First published 2025
Ziz works the streets of Lagos as a hardcore hustler, navigating a city where survival depends on the stories people tell themselves. Maro searches for connection with his distant father Tega. May cycles through a series of lovers, each relationship teaching her something new about desire. Nollywood stars Ifechi and Tajudeen Adams present a perfect public marriage while managing private complexities. These characters and dozens of others span different generations and sexualities, all struggling with the gap between who they are and who the world expects them to be. In Lagos, everyone carries internal narratives that help them endure daily challenges. The city pulses with ambition and longing as each person fights to define themselves on their own terms. Osunde weaves together their interconnected lives in a story about the fictions people create to make sense of their existence and the truths they discover about love, family, and identity.
Genres: literary-fiction, african-literature, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: intimate, introspective, lyrical, thought-provoking, urban
Tropes: found-family, interconnected-narratives, internal-conflict, multiple-perspectives
Setting: Lagos, Nigeria
Period: Contemporary
320 pages · Paperback · Riverhead Books
Content warnings: sexual-content