Ten African Novels You Should Know

Some of the best stories from the motherland.

Things Fall Apart — Chinua Achebe - This classic novel by acclaimed Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe explores the clash between traditional African culture and European colonialism through the life of farmer and local wrestling legend, Okonkwo.(Photo: Heinemann Publishing)
The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born — Ayi Kwei Armah - This fictional commentary on corruption is centered on the life of an unnamed Ghanaian rail worker who is pressured to accept bribes and indulge in other corrupt activities for the material gain of his family.(Photo: Heinemann Publishing)
Maru — Bessie Head - Set in a rural villiage in Botswana, Maru tells the story of a young woman who confronts discrimination and falls in love when she accepts a job as a teacher in the village where members of her ethnic group are looked down upon.  (Photo: Heinemann Publishing)Weep Not Child — Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o - Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o's debut novel was the first by an East African author to be published in English.Weep Not Child follows two brothers who must make difficult decisions about their lives and loyalties against the backdrop of Kenya's violent struggle for independence from British colonialists.(Photo: Penguin Books)

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Where Are They Now: The Cast of In Living Color

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Things Fall Apart — Chinua Achebe - This classic novel by acclaimed Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe explores the clash between traditional African culture and European colonialism through the life of farmer and local wrestling legend, Okonkwo.(Photo: Heinemann Publishing)

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