“I Do Not Come to You by Chance” by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani (Nigeria)

Review

This book was one of the four selected titles for our Summer Reading Group 2010

This is a first novel by a young Nigerian author, which she sets in the infamous world of e-mail scammers known as the 4-1-9ers. Readers loved the book, with some even finding it laugh-out-loud funny, especially the second part. They warmed to the protagonist Kingsley who, despite his excellent education, finds himself obliged to work for his uncle, aka Cash Daddy, to help support his mother and siblings after his father dies. Readers found the characters that populate this world larger than life, with names such as Protocol Officer, World Bank and Wizard. They appreciated the insights into the people who fall for the scams (e.g. Mr Winterbottom) and they felt the author managed to treat serious issues in a non-moralistic and humorous way. It was voted Best Summer Read 2010.

Synopsis

Kingsley is fresh out of university, eager to find an engineering job so he can support his family and marry the girl of his dreams. Being the opara of the family, he is entitled to certain privileges – a piece of meat in his egusi soup, a party to celebrate his graduation. But times are hard in Nigeria and jobs are not easy to come by… Read more

Nicola’s Summer Reading list 2010

“The Last Bachelor” by Jay McInerney (U.S.)
“We Are All Made of Glue” by Marina Lewycka (Ukraine/U.K.)
“I Do Not Come to You by Chance” by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani (Nigeria)
“The Maid” by Yasutaka Tsutsui (Japan)

* Best Summer Read
In italics, Nicola’s Coup de Cœur