FICTION

Things Fall Apart

by Chinua Achebe
Penguin. (African Trilogy: Bk. 1). Sept. 1994. 224p. pap. $14. ISBN 9780385474542.
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Gr 9 Up–A pivotal narrative that dives into the historical aspects of Africa’s first meeting with Europeans. Readers encounter the rise and fall of African royal Okonkwo. Sacrifice, repentance, and redemption are the central themes in this classic. Students can learn so much through applying lenses of advocacy, criticality, and humanity to their study of Achebe’s classic. This is a stellar work that can aid classrooms to dissect the why behind men’s need to be in control, the silencing of women’s voices, and the importance of symbolism when it comes to plot and structure. Often heralded as the first novel in English to portray African life and people from an autonomous African point of view, this work dramatizes the Igbo culture of Nigeria and its confrontation with European missionaries.
VERDICT A key document of African identity and decolonization that comes within a propulsive, eye-opening hero quest, strongly recommended for all high school libraries.
Reviewed by Bob Hassett & Darius Phelps , Apr 05, 2024

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