We’re kicking off pride month with the first release from the illustrious Roxane Gay’s new publishing group, Roxane Gay Books! And Then He Sang a Lullaby is Ani Kayode Somtochukwu’s debut novel, being published in just a couple days on June 6th.

Somtochukwu weaves the disparate and converging tales of two Nigerian boys, August and Segun, from childhood to college, confronting the familial, social and political traumas which inform the young men they become. August and Segun serve as foils of each other - athletic and academic, masculine and effeminate, closeted and out. At times this dichotomy felt reductive, but we couldn’t stop turning the pages in hopes that they would succeed in forging a path towards self love and romantic love despite their toxic environment - that of Nigeria after the Same-Sex Prohibition Act came into law, just a decade ago.

And Then He Sang a Lullaby is a powerful and heartbreaking representation of growing up gay in one of the most dangerous countries to be queer in, and Somtochukwu doesn’t pull any punches as to the mental impact and emotional devastation it espouses. We appreciated how relatable many of their experiences were; the bewitching nature of first love, feeling like a stranger in your own skin, the uncertainty of becoming who you want to be instead of who others think you should be, the hollowness of grief. We were shocked to learn that Somtochukwu is only 23 years old, and can’t wait to see what he publishes next.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advance reader copy!

4.5 stars. What a gorgeous and heartbreaking debut! Set in Nigeria around 2013, this is a novel about being gay in a world where that's a crime, and trying to accept yourself and your love when you are surrounded by hate. This is not an easy read, but it's so excellent at the same time.

"August is a God-fearing track star who leaves Enugu City to attend university and escape his overbearing sisters. He carries the weight of their lofty expectations, the shame of facing himself, and the haunting memory of a mother he never knew. It’s his first semester and pressures aside, August is making friends, doing well in his classes. He even almost has a girlfriend. There’s only one problem: he can’t stop thinking about Segun, an openly gay student who works at a local cybercafé. Segun carries his own burdens and has been wounded in too many ways. When he meets August, their connection is undeniable, but Segun is reluctant to open himself up to August. He wants to love and be loved by a man who is comfortable in his own skin, who will see and hold and love Segun, exactly as he is.

Despite their differences, August and Segun forge a tender intimacy that defies the violence around them. But there is only so long Segun can stand being loved behind closed doors, while August lives a life beyond the world they’ve created together. And when a new, sweeping anti-gay law is passed, August and Segun must find a way for their love to survive in a Nigeria that was always determined to eradicate them."

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic, Roxanne Gay Books for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

This debut novel is a gem waiting to be discovered. When I requested the ARC in Netgalley, I did it on a whim because I was so intrigued by the blurb. I also haven't read a book set in Nigeria so I thought it would be nice to visit it through this book.
Honestly, once I started reading the book, I had an inkling that it would feel like reading Khaled Hosseini's books all over again. I'll never forget how I felt when I read The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns for the first time. It felt like opening my eyes to a wider, much cruel world I was oblivious to. And boy, this book did that again to me, and more.
The book is about August and Segun and their story of living as a young adult queer in Nigeria. They came from different upbringings but met and fell in love. Both have much to go through and have their own adversaries but share one thing - they are gay living in a homophobic county. August was conflicted because of the pressure from his family being the only son and his mother dying after giving birth to him. Meanwhile, Segun grew up being politically aware due to his mother being an activist. The book explored August and Segun’s journey of growing up facing their personal dilemma and their romantic relationship until the societal pressure of their country’s homophobic culture caught up with them.
One thing that I can describe in this book is that it is raw. It right down told me how cruel the world is, with no sugar-coating, no introduction, and no flowery or poetic prose. Just straight-up facts and emotions and the book gets deeper and heart-breaking. When I finished reading the book, I needed a moment to process my emotions. The last few chapters are heavy; it felt like bombs are dropping continuously without stopping. While writing this review, I know August and Segun’s story will stay with me for a long.
Thank you to the author for being courageous in writing this story and putting it out in the world. Thank you to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for giving me access to the Arc.

This book is about two boys living in Nigeria and trying to come to terms with their sexuality. August was born into the world without a mother, who tragically passed during childbirth. Because of this, August faces an overwhelming pressure to be something he never wanted. August is constantly feeling the pressure of his sisters and their expectations, the shame he feels about his sexuality, and a world without his mother:

“He was not sure he was strong enough to be what he knew everyone expected, a perfect boy who would take the torch that was the family name and run his own race. He was not sure his frail bones were strong enough to bear the burden that was his name.”

Segun is a gay man in a society that does not accept him and because of this, Segun experiences constant bullying in school. Segun is confronted with the violence that a Queer person may endure, simply for being themselves, early on in the book.

“It surprised him, the way a single day thoroughly disrupted the semblance of normalcy of his life and reshaped it. It taught him that there was so much evil in the world, so much violence, so much cruelty, more than he previously thought possible.”

August and Segun meet at university. Their relationship blooms from a friendship into something more over the course of the story. We are witnesses to the ways in which August can mask and hide his truth while Segun cannot pass so easily, nor does he want to. Something that Segun’s mother said to him is always with Segun. “This world is rotten, Abe. To better it, we must fight it. We must resist its violence or it will crush us.”

Overall this story is heartbreaking, haunting, and will stick with me for a very long time. Kayode’s writing is beautiful and expressive. While this story was brutal, I couldn’t put it down. I am looking forward to whatever Ani Kayode Somtochukwu writes in the future. Incredible debut!

Thank you to Netgalley & Roxane Gay Books for the opportunity to read this arc.

A gorgeous tale of gay men searching for real personal intimacy: physical pleasure, friendship, trust. In Nigeria, they face police brutality and have to keep their lives secret. What a hard political climate in which to be a gay man, and so recent. One thing I enjoyed about Lullaby was getting to know August and Segun separately in their younger years and anticipating how their life stories would intertwine. The end was hard. This is a beautiful read, though. I think it's brave to tell stories like this, fictional or otherwise.

Say what you want, but this is a better love story than Romeo and Juliet.

Ani Kayode Somtochukwu weaves a beautifully complex story of loss, finding yourself, identity, and learning to love against all odds. Neither August or Segun are perfect, but they discover and cultivate a love that surpasses prejudices. There are moments of profound joy, but also moments of profound sadness.

As the synopsis indicates, this powerful story touches on a lot of really tough topics - homophobia, violence against LGBTQ+ folks, straining against family and cultural expectations, and more. All that said, it was an excellent read and it gave me a lot to think about and a sliver of insight into a culture that’s totally foreign to me. I appreciate the author illuminating these subjects and doing it with writing that is intimate and beautifully written. CWs for all the stuff mentioned above and also suicide.

August and Segun tell their story in the tale of two young men in Nigeria who are grappling with familial expectations and homophobia. August's mother died in childbirth and he was raised by his sisters, none of whom know that he is queer. By contrast, Segun is out there and his mother does her best to protect him until she can't. They meet in college, fall in love, and then August backs away, only coming forward again when Segun is almost killed. You will feel for these two, be angered at how they are treated, and hope for them. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. An impressive debut.

This story takes place in Nigera but I feel it could be anywhere. I felt both the hope and the pain in the relationships. I could also relate to the fear of loss of family and friends over being completely who you are. In a world where people strongly want or need to box you into a role and status to be comfortable. I could relate to still in the process at any age of finding where you can live as yourself and find if not acceptance in it at least confidence in who you are. It is so sad how hurtful other humans can be. We maybe have made progress in areas but still have long way to go in our humanity with others. I felt this book also did a great job at showing how the ways of government and those "with much" effect other humans. I cared much for the characters in the stories and wanted to understand the families. I was grateful for the words being told, the experiences to be put out there.

Beautiful debut novel set in Nigeria about two men who fall in love amidst a culture where loving someone of the same sex is dangerous and life-threatening. The writing is gorgeous and filled with imagery of family and complex emotions of who you are versus who you’re expected to be. The book is raw in a way that makes the characters come alive in a way I won’t forget. This author is one to watch. Thanks to Grove and Roxane Gay Books for the advanced copy.

AND THEN HE SANG A LULLABY
Ani Kayode Somtochukwu

I am so excited to share this title with you today. I read it just as the weather was warming in California. It comes out on June 6, 2023.

Let’s talk about it…

AND THEN HE SANG A LULLABY is about August. While away at college August is trying to adjust to college life: keeping his grades up, getting along with roommates, and finding his place in a harsh political environment. As he reckons with the adjustment, he meets someone that will change the course of his life forever.

We follow along as August discovers what it means to be his mother’s last wishes, his family’s highest aspirations, and most importantly himself.

I liked August immediately. He is living in the shadows of a ghost's perception of who he should have been. Leaving no room for the good and bad of who he is. It’s a story about August coming to terms with who he is not only to other people but also to himself.

The words in this book were impassioned and there is a natural force behind them. It feels like the story has been waiting a long time to be told. Reading the book felt like releasing a dam.

The hope is that readers will find themselves somewhere within the pages of this book. Somewhere within its unflinching truth. Even if this is not your story the feeling of fighting for freedom will carry to whatever truths you keep hidden and the heavy burdens you carry.

AND THEN HE SANG A LULLABY is one of my favorites of 2023! I hope you think about picking it up!

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Audio, Grove Atlantic, and Roxane Gay Books for the advanced copies!

AND THEN HE SANG A LULLABY...⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

And Then He Sang a Lullaby is a real, tender and powerful coming-of-age story of two Nigerian boys set against a society that does not accommodate people like them.

Through dual POV we go through the hardships of our main characters, and I found that I couldn't put it down once I'd finally picked it up for real. The writing is very straightforward in style that's more showing than telling, and I think it works in favor to underline exactly how real this story is for a lot of people.

This is a well-written debut for a shockingly young novelist. I needed to take it slowly because of the subject matter and it was worth it.

This brutal novel, which reads like a journal, is not for the faint of heart. Kayode Somtochukwu reveals the effects of state sanctioned homophobia on Nigeria’s queer community. The reader sees the daily struggle for survival through the eyes of two gay Nigerian men, August and Segun. When they become romantically involved, the dangers are pronounced. The author's writing is intensely raw and vivid. I highly recommend this novel.

High school track star, August, enrolls in college to escape his loving but controlling sisters. Because his appearance is masculine and he is an athlete, August can pass as straight. Even his sisters are unaware of his sexuality. The birthday parties they throw him serve as an example of how little they see the real August. Not only are they unaware that he grieves the loss of his mother on his birthday, as she died in childbirth, but he must also hide his attraction toward the boys at these parties. In heartbreaking scenes, the author describes how if he opened up to his sisters, he would expose himself to possible jail time, torture, or death.
Segun carries his own burdens. His mannerisms are overtly feminine, and he bears scars from beatings throughout his school years. Segun's mother is written as the direct opposite of August's sisters, which was refreshing for me. She complains to his school each time he is bullied or physically abused. When the principal does nothing, she enrolls her son at another school to give him a fresh start. However, switching schools has little impact. The assaults persist. Ani raises the question of why homophobia is so persistent and why Nigeria feels trapped in the past.

The author switches from alternating their narratives to a combined voice when the boys meet in college. Watching their tender love affair withstand the hostility hurled at them is bittersweet. The young men’s relationship is tested when Segun is beaten close to death in a homophobic attack. This tale has flaws. Ani clearly cares about his characters, but August and Segun feel too archetypical. I would have liked a bit more character development. Still, this is a riveting book. “And Then He Sang a Lullaby” will haunt me for a long time. Kayode Somtochukwu is an author to watch.

A big thanks to NetGalley and Roxane Gay Books for providing me with the ARC!

Wow I don’t know where to start honestly. When I first saw the title of the book it just drew me in, it made question what will happen in this and how does that relate to the title.

But this book was so much more, it is beautifully written, the prose is captivating and the story is phenomenal. I truly can’t believe that this is a debut novel.

This book made me sad and me feel so much for August and Segun. Them exploring and getting into terms with their sexuality in environment what is so harmful and discriminative towards them was truly heartbreaking. Such an important read, a must read!

August was born even though medical professionals felt he shouldn't be. His mother was told that having another child might LITRALLY kill her... but she falls pregnant with August, believes and reassures everyone that it will be okay and that she won't name him until his born.

Sadly his mother dies during childbirth, his father is shattered and left a shadow of his former self, he relies on his sisters to not only take care of him but to tell him stories about his mother and get to know her through other's memories.

August feels a heavy sense of duty to his family and is crippled by failing their expectations but mostly August feels so alone and confused by his own feelings and wants.

Segun is an only child to two hard working parents who work endlessly to give him the best they can. Segun has always walked differently and talked differently and has suffered so much abuse as a result. Even before he was a teenager Segun was placed in so many different schools in the hopes of getting away from the unjust behavior that seems to seek him out.

The two's paths cross as they eventually meet at university and experience an instant connection.

This is probably one of the one most honest books I have ever read. I felt like I was reading someone's personal journey or journal.

The author's writing is intensely raw and beautifully descriptive.

Dual POV, alternating between August and Segun as they grapple with the level of homophobia in Nigeria on somewhat different levels.

Segun is honest about who he is and what he feels and he had LITRALLY been abused his entire life for it.

August is confused and in denial about who he is or what he wants as he tries to live upto his family's plans for him, whilst making the mother he never knew proud.

I have never wanted to climb into a book this much and hug the characters - The events that unfold are so truly heartbreaking.

A absolute must read, amazing story by the author.

Check out trigger warnings

This is a searing and intimate look at the impact of nationally sanctioned homophobia on the queer community. Seen through the worlds of August and Segun, we witness a range of ways that queer men in Nigeria fight to thrive and make tradeoffs about how they live in order to do it. It's devastating and captivating. As a new anti-gay law is passed in Nigeria, the love between August and Segun is fractured, and both men struggle to determine how to move forward in a country that so publicly hates them.

I couldn't help but think of Awkwaeke Emezi's The Death of Vivek Oji as I read this--another gorgeous novel set in Nigeria and taking a devastating look at the impact of the country's homophobia. Kayode's novel felt in conversation with that one--in some ways more personal, bringing the reader in tight to the pain and struggle as it unfolds.

This feels like a novel that you want to turn away from, but can't and shouldn't. It's devastating in micro ways--like the small fractures that August and Segun suffer by being so close and so in love--and in macro ways, as legislation directly impacts how the queer community is seen by the country, granting impunity to the homophobes that surround our protagonists.

I recommend this book for people willing to take a look at the real life impacts of anti-queer legislation on individuals and communities, and to reckon with our own complicity if we turn away. Read it for a complicated love story that explores how much pain two people can carry, and how breaking points are weathered and succumbed to. It's heart-breaking and un-put-down-able.

And Then He Sang a Lullaby – Ani Kayode Somtochukwu

“I’ve suffered enough. I’ve waged my own war with myself and my shame. I cannot deal with yours. I won’t.”



Another ARC, this one from @groveatlantic, huge thanks to them and @netgalley for my copy in return for an honest review.



August is the youngest of four, whose mother dies bearing him. She longed for a son to carry on the family name, a fact that August’s three sisters never cease reminding him of. He struggles in school, exam results fluctuating wildly, but he manages to get to university where he meets Segun, someone who he quickly realises he has feelings for.

Unfortunately for these two men, they are growing up in modern Nigeria, a country where homophobia runs deep – as the twin narratives of August and Segun intertwine, we see how both have had to deal with their queer identity, and both have taken different paths. August feels ashamed of his feelings and attractions, finding illicit meetings with other men and hiding in plain sight – as an athlete, he “passes” in this society.

Conversely, Segun grows up in a more progressive house (at least from his mother), becomes more politically aware at university, and fights for his rights to be himself. He falls in love with August, but struggles to see how he can accept the abuse they receive daily, the erosion of their rights by a populist government, the rising tide of hatred against them.

This is a powerful, tough and blunt read about the current situation in Nigeria, the persecution of queer rights and intolerance on multiple levels, and the struggles of those who must survive in this environment. It’s an angry and impassioned book, with obvious trigger warnings and devastating passages. There’s very little light here, but that is part of the message here: change often requires struggle, and shining a light on what life is like for LGBTQ Nigerians. Highly recommended.

’August’s mother refused to name him before his birth. There remained this gentleness still, to the child growing in her womb. A hushed quality that kept her from pinning her hopes on it. She would not name the baby until it was squirming in her arms. Her daughter’s did not understand this. Or at least Uzoamaka and Chinyere did not. The youngest, Peculiar, was too young to understand or not understand…She did not want them to worry. She herself worried sometimes, when her faith faltered. On those occasions she read herself the letter she’d received from Kaduna, sitting in the darkness of her room. To her right, the curtains were drawn, as though if she let light fall on the brown paper, it would crumble into dust in her shaking hands.’

Set in Enugu, the capital city of Nigeria, this story revolves around two young men, Segun and August, who become friends early on in university. August’s story from his birth has spun a web around him of expectations. He arrived in this world as his mother was slowly slipping away. He is the last born of four, the only male, and thus he is expected to continue the family name through sons of his own, someday.

While this shares the story of his birth, there is little that is shared about his childhood, as this story begins when he begins his first semester where he begins to meet people and make new friends, including a girl that he likes, and who shares his passion for track. And then there is Segun, a student who he meets and develops a connection with, a relationship that has some rocky moments as time passes.

This is a beautifully written, impressive debut by 23-year-old Ani Kayode, exploring themes of family, love, and freedom of choice. Impassioned and eloquent, this heartbreaking, haunting story will stay with me for a long time.


Pub Date: 06 June 2023


Many thanks for the ARC provided by Grove Atlantic, Roxane Gay Books

Split between alternating POV’s of August and Segun, two young gay men in Nigeria, And Then He Sang a Lullaby is a debut novel exploring the realities of being gay in country where homosexuality is illegal and where society is steeped in homophobia. After growing tired of the constant high expectations his father and older sisters place on him, August moves away to university in hope of a fresh start. Everything is going well, until he meets Segun, a fellow student working at the universities cyber cafe. August cannot stop thinking about him, and after the pair connect, they soon begin a relationship. Whilst Segun is openly gay, August doesn’t want to share his sexuality with the outside world, especially when a new anti gay bill is in the process of being passed, and so the pair must find a way to navigate their love for each other in a country so openly against them.

If there is one book I firmly believe you should read this year, it’s this one. In fact I’m already putting this book in my top 10 of the year (right now in March), because of how truly incredible this book is. THIS NOVEL TOOK ABSOLUTE BALLS TO WRITE. It is so incredibly brave, it is beautiful, it is just so profound I don’t even have the words to describe it, and it is also hands down one of the most tragic and heartbreaking things I have ever read. I have not shed tears like this over a book in a long long time.
This is a novel that unfortunately reflects a very sad reality for many countries today, where being gay is illegal, and where expressions of love can result in the most tragic endings. It certainly made me reflect and think about how privileged I am to live somewhere that does not condemn things like this, but also it was a reminder that sadly we have a very long way to go for LGBTQ equality on a global scale, especially when the political events in this book happened less than a decade ago.

Ani Kayode Somtochukwu, I sincerely applaud you for this masterpiece, and I cannot wait for the whole world to read this.