Ibeh, Chukwuebuka: Blessings

When Obiefuna's father witnesses an intimate moment between his teenage son and the family's apprentice, newly arrived from the nearby village, he banishes Obiefuna to a Christian boarding school marked by strict hierarchy and routine, devastating violence. Utterly alienated from the people he loves, Obiefuna begins a journey of self-discovery and blossoming desire, while his mother Uzoamaka grapples to hold onto her favourite son, her truest friend.

Interweaving the perspectives of Obiefuna and his mother Uzoamaka, as they reach towards a future that will hold them both, BLESSINGS is an elegant and exquisitely moving story of love and loneliness. Asking how we can live freely when politics reaches into our hearts and lives, as well as deep into our consciousness, it is a stunning, searing debut.

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING PRIZE

A sublime coming-of-age tale? an extraordinarily composed and deeply felt debut - Guardian

An excellent debut novel - John Boyne

A moving debut about love and loneliness - Sunday Times

Wonderful, vivid - Patrick Gale