Description
Book SynopsisNights of the Creaking Bed is full of colourful characters involved in affecting dramas: a girl who is rejected in love because she has three brothers to look after; a middle aged housewife who finds love again but has an impossible decision to make; a young man who can't get the image of his naked, beautiful mother out of his mind; a child so poor he has to hawk onions on Christmas day - and many others. Some, initially full of hope, find their lives blighted by the cruelty of others, or by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or by just not knowing the "right" people. Corruption, religious intolerance, gratuitous violence, the irresponsible attitudes of some men to their offspring and the importance of joy are some of the big themes that underlie this memorable collection.
Trade Review"This is a cohesive, stylish collection, with atmospheric scenes and noir elements. Toni Kan's stories look behind shuttered window to express the unspeakable in the everyday." - Molara Wood, writer and cultural critic; “Beginning with deliberate brevity and ending on a note of lush lyricism, these fascinating vignettes of Lagos life showcase an array of peripatetic characters who are hopelessly stuck in their dilemmas.” - Sefi Atta, author of Everything Good Will Come;
Table of ContentsStrangers 1
The Passion of Pololo 13
My Perfect Life 20
Broda Sonnie 35
The Harbinger 47
Nights of the Creaking Bed 56
The Echo of Silence 62
God is Listening 69
Ahmed 87
Buzz 94
Onions 107
The Devil’s Overtime 113
The Car They Borrowed 134
Sad Eyes 145
The Phone Call Goodnight 150
