Voice of America by E. C. Osondu

Set in Nigeria and America, Voice of America moves from boys and girls in villages and refugee camps to the disillusionment and confusion of young married couples living in America, and back to bustling Lagos. It is the story of two countries and the frayed bonds between them. In ‘Waiting’, two young refugees make their way through another day, fighting for meals and hoping for a miracle that will carry them out of the camp; in ‘A Simple Case’, the boyfriend of a prostitute gets rounded up by the local police and must charm his fellow prisoners for protection and survival; and in ‘Miracle Baby’, the trials of pregnancy and mothers-in-law are laid bare in a woman’s return to her homeland. Written with exhilarating energy and warmth, the stories in Voice of America are full of humour, pathos and wisdom, marking the debut of an immensely talented new voice.

E. C. Osondu was born in Nigeria. His writing has appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, Fiction, Vice and the New Statesman, among other publications. He won the 2009 Caine Prize for African Writing and holds an MFA from Syracuse University. He currently teaches at Providence College in Rhode Island. Voice of America is his first book.