Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for gifting me a digital ARC of the new novel by Imbolo Mbue - 4 stars! If you were a fan of Mbue's debut novel, Behold the Dreamers, you'll love this one too.
A small African village is being poisoned by the actions of an American oil company mining for oil on their land. The rivers are now polluted, crops and fields destroyed, dangerous gas in the air. Babies and children are dying and no one outside the village seems to care. This is the story of how the village tried to fight back and restore their land for themselves and the future generations.
Told through multiple points of view from one family as well as children in the village, we learn of the customs, spiritual beliefs and workings of their family life. This is a devastating look at the harm companies and governments can inflict for the sake of the Almighty dollar.
Mbue's writing is beautiful once again but, as with her first book, I struggled a bit to feel fully engaged with these characters. I loved the story being told their different eyes but the timelines were sometimes a bit confusing. Not an easy read but definitely eye-opening and beautifully told. Haunting cover.
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