Blessings

Ibeh’s searing debut, a coming-of-age story set in Nigeria, follows Obiefuna and his mother, Uzoamaka, who peel back layers of silence with narratives focused on gender and sexuality, politics, and family. When Obiefuna’s volatile father, Anozie, finds him in the arms of another boy, he banishes him to a Christian boarding school. There, Obiefuna keeps his sexuality a secret rather than fall prey to other boys; after graduation, he finds a more lasting love just as Nigeria’s Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2014 is enacted. Listeners will also learn about Uzoamaka’s past and her unconditional love for her son. The story follows Obiefuna into adulthood as he finds a home with a “chosen” family and his partner, Miebi. British Nigerian narrators Fejiro Emasiobi and Tariye Peterside narrate, with primary narrator Emasiobi expressively capturing Obiefuna’s growth from a curious yet bewildered youth to a young man who comes into his own. Peterside’s narration of Uzoamaka resonates with warmth and compassion.