Curandera
-
- £5.49
Publisher Description
'The power of this weird, haunting fiction is undeniable.' Guardian
'Vivid, brutal, moving and tender. This is heartfelt and immersive.' Joanne Harris
'A delightful gourmet of magical, creative prose and masterful storytelling.' Alex Wheatle
In contemporary London, Therese, Azacca, Emilien and Finn are kindred spirits, bound by their shared descent from the loving yet vengeful deity, Oni. Set with a sacred task by their god, they travel to an otherworldly plane - but one day, something returns with them.
In the mountainous town of 17th-century Gethsemane, the mysterious arrival of Zulmira sparks a series of strange events that will leave the locals changed. As she settles into the community, these increasingly menacing miracles disrupt time and place, whilst the quartet discover the cost of their service to Oni.
With the past and the present set to collide, Curandera is a mythic tale of rebirth and redemption, love and jealousy, and the magnetic workings of shamanism.
'Mindbogglingly glorious.' Yvvette Edwards
'I was blown away by Curandera and by the epic scale of Okojie's imagination and creativity . . . I loved it.' Louise Minchin
'I'm in awe of Irenosen Okojie's burden of talent. Leave your rational mind behind with your phone and enter Curandera's spell.' Laline Paull
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Nigerian British writer Okojie makes her U.S. debut with a bewitching if underdeveloped time-warping novel following contemporary Londoner Therese and 17th-century migrant Zulmira in Gethsemane, Cape Verde. Both women are followers of the shaman god Oni, who leaves gifts with her worshipers to indicate the offerings and sacrifices they're meant to make in return. Among these gifts is a rib cage placed with Therese and her three male roommates, all of whom bear the birthmark on their neck that marks them as one of Oni's disciples. This rib cage, which they name Ovida, contains berries that make the four roommates have visions of Zulmira, including her arrival in a new land after being forced to leave her baby. In Zulmira's story line, she is taken in by a fisherman named Domingos, whose wife, Marguerite, and daughter, Sueli, veer into madness as Zulmira harnesses Oni's energy in their presence. After Sueli makes a devastating sacrifice, the reader uncovers the girl's link to Ovida. The ending, which is meant to connect the two threads, feels like an abrupt turn, but there are plenty of vivid images and stimulating narrative swerves along the way. Though it's a mixed bag, it contains plenty of gems.
