JAGUA NANA. By Cyprian Ekwensi

Few major works of fiction anchored on professional prostitutes/prostitution exist in African literature. Chika Unigbe’s On Black sisters’ street is already something of a classic, and some years ago SA's Futhi Ntshingila published Shameless. But Ekwensi published his own work well over 50 books, a book which acquired a measure of notoriety when it was well known and well distributed. Jagua Nana is actually a very well written book, as Ekwensi was an acknowledged dexterous story-teller even if some self-styled critics tended to undermine him. Here he presents a magnificent picture of a veritable, shameless, calculating and ruthless African prostitute. Jagua has sunk low - well below the nether rungs of degeneracy, and she lives within her own rules. A cardinal rule for her is to regard sex as an easy route to quick money, and the richer the clients the better; especially "white" clientelle who apparently hold the keys to lots of money. And local "big men" politicians too. She sleeps and milks them all, but still has an eye on her own marital and romantic future - she fastens her claws on young promising Freddie. It does not matter that he is like 20 years younger than she is. There are plenty of events, twists and turns, most of it prurient, but what does it matter? Jagua has set out her stall, and prostitution for her is life. Even when she is forced back to the rural areas (village) where she continues providing sex for men, including pertinent aristocracy. At last even at her age, she gets pregnant! Does it matter that she would not know the biological father of the child? Sadly (perhaps) she loses the child; but at least by a stroke of great fortune, she finds out that she has a fantastic unexpected horde of money, and of course she has no qualms helping herself to it. She can now become a very important merchant of sorts, and de-emphasize selling her aging body all over the place. We hope so anyway!

-         - Malome Eric

MURDER IS EASY. By Agatha Christie

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This is another brilliantly plotted story by the author, and we as readers are misled for quite a long time. The convincing portrayal of a sensitive man, feeling some higher force is exacting retribution and revenge for him in excellently done, as the murders pile up. On my own part as a young man I actually knew someone like this, who seemed to rejoice in tragedies befalling others "He/she wronged me and is now being punished...that's the way it should be," this guy would say even then, making him look guilty or responsible for bad things happening to others. Hence Christie I think is psychologically spot-on here; and

THE MARRIAGE OF ANANSEWA. By Efua T. Sutherland

Efua T Sutherland - a revered figure in Ghanaian and African literature; one of the early pioneers; a great dramatist and visionary. She did so much for Ghanaian theatre and inspired so many others along the line. She wrote a number of books in her lifetime, mainly drama and works for children. This book, Marriage of Anansewa used to be a prescribed work in west African schools, and rightly so. It is a drama of great richness rather weaved around the legend and symbolism of "ananse" in the Akan prism. On a simplistic level, this play concerns the suitors of a fetching young lady; who deserves her most? How does her apparent premature, heart-rending death resonate all around? But it is much more than this. Sutherland adroitly introduces us to the richness of the pertinent culture with the complement of wise saws, proverbs, songs and witticisms. In the end the reader's appetite is not only whetted but exhilaratingly satisfied. This play, published long ago, showcases Ma Sutherland at her best.
- Eric Malome

DOWN SECOND AVENUE. By Es'kia Mphahlele

Reading this book, an early classic of African literature, it seems unbelievable that the author could have somehow gone on to become not only one of the finest writers in Africa, but in the whole world. Mphahlele's childhood is rocked by poverty (and SA's political, economic, social discrimination against blacks) but this does not stop him from learning to read and write relatively very early, and compulsively going through (reading) as many books as he can "devour" no matter how decrepit their condition. There can be no doubt whatsover that he was born to write and excel in intellectualism and "African humanism". Still in his 20s, despite all strictures, he publishes a first book, Man Must Live. Evidence that for him, writing is life, is clear from the fact that he not only keeps and comments on all those early varying reviews of the book, but he exults in them. The literary perfectionist and critic in the author is obvious again when he somewhat criticizes his stint at the renowned Drum magazine, not happy with some of the editorial policies of the magazine. As this book shows, Mphahlele is the utmost stylist and writer. One might have expected him to be unduly tedious or boring, but he can be pretty humorous and unorthodox; for example when he ironically chides a supercilious white woman at the time who loved referring to him (a full-fledged adult with a family) as "boy". The author says to her: "What makes you think I am a boy, and not a girl?" !! - H Ozogula

HEAD ABOVE WATER. By Buchi Emecheta

The author, Emecheta, who died last week, was certainly one of Africa's all time great creative female writers, alongside the likes of Ama Ata Aidoo, Flora Nwapa, Bessie Head, and Sindiwe Magona. But many would reckon Emecheta as the greatest since her output was astonishing, well over ten world class novels. Ironically Head above water is auto-biographical, revealing many aspects of this astonishing woman, how she triumphed against all odds. We can see that she is a personality with so much belief in herself, great endurance and fortitude, doing everything to single-handedly take care of all her children after landing in London. She has her own principles and ideas and can be termed a "powerful" woman, certainly her achievements attest to this. She just goes on and on, spreading her wings, even adding drama to her literary corpus, etc - all with a strong determination. Yet her great talent should never be underestimated, she was a born writer and proved it over the decades. In this book for example, she has a disagreement with her daughter, who promptly announces that she would be going to stay with her (estranged) father! This shocks her mother very much; yet this galvanises her to swiftly write a wonderful novel titled The joys of motherhood - about a long suffering mother! This episode demonstrates how much of a creative, skillful writer the author is, creating another enduring work spurred by what was a painful episode in her personal life. This is a very powerful autobiography.
- Review by Henry Ozogula