Good story, about a terrible time. I found the main character’s journey (literal, figurative, and magical) to be compelling. Only quibble is that even using Google Translate, I felt like I was missing something with the Igbo and Yoruba dialogue.

The Road to the Country is a beautifully written straightforward novel that was at times brutal and at times poignant. I really enjoyed the element of the seer who prophesied aspects of the storyline and left me feeling quite emotional at the end.

I don’t really cry reading books anymore. That’s not to say that I don’t feel the full range of sadness, sorrow, despair, and anguish certain books evoke. I think because the reality of our world is so sad makes it sometimes hard for me to give that space to fictional books even the most moving and heart wrenching ones.

While I didn’t cry reading The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma. As I sat thinking about this book afterwards and trying to come up with what I was going to say here I found myself tearing up.

This book is damn near perfect and has so much heart. I will never forget Kunle, Bube Orji, Felix, Ekpeyong, Ndidi and Agnes.

I knew nothing about the civil war between Biafra (mostly Igbo people) and Nigeria before reading this and I’m still no expert but it made me want to read and know more (funny enough this is the third book I’ve read featuring Nigeria recently). I love when fiction opens your eyes to history and events outside your experiences.

I don’t know how to talk about this book besides that it is such a beautiful picture of human connection even in the darkest of times. The fact that Kunle accidentally finds himself in this war and thus is forced to see the inequities, abuses of power, and crimes committed against the Igbo people feels eerily timely.

As we watch a genocide wage on, politicians entertain war criminals, and as technology isolates us more and more I hope to become more like Kunle. May we bravely fight for those who are not like us if we see them experiencing harm at the hands of the powerful, may we foster love and friendship even in the darkest of circumstances, may we know when it’s time to move on from harmful situations, and may we never give up our hope even when it seems all is lost.

Read this book. It may be my favorite book this year. I will be reading anything Obioma writes going forward. This was exquisite.

What an engaging and sad exploration of war and love and loss during Nigeria's civil war. It reminded me at times of At Night All Blood is Black because of the setting and frank discussions of the brutality of war. The characters were well presented and it seemed intentionally kept at a distance from the reader (or maybe that was my self-protectionism).
Beautiful, descriptive and engaging writing!

The war in Biafra, to me, represented a hazy early childhood memory of conversations my parents must have had watching the nightly news. It was a far-off place, and completely out of my realm of knowledge. Obioma brings Biafra's struggle for independence to life in this moving portrayal of brothers separated in Nigeria's civil war. The mystical element of the story, for me, was as moving as it was compelling, despite the deeply graphic and violent nature of the war. The author does not shy away from these details, but the mystical elements combine to make this more of an epic story for the ages. I really can't do this one justice in my review; but I guarantee it's unlike anything else you will read this year.

The setting of this story immediately hooked me in as I’ve read other books about Biafra during their civil war. Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for a free advanced read copy of “The Road to the Country” in exchange for a fair review. The writing was like poetry, which I really liked. The story felt a little drawn out for my taste and I think a little editing would have helped. Ultimately, it is hard not to love and empathize with Kunle and his band of brothers. Overall a solid read more geared towards historial fiction lovers.

writing a review for this book is quite difficult because I had such mixed emotions reading this story. for one, I thought it was quite beautifully written and shared such a poignant and hard hitting story of war, love, loss, and relationships that had a lot of really strong takeaways. the story follows kunle who leaves his town and ends up becoming a biafran solider, fighting against the nigerian troops. this is a very heavy story with a lot of bloodshed and lots of tragedy so definitely be aware of that element before going into this story. throughout the trying journey we see kunle's development as he changes his outlook on life and fosters relationships with his comrades, building friendships and falling in love. the content and plot was there and I think a lot of people could really enjoy this literary style.

however, there were also some parts I struggled with which may also be due to the fact that this book is definitely outside my typical genre. at times, the pacing just seemed a bit off as scenes seemed to drag on at times or seem unneeded and then all of a sudden I would feel confused because I missed something in the action between. the addition of the seer throughout the story was an interesting idea as well, having a really strong resonance at the end as well, but it frankly confused me at times by throwing me out of the story or making me forget whose POV I was in at times. this was also a very graphic and hard to read story due to the content matter which was to be expected but you definitely need to be ready for it before you enter the story which may have swayed my opinion a bit.

overall, I do think this was a very strong story with an incredibly deep and powerful plot which I would recommend for fans of historical and literary fiction, specifically african literature and war stories! while I am not sure I would pick up another book in this realm, it was definitely an impactful read and I am glad I got to step out of my comfort zone a bit and read about something completely new to me.

Guilt forces a young man to leave home to seek out his disabled brother but falls into the Nigerian civil war as a soldier instead. Historical literary fiction. Violence and prejudice. War and youth. Grief, family, love and forgiveness. This has such excellent prose. Clean and poetic, so descriptive, it was like a watching a movie. I’m not into this genre I’ll be honest but I think that people who love literary fiction or know people who lived through this period would like this novel. Regardless, I love the author's voice so I just downloaded The Fishermen to read for later.

*Thank you C. Obioma and Random House Publishing for, The Road to the Country ARC.

Poetic prose, interesting time in history, but ... I got so bored

It kills me that this book kept putting me to sleep because the writing is beautiful and the story and setting are completely unique while also being very relatable.

I just wish I had the strength to keep reading, but I don't. I've been trying to finish this book since May (it's now July) and I'm giving up. Reluctantly.

I'm still giving this at least four stars because the writing is so so very good, just not the right book for me at this time.

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Story: 4 stars
Character Development: 3 stars (the MC is very passive and naive)
Writing: 5 stars

The Nigerian Civil War was fought from 1967 to 1970 between Nigeria's federal government and the secessionist state Biafra. Ethnic conflict, economic inequality, and educational disparities were among the factors that contributed to the start of the war, which killed an estimated 500,000 to 3,000,000 people. This book was difficult to read, being about the Nigerian Biafra war. It was indelible and so vivid, that some scenes were incredibly difficult to get through…But it was war, and a war that I will never understand. Chigozie Obioma has a strong understanding of the language, so much so that I was lost in having no translation…even though I did get the gist of it. This book is history.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | Hogarth books for this advanced reader's copy. This book was an emotional and intense ride. Kunle has been living a closeted life as a college student when war breaks out in the 1960's the Eastern Region. Kunle blames himself for what happened to his younger brother when they were young. When they were children, Tunde was hit by a car and now is in a wheelchair. Now Tunde has disappeared in the war-torn region and Kunle leaves college and heads into the war to find his brother and in hope Tunde will forgive him. When Kuhle finds the region, he is made to join the Biafran army and sent to training camp. As he looks to escape, he sees horrible violence and meets and falls in love with Agnes, a strong Igbo woman. There is a mystical element with the visions of the Seer woven throughout the novel as he shows the journey Kuhle will take and the hardships he will face. This was a moving and emotional book.

<i>In Biafra, like a world removed from the known world, one discovers new vistas of emotions, new faculties one did not know were there before. This feeling of being drained and abandoned, which comes upon Kunle so quickly that it invades his senses completely, is one such experience.</i>

Chigozie Obioma's new novel is the story of the Nigerian Civil War told from the point of view of one young man who is caught up in the fighting. Kunle is at the university when he is told to come home -- his younger brother has left with a neighboring Igbo family to go live in Biafra. Kunle, intent on his studies, had been unaware that anything was going on and after returning home, he blithely joins a Red Cross team taking supplies into Biafra and sneaks off, thinking he can find his brother and they can both return with the Red Cross van the next day. But the war going on isn't a game and before Kunle gets very far, he is discovered by the Biafran army and conscripted.

What follows is a coming of age story and one that depicts the brutality and meaninglessness of war, in this case, the slow grinding down of an out-matched insurgent force, as the communities around them are also bombed and starved out. Obioma made an audacious choice in centering the novel on a central character who enters the war with no stake in it or even any knowledge. He, and the reader, soon hear stories of why his various comrades have chosen to fight, but for the most part, the reader, like Kunle, experiences the war as just a series of random events. There's a lot of repetition and a lot of waiting. It did take some effort to read the most part of this novel. Obioma pulls everything into context eventually, but like Kunle's wartime experiences, it's a slog. But as Kunle remains part of a battalion, he forms friendships and relationships, and his observations about the world around him sharpen into clearer focus. He never forgets his initial goal in sneaking into Biafra, and that gives form and meaning to his experiences. There are no doubt non-fiction accounts that provide a clearer look at that place and time, but The Road to the Country shines a light on the war's cost in human suffering.

A stunning achievement, one of the best books of the year! Onions combines stunning prose, history, and a touch of magical realism to concoct a stunning gem of a novel.

I may be having a slower June, but this is my third five star read in a row! Apologies to whatever I pick up next. While The Road to the Country was my first Obioma, it is oh so clear to me why he has received a Booker nom for both of his other novels. I will not be surprised if he goes 3/3 with this.

We begin with the Igbo Proverb that the story of a war can only be fully and truly told by both the living and the dead. When then meet Kunle as he prepares to set off on an impossible rescue mission at the onset of the Nigerian Civil War in the 1960s. There is so much Kunle doesn't understand...this war and his role in it, where his younger brother is, and the prophecy of a local Seer that says he is one who will die and return to life.

This mythical yet oh so real story is truly unforgettable. I learned so much history, and I met a character that will stay with me forever. The war, of course, brings so much anguish beyond readers' wildest imaginations, and Obioma also provides us moments of tenderness and love despite the unimaginable. I couldn't put this down despite the incredibly difficult and pertinent content, because Obioma doesn't let you look away. His writing and Kunle's story, equal parts gutting and gorgeous, make this an absolute stand out of 2024.

This is a grim and sad historical fiction set in the 1960s during the Nigerian civil war. A young guilt-ridden university student - Kunle Aromire - sets out to find his brother and bring him home amidst fierce fighting in war-torn Nigeria. Kunle is force-conscripted into the Biafran army when he crosses into rebel territory. His life is forever changed as he adapts to fighting on the side of the Biafran army while searching frantically for his brother and experiencing the tragedy and trauma of war. The relentless ravages of war are front and center with few rays of hope, if that. But war is real and Chigozie Obioma doesn’t flinch from its full portrayal. So readers, be warned, this book is not for the faint of heart, but essential reading to get a glimpse of the toll the Nigerian civil war had on its people, and for that matter, the ramifications of any war on people. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

📚Book review📚 :: The Road to the Country by Chigozie Obioma

Story premise: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Character development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing style: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ending: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One watching from above can see that I am nearly incapable of writing a review for such a book as The Road to the Country. It is full of so much depth, humanity, and horror as to make it nearly indescribable.

Chigozie Obioma walks us into the most horrific civil war we, many of us, did not know about. He introduces us to the Seer, a man who has seen an inescapable future for his country and a boy, yet to be born. That boy, Kunle, becomes a flawed young man born to a Yoruba father and Igbo mother years before civil war breaks out in Nigeria. Kunle can not forgive himself for an accident he may or may not have caused. This guilt puts him on a path that will usher him to the front lines of a war that may or may not be his to fight. And while on this path, he will find love and comradery, hope and faith -- and then lose it all again and again.

The dimensions of this story are immeasurable. At its surface, it is a story about war but beneathe it, it is a story of consequences, of fate, of grief, of redemption (or the quest for it). It feels, at times, like a warning, a signal from a Seer about what humanity is capable of and what can become of us if we do nothing to stop it.

I took my time reading this story. I needed to educate myself quite a bit before I could truly grasp the weight of it. I paused a few times to look up people and places central to the truth of the book. The history of Biafra is a fascinating one and I feel disappointed that I had never been told about this war that took place during my parents' lifetimes. I also needed to take my time with the dialogue, some in heavily accented English, others in Igbo or Yoruba (of which there is limited translation services for). The dialogue was where a lot of the heart of this story came in and it was important to wade through it with reverence for their words.

I also needed time to absorb the pain of the story. Many chapters left me bereft, appaled, ashamed. It felt important to feel these things slowly.

I am forever grateful for books like this that will not allow history to trudge on, leaving so much, and so many, forgotten. For, "the only true thing about mankind can be found in the stories it tells, and some of the truest of these stories cannot be told by the living. Only the dead can tell them."

This book was so good i went back and reread chapters!

Never have i read a war book that was so intense, descriptive, and full of sorrow and anguish. In this book the author captures the fear of kunle of being caught so many times. The feelings of being torn with the decision of telling on the mother of his child and leaving his brother behind after looking for him for an entire year. Of regret when seeing the girl that he once was with, now with his brother. And so many other emotions.

I love how well written this book is..omgosh i can’t even describe it. I went ahead and purchased the hardcover.

The ending broke my heart because of the prophecy and the parents once again repeating history!

Chigozie Obioma never ceases to amaze me with his literary genius. The latest addition to his body of work, The Road to the Country, while not my favorite, continues to live up to his amazing storytelling abilities.

Set in Nigeria during the late 1960s during the chaos of the Biafran civil war, the story deals with themes of sacrifice, loyalty, and the bonds that tie families together. It’s a powerful look at what we’re willing to risk for those we love.

The story is very violent and graphic as the sights, sounds, and smells of the country come alive, putting us in the heart of the conflict. So prepare yourself.

Set during the disastrous and brutal war resulting from Biafara’s failed attempt to establish a state separate from Nigeria, this book by two time Booker Award Finalist Obioma tells the story of a young Nigerian who goes behind the Biafaran battle lines to find and rescue his younger brother who has followed a woman there. He is captured by the Biafaran army and is forced to join them an fight as a special forces elite unit, all the while trying to stay alive and locate his brother. The prose is superb, the story is dark and the ubiquitous descriptions of the violence done by each side to the other is haunting. Obioma has captured the essence of the futility of conflict.

The headlines from the famine and civil war in BIafra and Nigeria during the 1960's may be a distant memory, but this novel brings them to front and center for today's readers.As the story opens, the main character Kunle is a law student riddled by guilt over what he perceives as his responsibility for a childhood accident. He and a friend locked his brother out of the house whereupon his brother was hit by a car and crippled for life. Now his brother is missing over the border into Biafra, part of Nigeria undergoing a civil war. Kunle is captured by the rebels and must pledge loyalty to their army to save his life. The majority of the novel depicts the war and the effect it has on Kunle, his friendships and frustrations. Meanwhile, occasional chapters describe an ancient seer who has envisioned Kunle's life and future from before he was born.

Warning: the brutality and terror of this civil war are portrayed graphically, making this a difficult read. However, the writing is masterful, and the themes are compelling. Man's inhumanity to man, loyalty and betrayal, fate and survival, friendship and redemption are all interwoven to make this book unforgettable.

"The world, asleep before, is now awake, teeming with earthly susurrations and voices, the machinery of life spinning on its wheels. Like a merciless stream, life will flow on, carrying in it the yowling joy of birthing, the sorrowful howling of dying. There will be laughter and tears, remembrance and forgetting, pride and shame, silence and noise."