This book is a wild ride through the underside of Lagos, the one-time capital of Nigeria, with vaguely interconnected stories told through a number of shifting characters who are themselves seen through the 'eye' of the city and its spirit, Eko.
The context for the action is the 2014 Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act - an appalling piece of legislation in the 21st-century that prohibits a whole range of behaviours which would be quite normal in any other major city. Driving these 'non-normal' relationships underground is additionally bizarre in Nigeria with its long history of criminal gangs, corrupt politicians and financial fraud at every level of society. Worse still, 'normal' heterosexual, married relationships in the country are frequently anything but normal being rooted in misogyny, brutality and sometimes witchcraft. It's not a good place to be a woman and not much better if you are a man.
So, the characters in this novel live concealed lives or flourish in safe corners of the underground and, here, the city helps them with a kind of sliding version of reality, aided and abetted by spirits, curses and whatever, then additionally fuelled by drugs and alcohol.
The stories are loosely connected and were originally published at different times but this is much more than just a collection of short stories and it draws you in to the lives of the characters. The description is vivid, colourful and crackling with spirit.
Some of the characters stay with you, including Johnny who learns, literally, to keep his mouth shut and finally closes it forever. There is also Wura Blackson, dressmaker and confidante of the rich and famous.
It's an entertaining novel and optimistic in terms of the capacity of the human spirit not just to survive but to thrive in times of oppression.
(Vagabonds is published by 4th Estate. Thanks to the publishers and to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for a fair review.)
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