Dr Nat Tanoh

Living in a town in a fictionalised African country, in many ways Saga is a typical eighteen-year-old: he enjoys music his mother (much to her children’s amusement!) calls “hop-hip”, is keen to learn about girls from his suave best friend Ibrahim, and likes to make sure that he always has access to a plentiful supply of food to maintain his already considerable physique – he had learnt early in life that there was much pleasure to be gained from eating, as is evident from the beginnings of a potbelly! He is the middle child of three and lives with his parents, both liberal professionals, in an affluent, protected neighbourhood. However, as he is to discover, this will offer no protection when he, his friends and his family are drawn into the increasingly brutal conflict in his country. Although he wants nothing more than to be allowed to live his life at leisure, and to dream of what he wants to do with his future, he realises that he and his friends must act, and stand up to the stand up to the murderous regime under which they are living if they are to have a safe future.
This is a wonderfully vibrant, highly entertaining and enjoyable story. Chubby Saga, an unlikely revolutionary, is a totally endearing and delightful character but the book is full of vibrant characters, and I missed their company when I turned the last page. The author manages to combine his powerful evocation of the horrors faced by people living under a brutal and oppressive political regime with vivid images of young people being prepared to stand up to injustice, even when this means putting themselves in danger. He captured the passionate sense of right and wrong, along with the desire for justice, which so many young people feel and demonstrated how, through adversity, people can gain strength and clarity. Saga, and his friends, show true bravery because their rebellious actions lead them into dangerous situations which threaten their very survival, but they recognise that they must act if they are to have any hope of a better future.
This is a story which is full of very vivid and disturbing images and the convincing authenticity of the descriptions must have its roots in the author’s own experiences of his childhood in Ghana, as well as his family’s exile in England, brought about by his parents’ opposition to a one-party state. The richness of his language conjured up the sights and sounds of Africa in a way which made me feel that I could shut my eyes and imagine myself there. Some equally vivid and enjoyable imagery focused on all the mouth-watering descriptions of food; I could almost smell the various dishes described – and I certainly wanted to sample them all!
Some of the themes which run through the book, such as repressive regimes, political instability, brutality, mindless violence, poverty, homelessness, oppressive bureaucracy, are ones which are not confined to Africa, making this a story which would be an ideal choice for reading groups.
I loved every moment of the time I spent in Saga’s company and am full of admiration for the author’s skill in infusing such a serious, at times heart-breaking, subject with such obvious affection, and light-hearted humour, without in any way diminishing the impact of the horrors faced by people living in brutal dictatorships – a truly remarkable achievement. It is a book whose thought-provoking impact will remain with me for a long time and I can imagine wanting to re-read it in the months to come. I urge you to read this beautifully written story and to grow to love Saga as much as I did – it will be an emotional roller-coaster of a journey, but worth the powerful combination of laughter, tears and outrage!
My thanks to Nudge for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)