BY THE WINNER OF THE 2013 JOSÉ SARAMAGO PRIZE
AN AFRICA39/UNESCO CITY OF LITERATURE 2014 TOP AFRICAN WRITER UNDER 40
A GUARDIAN TOP FIVE AFRICAN WRITER, 2012
WINNER OF THE GRINZANE PRIZE FOR BEST YOUNG WRITER, 2010
By the beaches of Luanda, the Soviets are building a grand mausoleum in
honour of the Comrade President. Granmas are whispering: houses, they
say, will be dexploded, and everyone will have to leave. With the help
of his friends Charlita and Pi (whom everyone calls 3.14), and with
assistance from Dr. Rafael KnockKnock, the Comrade Gas Jockey, the
amorous Gudafterov, crazy Sea Foam, and a ghost, our young hero must
decide exactly how much trouble he's willing to face to keep his Granma
safe in Bishop's Beach.
Energetic and colourful, impish and playful, Granma Nineteen and the
Soviet's Secret is a charming coming-of-age story from the next rising
star in African literature.