10/23/2023
Emelumadu debuts with an entrancing tale of two Nigerian girls whose fates are intertwined in Igbo myth and magic. While preteen Ozoemena is at her uncle’s funeral, a mysterious boy touches her back, causing a burning sensation and leaving a welt. Her paternal grandmother tells her she was touched by the ghost of her dead uncle, who was able to change into a leopard when he was alive, and that he’s chosen Ozoemena to carry on the family’s tradition of becoming the leopard to fight injustice. Her mother, however, believes the myth is a sign of madness, and sends Ozoemena to a boarding school to protect her from her grandmother’s influence. A parallel narrative follows Treasure, who’s grieving the death of her father and is haunted by a spirit who wants to make her his wife. Treasure resists, although she agrees to procure three other girls to marry the spirit’s dead friends in exchange for freeing her father from someone called the “Bone Woman.” When Ozoemena learns from her sojourns in the spirit world that the girls were taken from her school, she has an opportunity to use her power as the leopard. Emelumadu’s account of boarding school life feels a bit rote, with pages dedicated to the minutiae of students’ social alliances, but she makes up for it with exhilarating depictions of the spirits. Emelumadu delivers the goods with her satisfying coming-of-age story. Agent: Hillary Jacobson, CAA. (Dec.)
"Dazzling had me hooked right from the start. I loved the distinct voices, the vivid imagery, and the grieving, confused, deeply human girls Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ brings to life on the page. In Emelụmadụ’s capable hands, Dazzling manages to be at least three things at once: a boarding school romp, a deeply moving tale of grief, and an exploration of faith and strength."
author of All My Mother's Lovers Ilana Masad
"Dazzling lives up to its name. I was entranced by the story of Treasure and Ozoemena – two young women who find themselves tested by forces both human and uncanny. Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ has crafted a coming-of-age tale like no other."
author of The Priory of the Orange Tree Samantha Shannon
"Dazzling is an erudite, original and beautifully written first novel. Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ is a writer to watch."
author of Tiny Sunbirds Far Away and The Language Christie Watson
"Dazzling is a soaring, gritty, beautiful, morally complex story about loss and longing, despair and hope. By the end, Dazzling will fill the scarred leopard's heart beating inside you. A marvel."
"A vibrant, immersive read that takes the reader on a dizzying journey through Nigerian mythology. Emelụmadụ does what I love best in this novel: she lays bare human weaknesses and celebrates female strength; she builds a world bursting with magic, bright and visceral; she has created two immensely memorable protagonists and woven a story that will linger in my mind for a long time."
author of Ariadne Jennifer Saint
Dazzling powerfully draws upon Igbo mythology, spirituality, and storytelling tradition to tell the story of these girls and use it to illustrate so much about modern Nigeria society—a world of contrasts existing side by side.”
"This book is a masterful storm. The voices are so precise and clear they cut you. Reading through the pages took me deep into the dappled world of Ozoemena and her leopard, and I will never be able to leave."
author of Soundings Doreen Cunningham
"Emelụmadụ’s novel is a magnificent coming of age story, empathetic in its exploration of character and culture within a rich tapestry of African mythology and magic."
author of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her Hous Cherie Jones
"I struggled to come up with a line that captures the magic within. Emelumadu's singular debut is uncanny and affecting in equal measure."
author of The Library of the Dead T. L. Huchu
"I was immediately impressed by [Emelumadu's] virtuosic facility with language and fierce imagination. Enchanted by both Ozoemena and Treasure, I wondered how their parallel stories would come together . . . [they] converge in an unexpected, explosive, and deeply satisfying conclusion that had me turning right back to the beginning to appreciate all that I missed the first time round. Bravo! I envy other readers their first and subsequent reads."
author of Peach Blossom Spring Melissa Fu
An entrancing tale of two Nigerian girls whose fates are intertwined in Igbo myth and magic . . . with exhilarating depictions of the spirits . . . Emelumadu delivers the goods with her satisfying coming-of-age story.”—Publishers Weekly “Evocative and a little mysterious, this literary fantasy is immersive and full of Nigerian mythology. Recommend this lustrous coming-of-age story to those who like to read across genres.”—Library Journal “In a story imbued with magic, the lives of two girls in 1990s Nigeria run on a collision course . . . A densely detailed tale of tradition and girl power.”—Kirkus "Dazzling lives up to its name. I was entranced by the story of Treasure and Ozoemena – two young women who find themselves tested by forces both human and uncanny. Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ has crafted a coming-of-age tale like no other."—Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree "A vibrant, immersive read that takes the reader on a dizzying journey through Nigerian mythology. Emelụmadụ does what I love best in this novel: she lays bare human weaknesses and celebrates female strength; she builds a world bursting with magic, bright and visceral; she has created two immensely memorable protagonists and woven a story that will linger in my mind for a long time."—Jennifer Saint, author of Ariadne “I am truly dazzled. Emelumadu has revealed surprising layers of our world and given me the eyes to see them."—Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl With a Pearl Earring and A Single Thread "I was immediately impressed by [Emelumadu's] virtuosic facility with language and fierce imagination. Enchanted by both Ozoemena and Treasure, I wondered how their parallel stories would come together . . . [they] converge in an unexpected, explosive, and deeply satisfying conclusion that had me turning right back to the beginning to appreciate all that I missed the first time round. Bravo! I envy other readers their first and subsequent reads."—Melissa Fu, author of Peach Blossom Spring “Dazzling powerfully draws upon Igbo mythology, spirituality, and storytelling tradition to tell the story of these girls and use it to illustrate so much about modern Nigeria society—a world of contrasts existing side by side.”—Lit Hub "Dazzling is a soaring, gritty, beautiful, morally complex story about loss and longing, despair and hope. By the end, Dazzling will fill the scarred leopard's heart beating inside you. A marvel."—Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts "Dazzling is a feast of shimmering, beautiful prose. Dark and humorous in places, it is an incessantly pleasurable read. Emelumadu has gifted us a thing of beauty.'—Chika Unigwe, author of Black Sisters Street "This book is a masterful storm. The voices are so precise and clear they cut you. Reading through the pages took me deep into the dappled world of Ozoemena and her leopard, and I will never be able to leave."—Doreen Cunningham, author of Soundings "Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ has written one hell of a book. Dazzling is bold, funny, louche, smart, shocking and very, very addictive. It seizes you by the scruff of the neck and plunges you into a world packed with juicy characters, macabre magic and plotting to die for. I loved it."—Meg Clothier, author of The Book of Eve "I struggled to come up with a line that captures the magic within. Emelumadu's singular debut is uncanny and affecting in equal measure."—T. L. Huchu, author of The Library of the Dead "Emelụmadụ’s novel is a magnificent coming of age story, empathetic in its exploration of character and culture within a rich tapestry of African mythology and magic."—Cherie Jones, author of How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House "Dazzling is an erudite, original and beautifully written first novel. Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ is a writer to watch."—Christie Watson, author of Tiny Sunbirds Far Away and The Language of Kindness "Dazzling had me hooked right from the start. I loved the distinct voices, the vivid imagery, and the grieving, confused, deeply human girls Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ brings to life on the page. In Emelụmadụ’s capable hands, Dazzling manages to be at least three things at once: a boarding school romp, a deeply moving tale of grief, and an exploration of faith and strength."—Ilana Masad, author of All My Mother's Lovers
"Dazzling is a feast of shimmering, beautiful prose. Dark and humorous in places, it is an incessantly pleasurable read. Emelumadu has gifted us a thing of beauty.'
author of Black Sisters Street Chika Unigwe
"Chịkọdịlị Emelụmadụ has written one hell of a book. Dazzling is bold, funny, louche, smart, shocking and very, very addictive. It seizes you by the scruff of the neck and plunges you into a world packed with juicy characters, macabre magic and plotting to die for. I loved it."
author of The Book of Eve Meg Clothier
I am truly dazzled. Emelumadu has revealed surprising layers of our world and given me the eyes to see them."
author of Girl With a Pearl Earring and A Single T Tracy Chevalier
"Dazzling is a soaring, gritty, beautiful, morally complex story about loss and longing, despair and hope. By the end, Dazzling will fill the scarred leopard's heart beating inside you. A marvel."
author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Paul Tremblay
10/01/2023
DEBUT The day Ozoemena's uncle died, she developed an itch in her back. After the funeral, her grandmother takes Ozoemena to a priest who shares their family history. Ozoemena comes from a line of Leopards who protect the surrounding villages, and the itch in her back turns out to be a gift/curse from her uncle. She must learn to control her leopard, while navigating classes and new friendships, or risk losing herself to the beast as it hunts for evil spirits at her boarding school. Meanwhile, in another timeline, Treasure and her mother have fallen on hard times after the death of her father, and while trading at the market, Treasure is tricked into bargaining with a spirit. Tempted by the promise of being reunited with her father, Treasure goes on a hunt of her own to meet the spirit's demands. Much like the leopard's ability to travel through time and planes, Emelumadu takes readers on a journey across different timelines as they follow Ozoemena's and Treasure's paths. VERDICT Evocative and a little mysterious, this literary fantasy is immersive and full of Nigerian mythology. Recommend this lustrous coming-of-age story to those who like to read across genres.—Maria Martin
Precious Mustapha and Tara Tijani invite listeners into an extraordinary story based on West African mythology. On the day her uncle dies, Ozoemena becomes the unwitting heir to a supernatural family legacy. After her father's death leaves Treasure and her mother destitute, she strikes up a bargain with a strange man in the market. Mustapha voices Ozoemena as a girl who is stricken by a force she doesn't understand. Her voice shifts from uncertain to commanding as she discovers her power. Tijani's narration as Treasure is dynamic and full of slang and swaggering confidence, even as she fears the price she will pay for seeking her father's return. Mustapha and Tijani play off each other perfectly as fate brings the two girls together. N.M. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
FEBRUARY 2024 - AudioFile
2023-09-09 In a story imbued with magic, the lives of two girls in 1990s Nigeria run on a collision course.
Ozoemena, the school-age daughter of a physician and a pharmacist, begins to experience odd complaints shortly after the death of her uncle. Episodes of visual and aural disturbances and skin eruptions continue, causing misery in Ozoemena’s life. Gradually, her status as the inheritor—after her uncle—of her family’s affiliation with an ancient and shadowy source of magical power is revealed by community elders. Running parallel to the narrative of Ozoemena’s life is the story of Treasure, a young girl mourning the death of her beloved father, and her efforts to survive crushing poverty and social alienation despite her widowed mother’s complete retreat from life and responsibility. Treasure’s own immersion into the powerful world of Nigerian spiritual belief and practice comes about after an encounter with a spirit who insinuates that he can return her father to her in exchange for some things he wants from the land of the living. As the girls each struggle to negotiate the subtleties and details of their new—phantasmagoric—realities, their alternating narratives buttress a complicated plot that wends back and forth over time and includes a varied cast of characters, some mortal, some not. Breadcrumbs along the way hint at a relationship between the two but the cinematic final scenes contain further surprises as Ozoemena is forced to reckon with her unbidden powers and must determine how to incorporate them into her life—as Treasure attempts to outwit the slippery business practices of the not-entirely-benevolent spirits she bargains with.
A densely detailed tale of tradition and girl power.