Read this when
Things Fall Apart
Okonkwo spent his whole life trying not to be his father. It cost him everything. Some lessons are nearly 70 years old and still hit. 🔥
Who it's for
Okonkwo's whole life is built as a reaction against his father Unoka, whom he sees as lazy and unmanly, and the novel shows with painful clarity how that fear drives him to harshness, to violence and to hiding every tender feeling.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Chinua Achebe's 1958 debut novel is set in the fictional Igbo clan of Umuofia in what is now Nigeria and follows Okonkwo, a respected warrior and leader determined not to resemble his father Unoka, an indebted man unable to support his family. Okonkwo becomes guardian to Ikemefuna, a boy given to the clan in a peace settlement, and later takes part in his killing when an oracle demands it.
Where to find it
In print; widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla) and as an audiobook. Not public domain in the US. Commonly taught, so used copies are easy to find.
Before you start
Heads up: Suicide and the killing of a child.
Age: Ages 14+
I do not wish them to have power over men; but over themselves.Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Chapter 4
