient spirit. A bold new novel from an exciting youngwriter." Brit Bennett, New York Times bestselling author of *The Mothers*
"ChigozieObioma is a gifted and original storyteller. His masterful new novel AnOrchestra of Minorities is remarkable for its exploration of universalconcepts to do with destiny, free will and luck." Jennifer Clement, author of Gun Love and President of PENInternational
"ChigozieObioma is an audacious and ambitious writer, and quite adept at binding thereader to the irresistible spells he casts. An Orchestra ofMinorities is a magisterial accomplishment by any measure, andparticularly impressive for the way Obioma orchestrates a tableau in whichhumans and spirits must interact in a complex, emotionally rich-veined story.Few writers can match Obioma's astonishing range, his deft facility for weavinga mesmeric and triumphant fictive canvas in which-reminiscent of the ancientmasters-a cohort of gods presides over and negotiates the fates of humans." Okey Ndibe, author of *Foreign Gods, Inc.*
"ChigozieObioma pens a deeply empathetic, complex, and gut-wrenchingly human narrativethat captures the heart and soul. An Orchestra of Minorities stays withyou. With remarkable style and compelling language, he explores what it meansto experience blinding love and devastating loss. A truly gifted writer, Obiomahas proven yet again, that he's a literary treasure." Nicole Dennis-Benn, award-winning author of *Here Comes the Sun*
"Obioma's novelremains interesting and important" *Minneapolis Star Tribune*
Description:
The "superb and tragic" Booker Prize finalist about a Nigerian poultry farmer who sacrifices everything to win the woman he loves, by the author of The Fishermen ( Boston Globe* )
Set on the outskirts of Umuahia, Nigeria and narrated by a chi,* or guardian spirit, AN ORCHESTRA OF MINORITIES tells the story of Chinonso, a young poultry farmer whose soul is ignited when he sees a woman attempting to jump from a highway bridge. Horrified by her recklessness, Chinonso joins her on the roadside and hurls two of his prized chickens into the water below to express the severity of such a fall. The woman, Ndali, is stopped her in her tracks.
Bonded by this night on the bridge, Chinonso and Ndali fall in love. But Ndali is from a wealthy family and struggles to imagine a future near a chicken coop. When her family objects to the union because he is uneducated, Chinonso sells most of his possessions to attend a college in Cyprus. But when he arrives he discovers there is no place at the school for him, and that he has been utterly duped by the young Nigerian who has made the arrangements.. Penniless, homeless, and furious at a world which continues to relegate him to the sidelines, Chinonso gets further away from his dream, from Ndali and the farm he called home.
Spanning continents, traversing the earth and cosmic spaces, and told by a narrator who has lived for hundreds of years, the novel is a contemporary twist of Homer's Odyssey. Written in the mythic style of the Igbo literary tradition, Chigozie Obioma weaves a heart-wrenching epic about destiny and determination. **
Amazon.com Review
An Amazon Best Book of January 2019: In 2015, Nigerian writer Chigozie Obioma’s debut, The Fisherman , was short-listed for the Man Booker Prize and announced the arrival of a talented new author. There is no drop-off in his sophomore effort, An Orchestra of Minorities , about a young farmer who, having fallen in love with a woman from a wealthy family, risks everything to prove his worth. As he did in his first novel, Obioma merges African and western storytelling traditions—in this case, the tale is narrated by the young man’s chi, or guardian spirit, and the story is patterned after The Odyssey —to create a dramatic, character-based novel. Readers will become immersed in his main character Chinonso’s journey, but it will leave them thinking about bigger themes as well—like the balance between self-determination and fate (or luck); and about the capacity for some to take advantage of others, and how that sort of mistreatment gets paid forward. --Chris Schluep, Amazon Book Review
Review
Named a 'Most Anticipated Book of 2019' by EntertainmentWeekly , Vanity Fair , Hello Giggles, PureWow,Literary Hub, and *Fast Company Named one of '* 11 Writers to Watch in 2019' by the Los Angeles Times " Gorgeously written , with a twist of magicalrealism and a heavy dose of sad reality, this is your big novel of thewinter. " Washington Post**
" Transcendent . . . Chigozie Obioma's secondnovel is a rare treasure: a book that deepens the mystery of the humanexperience." *Seattle Times*
"A tale of mythic nature and epic scale at timesrecalling Homer's Odyssey -a sweeping story about destiny and thepower of choice." *Vanity Fair*
"Destined to become a classic." *Hello Giggles*
"A multicultural fable that heralds a new master ofmagical realism. . . . It's a special writer who can take the familiar tropesfound within AN ORCHESTRA OF MINORITIES * and infuse them with new life,transforming them into something exciting and unexpected. Happily, Obioma isexactly such an author." *" Bookpage, starred review
"A deeply original book that will have readers laughing at, angry with, and feeling compassion for a determined hero who endeavors to create his own destiny". Kirkus, starred review
"Obioma overwhelms readers with a visceral sense ofChinonso's humanity, his love, his rage, and his despair as he strugglesbetween fate and self-determination." * " Library Journal,* starred review
"Obiomaalchemizes his contemporary love story into a mythic quest enhanced by Igbocosmology. . . . Magnificently multilayered, Obioma's sophomore title proves tobe an Odyssean achievement." Booklist , starred reviews
"Unforgettable second novel . . . Obioma's novel iselectrifying, a meticulously crafted character drama told with emotionalintensity. His invention, combining Igbo folklore and Greek tragedy in thecontext of modern Nigeria, makes for a rich, enchanting experience."
Publishers Weekly, starred review
"An ambitious and immersive tale about love andsacrifice, told by an ancient spirit. A bold new novel from an exciting youngwriter." Brit Bennett, New York Times bestselling author of *The Mothers*
"ChigozieObioma is a gifted and original storyteller. His masterful new novel AnOrchestra of Minorities is remarkable for its exploration of universalconcepts to do with destiny, free will and luck." Jennifer Clement, author of Gun Love and President of PENInternational
"ChigozieObioma is an audacious and ambitious writer, and quite adept at binding thereader to the irresistible spells he casts. An Orchestra ofMinorities is a magisterial accomplishment by any measure, andparticularly impressive for the way Obioma orchestrates a tableau in whichhumans and spirits must interact in a complex, emotionally rich-veined story.Few writers can match Obioma's astonishing range, his deft facility for weavinga mesmeric and triumphant fictive canvas in which-reminiscent of the ancientmasters-a cohort of gods presides over and negotiates the fates of humans." Okey Ndibe, author of *Foreign Gods, Inc.*
"ChigozieObioma pens a deeply empathetic, complex, and gut-wrenchingly human narrativethat captures the heart and soul. An Orchestra of Minorities stays withyou. With remarkable style and compelling language, he explores what it meansto experience blinding love and devastating loss. A truly gifted writer, Obiomahas proven yet again, that he's a literary treasure." Nicole Dennis-Benn, award-winning author of *Here Comes the Sun*
"Obioma's novelremains interesting and important" *Minneapolis Star Tribune*