Dreams and Assorted Nightmares
Abubakar Adam Ibrahim
Description
Zango is a surreal town where men, some with erect manhoods, die when leaves fall from a life tree. Zango is both setting and spectre for ‘Dreams and Assorted Nightmares’, a collection of interconnecting short stories which explore the spaces between life and death and beyond. There’s a poignant story of a special needs boy with prescience; another about the family of a philandering artist trying to pick up the pieces after his violent death; one of a teen forced to make a heart-breaking choice after her mother disappears; and another about a woman who reveals a terrible secret to her childhood friend who is in a coma. The characters come richly layered and memorable — like Naznine who had but slowly lost the most perfect smile in the world; new bride, Nana Aisha, left alone to face armed marauders who invade her home; and brigands, Audu Kore and Maimuna Dajjaj, who share a pure and precious love.
Review
The book is exactly as the title suggests. It's a collection of tragic stories with a type of whimsy attached to it. it links citizens of a town called Zango together and all the weird and interesting things that happen to them. I was honestly fighting tears on some stories like "The daughters of Bappa Avenue" while some were funny like the story of the artist that fathered so many bastards in Zango. I'm not a fan of tragedies, to be honest, I feel african writing has too much of that already but this was not a catfish 😅, it gave exactly what it said.
I've fallen in love with this author's style of writing. it feels like the poetic tales of old. I have other books by this author and I'm anticipating more.
Review date:14th June, 2023
