The author of Foreign Gods, Inc. and Arrows of Rain tells his own
immigrant's tale, where what is lost in translation is often as
hilarious as it is harrowing.
Okey Ndibe's funny, charming, and penetrating memoir tells of his move
from Nigeria to America, where he came to edit the influential--but
forever teetering on the verge of insolvency--African Commentary
magazine. It recounts stories of Ndibe's relationships with Chinua
Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and other literary figures; examines the
differences between Nigerian and American etiquette and politics;
recalls an incident of racial profiling just thirteen days after he
arrived in the US, in which he was mistaken for a bank robber; considers
American stereotypes about Africa (and vice-versa); and juxtaposes
African folk tales with Wall Street trickery. All these stories and more
come together in a generous, encompassing book about the making of a
writer and a new American.