The Five Sorrowful Mysteries of Andy Africa

A Nigerian Christian struggles to make sense of his loyalties amid the growing rumble of violence in Buoro’s energetic debut. Andy Aziza, 15, lives in a mixed-faith city in northern Nigeria with his single mother. When he is not badgering his mother to reveal the identity of his father or debating mathematical theorems and “Anifuturism”—an ideology that fuses animism and Afrofuturism—he lusts over white girls. As Andy grows close with Eileen, the white niece of a missionary, he is both smitten and stung. When she effusively compliments his poetry, he wonders “why’s she so surprised to find such poetry here—does she think we ain’t that good?” Eventually, he becomes disillusioned with Africa, but not before alienating a longtime friend. As the political situation worsens, Andy falls victim to what he calls the continent’s “Curse”: he’s arrested on trumped-up terrorism charges and only released because his uncle is connected, leaving him feeling rootless and wanting to leave the continent. Buoro is a creative if not quite mature storyteller; his ideas on Afrofuturism are inspired, but there are too many pages devoted to gratuitous sex scenes with Andy and Eileen. Nonetheless, this bold, spirited tale deserves attention. (Apr.)