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Blessings (novel)

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Blessings
AuthorChukwuebuka Ibeh
PublisherViking Books
Publication date
June 4, 2024
ISBN9780735248052

Blessings is a 2024 novel by the Nigerian author Chukwuebuka Ibeh. It was published by Penguin Random House's Viking Books imprint in 2024.[1]

Plot summary[edit]

Author[edit]

Chukwuebuka Ibeh was born in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, on 1 January 2000.[2] He is currently pursuing an MFA degree at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.[3] His writing, described by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie as "so wonderfully observant...with a nostalgia for the past,"[4] has appeared in McSweeneys Quarterly Review,[5] The New England Review of Books, Dappled Things,[6] and Lolwe.[7] In 2019, he was named by Electric Literature as one of the "Most Promising New Voices of Nigerian Fiction."[8]

Development and publication[edit]

Viking Books announced its acquisition of Ibeh's in October 2022.[9] In May 2023, a year before the book's release, the film rights were sold to The Artists Partnership, a talent agency based in London.[10] In that same month, Ibeh gave a TEDx Talk entitled: "What Are African Values?" delivered at TEDxWUSTL in St Louis, Missouri.[11]

Reception[edit]

Blessings was positively received, including public recommendation from Zadie Smith.[12] The New York Times' Joshua Barone praised the novel's prose, describing it as "revelatory yet unresolved, simple yet polyphonic, hopeful yet full of heartbreak."[13] In a five-star review, The Telegraph called it "a smart literary attack on Nigeria’s anti-gay laws."[14] The Guardian described the novel as a "poignant tale of a talented and sensitive Nigerian boy, Obiefuna, who is caught by his conservative father in a clinch with another young man," ultimately deeming it "an emotive, affecting debut."[15] Buzz Magazine called it "a profound exploration of identity and acceptance."[16] Sunday Times called it "a moving debut about love and loneliness."[1]

In a slightly less enthusiastic review, Times Literary Supplement praised the book's "remarkably well-executed scenes," while saying it expected "a more compelling portrayal of the city and people of Port Harcourt."[2]

Blessings was longlisted for the 2024 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize.[17] The book landed among Esquire's list of recommended books of 2024.[18] USA Today named it among the year's "best books by Black authors."[19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh: 9780385550642 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books". Brittle Paper. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  2. ^ Mamata, Bidisha (2024-03-03). "Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh review – when a clinch is a crime". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  3. ^ "Chukwuebuka Ibeh's Forthcoming Novel Secures Film Agent and 4 International Book Deals". brittlepaper.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  4. ^ "Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh". Brittle Paper - Farafina. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  5. ^ "Mary, Queen of Angels 2021". McSweeney's. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  6. ^ "Mary, Queen of Angels 2021". Dappled Things. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  7. ^ Lolwe; Troy (2020-05-18). "The Ache of Longing - Chukwuebuka Ibeh". Lolwe. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  8. ^ Zimmerman, Jess (2019-07-11). "Meet the Most Promising New Voices of Nigerian Fiction". Electric Literature. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  9. ^ "Viking scoops 'miraculous' début by Ibeh in exclusive submission". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  10. ^ "Chukwuebuka Ibeh's Forthcoming Novel Secures Film Agent and 4 International Book Deals". brittlepaper.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  11. ^ What Are African Values? | Chukwuebuka Ibeh | TEDxWUSTL, 26 May 2023, retrieved 2024-03-21
  12. ^ "The Debut Novel Zadie Smith Wants Everyone to Read: Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh". brittlepaper.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  13. ^ Barone, Joshua (2024-06-04). "A Queer Coming-of-Age Tale, Set in a Brutal Anti-Gay World". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  14. ^ Waters, Katherine (2024-02-07). "A smart literary attack on Nigeria's anti-gay laws". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  15. ^ Mamata, Bidisha (2024-03-03). "Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh review – when a clinch is a crime". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  16. ^ Buzz (2024-03-14). "BLESSINGS: a profound exploration of identity and acceptance". Buzz Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  17. ^ Digital, Make (2024-04-30). "2024 Longlist". Wilbur & Niso Smith Foundation. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  18. ^ "The Biggest Books Landing on Your Reading List in 2024". Esquire. 2024-05-01. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
  19. ^ Mangino, Samantha. "These are some of the best books by Black authors to read in 2024". Reviewed. Retrieved 2024-06-08.
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