The latest addition to my website is Jowhor Ile‘s And After Many Days. This is Ile’s first novel and very well written for a first novel. The story involves the Utu family, who live in Port Harcourt, and consists of Benedict (Bendic), a lawyer, his wife, Ma, a teacher and their two sons, Paul and Ajie. At the beginning of the novel, Paul, who has just finished school and is about to go to university, leaves the house to go and visit a friend nearby. He is never seen again. The book tells of their lives before Paul’s disappearance as well as afterward. They naturally never give up hopes of finding Paul, even though they know in their hearts of hearts that he is dead. The whole book is set against the violence in Nigeria, from the Biafran War (when Bendic is imprisoned and nearly dies) to the oil companies exploiting the local people and using their power and brutality, with the connivance or often outright assistance of the corrupt government. Student demonstrations, random shootings and unexplained deaths colour the whole book, while, at the same time, we follow the story of a decent family trying to make a life and to help others in these circumstances. The book has been tipped to do very well this year and I can only concur.