Praise for And Then He Sang a Lullaby:
Winner of Publishing Triangle’s Edmund White Award for Debut Fiction
A Foreword Indies Best Book of the Year Finalist
An NBC News Best LGBTQ Book of the Year
A Summer/Fall 2023 Indies Introduce Pick
Shortlisted for the Association of Nigerian Authors Prose Prize
“[Ani] writes his way to the global stage.”—New York Times
“A remarkably beautiful and intimate story. . . from a new voice we are sure to treasure for years to come.”—Michael Welch, Chicago Review of Books
“Absorbing . . . you don’t want to miss it.”—Karla J. Strand, Ms.
“An incredible novel.”—Sara Neilson, Shondaland
“A powerful and lyrical tale . . . A stunning debut.”—Book Riot
“Evocative, haunting and unflinching, And Then He Sang a Lullaby is brutally honest in its exploration of the effects of grief, violence and what it means to be straight-passing when your survival depends on it.”—Emily Van Blanken, Gay Times (UK)
“It’s hard to know where to begin when praising this extraordinary debut. [Ani is] . . . a man of unusual courage and self-belief. This story . . . will rightly be heralded as a powerful critique of homophobia and ignorance . . . it is a beautifully wrought love story with great emotional intelligence, rendered in some exquisite writing. It is from its character and authenticity that its real power comes.”—Jane Graham, Big Issue
“[A] coming-of-age love story set in Nigeria between two queer young men who become lovers in college. The author adroitly frames their unlikely pairing and tender love affair by shrouding it in beautiful prose even as it is set against the backdrop of the harsh realities of homophobia.”—NBC News
“Like pressing a tender bruise, And Then He Sang a Lullaby leaves a sweet ache in its wake and does so with such fervor that it’s easy to forget this is Ani’s first novel.” —Kristen Coates, Shelf Awareness (starred review)
“Nigerian writer Ani’s auspicious debut chronicles the hope and pain of two queer students as they embark on a forbidden relationship at the University of Nigeria in Nsukka . . . This timely and striking love story resonates with authenticity.”—Publishers Weekly
“And Then He Sang a Lullaby interrogates love, secrecy, and a revolution in Nigeria . . . The novel shifts between [August and Segun’s] perspectives, revealing how religion, self-repression, colonialism, tradition and nonconventional relationships impact them both. August is pulled between his desire to be a good son, his pining for other men, and his fears of persecution and alienation; this leads to heart-wrenching scenes revealing longing, hesitance, and internalized shame. In the novel And Then He Sang a Lullaby, a man learns to love and accept himself despite dire circumstances and violent intolerance.”—Aleena Ortiz, Foreword Reviews
“And Then He Sang a Lullaby is driven by deeply-drawn characters and a clear sense of place. The novel will resonate with readers in the current moment of rising anti-LGBTQ legislation and violence.”—Laura Chanoux, Booklist
“A tender, painful story of survival which asks what it means to love—as a queer person and even more, as a human being, in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.”—Joanna Acevedo, The Masters Review
“I’m in awe of the way Ani Kayode Somtochukwu writes into the knot of love, bringing forth the steely tenderness of queer desire amidst great peril. This isn’t just a beautiful story, it’s deeply needed and liberating.”—Saeed Jones, author of Alive at the End of the World
“This moving debut is a touching queer coming of age story, a poignant romance, and, most affectingly, a damning indictment of the hate and homophobia that are all too prevalent in the modern world.”—Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind
“And Then He Sang a Lullaby is a beautifully-drawn book, tender and moving. I adored being in the embrace of Segun and August, as they navigate the unaccepting world around them and their longing for one another. Ani Kayode Somtochukwu writes with an ease and a wisdom that belies his age. This is exactly the kind of writing that makes your heart soar and whimper in equal parts.”—Kasim Ali, author of Good Intentions
“In stunning, luminous prose, Ani Kayode Somtochukwu captures how it feels to carry both the love and burden of family, and what it costs to bear the weight of revolutions — the ones happening inside of us and beyond. A beautifully written, captivating debut!”—Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
“After reading this courageous, heart-in-mouth debut about the lives and loves of young gay Nigerians I can’t wait to see what Ani Kayode Somtochukwu writes next.”—Patrick Gale, author of Mother's Boy
