What it Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah
WHAT IT MEANS WHEN A MAN FALLS FROM THE SKY, a magnificent collection of short tales by Caine Prize and Commonwealth Writers Prize winner Lesley Nneka Arimah, has been praised as “luminous” (Roxane Gay), “mesmeric” (Claire Vaye Watkins), and “hilarious and tragic” (Rowan Hisayo Buchanan). This is a varied and stunning book that highlights the work of a major new talent at the start of a remarkable literary career. It is infused with wonder and a strong feeling of yearning.
What it Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah
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It’s amazing how creative the author is, how she can express those thoughts in a captivating, intriguing, and original style, and how well she grasps the nuances of human emotion and behaviour.
In What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky, the classification issue is raised again. Although this book has some really good realist stories, I’m most intrigued by the instances in which she uses fantasy to hint at doomsday and dystopia.
Written with an American sensibility, about lives that are frequently very different from her own now, but with a solid grounding in Nigerian family life and lived experience — childhood heartbreaks and adolescent struggles. It works well on social pretensions, fights on the playground, and disputes between neighbours. There are fathers here, but they are frequently absent or broken. The agenda includes teenage pregnancy, a preacher abusing the females in his flock, childlessness, exile, and how to lie in courtship. Women are able to survive. The most irrational behaviour is a puzzle with a purpose; a child who is angry has a good cause for being upset.
