Onyeka Nwelue Bücher

Osas is a young and impressionable Nigerian painter, who escapes poverty and hardship in Benin City, into the chaotic and crime-ridden belly of Johannesburg, through the help of a travel agent. But to survive, he must live a life of adventure and spontaneity and criminality.

Exploring themes of identity and belonging, this heartfelt narrative delves into the experiences of individuals navigating life in a diaspora. Through personal letters, the author shares poignant reflections on cultural heritage, family ties, and the struggles of adapting to new environments. The book highlights the emotional bonds that connect siblings across distances, emphasizing the resilience of the human spirit amidst the challenges of displacement. It serves as a touching reminder of the enduring connections that transcend borders and time.

Set against the backdrop of a devastating earthquake in Haiti, the story follows Jean Claude, a young boy who is left orphaned after losing his parents. As he navigates the aftermath of the disaster, he embarks on a journey of survival and self-discovery, grappling with grief and the challenges of rebuilding his life. The narrative explores themes of resilience, hope, and the enduring spirit of community in the face of tragedy.

The story explores the challenges faced by Rajaswamy Rajagopalan and his Nigerian wife, Eunice, as their nine-year marriage is threatened by their son David's mysterious illness and the backdrop of mass deportations of Indians from Nigeria. David's dream journeys with an albino dwarf, Nfanfa, add a surreal layer to their struggles. The narrative delves into the clash of cultures and faiths as both families strive to maintain their bond amidst adversity, highlighting themes of love, identity, and resilience.

Nollywood actor, Uche Mbadiegwu leaves his Surulere neighborhood in Lagos, to Bandra in Mumbai to join Bollywood, so he could make it big, hoping to play exceptional roles. Like a flash, Periwinkle appears in his life and changes everything. Tired of living in a pigsty, Efemena want to live a life of independence, but there is more to being a Nigerian in Mumbai - a constant escape from the Indian police and narcotics agents. This novel is a tale of violence, drugs, human trafficking, murder and sex.

"Let us start from the beginning of this story when God created the heaven and the earth. Shapeless earth; nothing was real. It looked deep, like a well without water. Everything seemed ordinary. Its extraordinariness was brought about by the omnipotence of God. God solidified everything." So, begin the opening lines of Onyeka Nwelue's Lemon Grass, where a young patient at the Neuro-Psychiatry Hospital in Yaba, Lagos, tells other patients his story, of how he had travelled from the Biblical Sodom to Lagos. It is a retelling of the Biblical creation story. But the story soon jumps, to the occasion of Lot, his wife and his daughters. Only that the narrator's story is an escapee of the inferno. He is in the police cell when he is rescued by a Catholic priest, Father Ajayi, who takes him to Rome. In Rome, the narrator goes to confession and narrates what life is like living with Father Ajayi. He confesses to witnessing paedophilia and suffering a whole range of sexual abuse under father Ajayi and his mistress, the Irish nun named Sister Mary. Set inside the ward at Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Yaba, situated in Lagos, a young nameless narrator unravels a chilling tale of beauty, sexuality, abuse and mystery.