English books from Africa
Recommended English books (825)
Travel the world without leaving your chair.
If you speak English here are some English books from Africa for the next part of the "Read Around The World Challenge".
231.
Happiness, Like Water by Chinelo Okparanta EN
NigeriaDescription:
A moving debut story collection centered on Nigerian women, as they build lives out of longing and hope, faith and doubt, the struggle to stay and the mandate to leave, and the burden and strength of love.
232.
Hard-Boiled Egg Index: Surviving Zimbabwe's Hyperinflation by Kudzai Gumunyu EN
ZimbabweDescription:
Hard-Boiled Egg Index is a true story on the struggles Kudzai Gumunyu and most Zimbabweans went through during the record- and heart-breaking hyper-inflationary period in Zimbabwe. Though saddening, the story is told in a humorous and vivid way detailing how Kudzai had to adjust to the effects of economic meltdown. Zimbabwe’s inflation rate reached a mind-boggling 89.7 sextillion percent by 2008 and US$1 was worth 3 nonillion Zimbabwean dollars had the Central Bank not debased the currency three times with twenty-five zeros. The ZWD100 trillion became the highest denomination on the planet. Be... continue
233.
Harvest of Skulls by Abdourahman A. Waberi EN
DjiboutiDescription:
In 1994, the akazu, Rwandan's political elite, planned the genocidal mass slaughter of 500,000 to 1,000,000 Tutsi and Hutu who lived in the country. Given the failure of the international community to acknowledge the genocide, in 1998, ten African authors visited Rwanda in a writing initiative that was an attempt to make partial amends. In this multidimensional novel, Abdourahman A. Waberi claims, "Language remains inadequate in accounting for the world and all its turpitudes, words can never be more than unstable crutches, staggering along . . . And yet, if we want to hold on to a glimmer of ... continue
234.
Harvest of Thorns by Shimmer Chinodya EN
Description:
The 1990 Commonwealth Writers Regional Prize voted Harvest of Thorns the winner in the Best Book category. Harvest of Thorns tells the story of Benjamin Tichafa who grows up in Rhodesia in the 1960s. From a conservative, religious family, but exposed to the heady ideas of the black nationalist movements, the young student is pulled in different directions. Isolated and troubled at boarding school, he is provoked into leaving, making his way to Mozambique, and joining the freedom fighters. There, in the crucible of a bitter civil war of liberation, the young man develops into manhood. Returning... continue
235.
Havoc : A Novel by Christopher Bollen EN
EgyptDescription:
"a fast-paced literary thriller for fans of The Bad Seed, set in a crumbling luxury hotel in Egypt, in which an elderly widow and an 8 year old boy find themselves rivals, locked in a gleefully criminal psychological game of cat-and-mouse"--
236.
Headscarves and Hymens : Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution by Mona Eltahawy EN
Description:
"Drawing on her years as a campaigner and commentator on women's issues in the Middle East, [Eltahawy] explains that since the Arab Spring began, women in the Arab world have had two revolutions to undertake: one fought with men against oppressive regimes, and another fought against an entire political and economic system that treats women in countries from Yemen and Saudi Arabia to Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya as second-class citizens ... Her book is a plea for outrage and action on their behalf, confronting the 'toxic mix of culture and religion that few seem willing or able to disentangle lest... continue
237.
Heart of Fire by Senait Mehari EN
EritreaDescription:
An unwanted baby, her mother packs her inside a suitcase, closes the lid, puts the suitcase in a cupboard and goes away. Despite all the tortures and cruelties, this is a moving testimony of a woman who started from the very bottom of society but who is aiming for the very top.
238.
Hiding in Plain Sight by Nuruddin Farah EN
SomaliaDescription:
From 'the most important African novelist to emerge in the past twenty-five years' (New York Review of Books) comes a novel set in Somalia and Kenya about family, freedom and loyalty When Bella, an internationally known fashion photographer, dazzling and aloof, is forced to return to Nairobi to care for her teenage niece and nephew, she feels an unfamiliar surge of protectiveness and responsibility. But when their mother unexpectedly resurfaces, reasserting her maternal rights and bringing with her a gale of chaos and confusion that mirrors the deepening political instability in the region, Be... continue
239.
His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie EN
LiberiaDescription:
A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR A Must-Read Novel: The New York Times Book Review * BuzzFeed * Time * Marie Claire * Parade * Travel + Leisure * Ms. * Bustle * The Millions * Book Riot * PopSugar * HelloGiggles * Kirkus Reviews* Good Morning America “[A] mesmerizing debut novel.” —The New York Times Book Review “A story that kept me tied to the page, told in masterful, seamless prose.” —BuzzFeed “I love this book so much I turned the pages so fast . . . It’s all about the search for independence and being true to yourself and who yo... continue
240.
Historical Dictionary of Benin by Mathurin C. Houngnikpo, Samuel Decalo EN
BeninDescription:
Benin is now perceived of as a model of democracy in Africa because it has successfully established a democratic political system based on consensus and regular and fair elections, and it continues to improve its electoral and parliamentary systems. Since its democracy it has taken important steps towards laying the foundation for the rule of law by establishing stable political institutions that can withstand the test of time. It has also engaged in an important legal, institutional, and regulatory reform to establish a more favorable environment for private initiative. The fourth edition of ... continue