Things They Lost

Things They Lost
Okwiri Oduor
RRP:
NZ$ 42.99
Our Price:
NZ$ 34.39
Hardback
h234 x 153mm - 368pg
14 Apr 2022 UK
International import eta 7-19 days
9780861543878
Out Of Stock
Currently no stock in-store, stock is sourced to your order

Click to view other formats:
9780861544912 UK Paperback $19.99

Ayosa is a wandering spirit - joyous, exuberant, filled to the brim with longing. Her only companions in the Kenyan town she calls home are as lonely as Ayosa herself: the ghostly Fatumas, the sullen milkman and Sindano, the owner of a cafe that no one ever visits. But a curse hangs over the women in Ayosa' s family, a curse which has blighted the life of her mother, Nabumbo Promise. When her new friend Mbui offers her an alternative life, one that would involve leaving Nabumbo Promise behind, Ayosa must decide how much she owes her fearsome, mercurial mama. Set at the intersection of the spirit world and the human one, suffused with Kenyan folklore and myth, Things They Lost is an unforgettable novel about mothers and daughters, about ghostly longing and about love at its most intoxicating and dangerous, from a standout new literary voice.
' A wondrous newborn - mewling, dewy, twinkling, gurgling a tale steeped in the acrid surrealism of childhood, populated by wicked wraiths and held together by the vicious spell mothers can cast on their daughters. ' * Leila Aboulela, author of Bird Summons * ' A narrative so profound, its humour shining so bright, that you' d think the author had written hundreds of books to have mastered the art of perpetual storytelling. A stunning debut!' -- Onyeka Nwelue, author of The Strangers of Braamfontein ' From the start, Oduor - a winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing, among other honours - broadcasts her tremendous talents. . . Come for the beguiling narrative, and stay for the rich, evocative language. ' -- Vulture ' A coming-of-age tale that deftly refuses to play magic realism straight, Okwiri Oduor' s Things they Lost blends the phantasmagoria of Tutuola' s The Palm-Wine Drinkard with the deadpan, wry humour of Bolano. A welcome new Kenyan voice. ' -- Olufemi Terry, author of Stickfighting Days ' Otherworldly, unconventional, delectably surreal. One of the most magical and exhilarating introductions to a main character. Okwiri has taken language, sculpted something new and splendid out of it to deliver to the world. An array of some of the most memorable ' in-between-worlds' characters enter the literary world from Mapeli Town with aplomb. What a debut! What a gift!' -- Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor, author of The Dragonfly Sea
Okwiri Oduor was born in Nairobi, Kenya. At age 25, she won the Caine Prize for African Writing 2014 for her story "My Father' s Head. " Later that year, she was named on the Hay Festival' s Africa39 list of 39 African writers under 40 who would define trends in African literature. Her novella The Dream Chasers was highly commended in the Commonwealth Book Prize 2012. She has been a MacDowell Colony fellow, and she received her MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. She has a story forthcoming in Granta.
Status: Active
ISBN-13: 9780861543878
Published: 14 Apr 2022
Published In: United Kingdom
Imprint: Oneworld Publications
Publisher: Oneworld Publications
Format: Hardback
Height: 234mm
Width: 153mm
Pages: 368

In stock - for items in stock we aim to dispatch the next business day. For delivery in NZ allow 2-5 business days, with rural taking a wee bit longer.

Locally sourced in NZ - stock comes from a NZ supplier with an approximate delivery of 7-15 business days.

International Imports - stock is imported into NZ, depending on air or sea shipping option from the international supplier stock can take 10-30 working days to arrive into NZ. 

Pre-order Titles - delivery will vary depending on where the title is published, if local stock is available in NZ then 5-7 business days, for international imports it can be 10-30 business days. In all cases we will access the quickest supply option.

Delivery Packaging - we ship all items in cardboard sleeves or by box with either packing paper or corn starch chips. (We avoid using plastics bubble bags)

Tracking - Orders are delivered by track and trace courier and are fully insured, tracking information will be sent by email once dispatched.

View our full Order & Delivery information

Details of the product above will be automatically included with your enquiry.