Full of wit, humour and tenderness, The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney is a powerful meditation on youth, race, sexuality and belonging. Nzelu writes with confidence and piercing insight about the delicate negotiation of an identity between two cultures. Generous, profound and uplifting all at once, The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney announces the arrival of a dazzling new voice in fiction.
Shortlised for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2020
Longlisted for the Polari First Book Prize 2020
How do you begin to find yourself when you only know half of who you are?
As Nnenna Maloney approaches womanhood she longs to connect with her Igbo-Nigerian culture. Her once close and tender relationship with her mother, Joanie, becomes strained as Nnenna begins to ask probing questions about her father, who Joanie refuses to discuss.
Nnenna is asking big questions of how to 'be' when she doesn't know the whole of who she is. Meanwhile, Joanie wonders how to love when she has never truly been loved. Their lives are filled with a cast of characters asking similar questions about identity and belonging whilst grappling with the often hilarious encounters of everyday Manchester.
Okechukwu Nzelu brings us a funny and heart-warming story that covers the expanse of race, gender, class, family and redemption, with a fresh and distinctive new voice. Perfect for fans of Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams and Zadie Smith's White Teeth.
Publisher: Dialogue
ISBN: 9780349701059
Number of pages: 320
Weight: 518 g
Dimensions: 236 x 156 x 34 mm
The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney is an honest, clever and intriguing delve into self discovery, relationships, parenting and race, all set to the backdrop of Manchester. As the story progresses there are more and... More
I loved this book. It’s a real page turner and written so that it makes you want to know more and more about the characters.
A compassionate, emotionally intelligent, funny look at the deeply entwined lives of a mother and daughter. This book takes the reader through relatively heavy topics like loss of faith, loneliness, identity and... More
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