Through out generations-or better still,over a long period of time,somebody stretches peoples imagination beyond a point.Its so nourishing to see good records broken and made better.And who else does it better than this golden lady from Naija gifted with a trans-generational memory and a wild creative mind.I must admit that i am reading her novel for the first time-Half of a yellow sun-and i have not found such fertile imagination in the recent past.So far so good-i don't even expect her to disappoint me all the way to the last page.But then, if she is reading this article,then she has no option either but to better her best. Africa is on a wild search for identity.The winds are blowing from North to South looking for 'any good' that may be gathered together to move the continent to the next level.It doesn't mean that there are no other good writers in Africa.No.Nay,that's not what i mean.
Before her,there was Achebe.Ngugi wa Thiong'o has been there and done that too.All of these guys awed us with their words.Their styles and their impact has been indelible in our minds.But this is what i say-We must stretch that a little bit more.We must write,write and keep writing.In a hundred books,we will never fail to have one that trashes the chains,makes a breakaway from past limits and breaks new ground.
Before that has been done,let me continue reading half of a yellow sun...then Americana.
This is a new dawn.
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