The Liquid Eye of a Moon

Uchenna Awoke

‘In The Liquid Eye of a Moon, Uchenna Awoke casts a spell that is at once enchanting and haunting. An important story full of love and wonder, family and culture, strife and tribulation — this is not your typical debut novel. You are in the hands of a masterful storyteller, one whose grace and lyricism will win you over and then burrow deep inside the muck and marrow of your soul where it will remain for a long time.’

Robert Lopez, author of Dispatches From Puerto Nowhere

‘Deeply committed to class and the clash of tradition with modernity, The Liquid Eye of a Moon is a … stoic coming-of-age story without any of Holden Caulfield’s phony fussing.’

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‘A poignant and punching coming-of-age with bewitching prose and memorable characters.’

Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful

‘A wonderful debut. The Liquid Eye of a Moon is funny and moving in equal measure. A coming of age story that readers won’t forget.’

Dipo Faloyin, author of Africa Is Not a Country

‘Like the great Igbo writer Chinua Achebe before him, Uchenna Awoke has given us a stunning debut novel in The Liquid Eye of a Moon. Magic is the word that best describes this book. The magic of felt life for a young person seeking a place in a senseless world. The magic and madness of superstition, exploitative beliefs, and other outmoded practices. And the magic of literary prose in the hands of a master. If there is justice in the world, this brilliant novel will change the literary landscape.’

Jeffery Renard Allen, award-winning author of Fat Time and Other Stories and Song of the Shank

‘In The Liquid Eye of a Moon, Uchenna Awoke intricately intertwines memory, loss, and resilience against the backdrop of adolescence, capturing the essence of village and city life. With vivid portrayals of familial dynamics and societal upheavals, the narrative delicately navigates the community’s journey to reconcile its past with present obstacles, portraying Nigerians’ multifaceted realities.’

Nnamdi Ehirim, author of Prince of Monkeys

‘A masterful debut that takes us into the ancient beliefs and present complexities of Nigeria, told through the ordinary human failings of a young man you can’t help but root for.’

Santanu Bhattacharya, author of One Small Voice

‘After reading only the first paragraph of The Liquid Eye of a Moon, I knew this story was special. Awoke’s prose is immersive and alive, and you sink into it without effort. I had to blink a few times whenever I stopped reading, and I always looked forward to sinking back in. A beautiful coming-of-age story I will not forget.’

Mary Adkins, author of Palm Beach

A Nigerian Catcher in the Rye by a major new literary talent.

Fifteen-year-old Dimkpa dreams of the day his father will be made village head. He will return to school and maybe even go on to university; his mother will no longer have to break her back foraging wild food to sell at market; they will have the money to build a fine tomb for his aunt Okike; and his family’s status as ohu ma, the lowest Igbo caste, won’t matter anymore. But when his father is passed over for a younger man, breaking tradition, Dimkpa realises that he must make his own fate.

Journeying from his small village in rural Nigeria, to Lagos, Awka, and home again, Dimkpa learns that no money is easy money, that superstition runs deep, that knowledge is power, and that sometimes it is better to live in the present than always be chasing a future just out of reach.

The Liquid Eye of a Moon is by turns hilarious and poignant, capturing all the messiness of adolescence, and the difficulty of making your own way in the world.

Robert Lopez, author of Dispatches From Puerto Nowhere

‘Deeply committed to class and the clash of tradition with modernity, The Liquid Eye of a Moon is a … stoic coming-of-age story without any of Holden Caulfield’s phony fussing.’

Literary Hub

View all reviews

‘A poignant and punching coming-of-age with bewitching prose and memorable characters.’

Adam Vitcavage, Debutiful

‘A wonderful debut. The Liquid Eye of a Moon is funny and moving in equal measure. A coming of age story that readers won’t forget.’

Dipo Faloyin, author of Africa Is Not a Country

Jeffery Renard Allen, award-winning author of Fat Time and Other Stories and Song of the Shank

Nnamdi Ehirim, author of Prince of Monkeys

‘A masterful debut that takes us into the ancient beliefs and present complexities of Nigeria, told through the ordinary human failings of a young man you can’t help but root for.’

Santanu Bhattacharya, author of One Small Voice

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Details

Format:Hardback

Size: 216mm × 135mm

Extent:352pp

ISBN (13):9781915590077

RRP:$39.99

Pub date:7 Jan 2025

Rights Held: UK & Commonwealth (ex. Can)

High-res cover:Download Image

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AUTHOR

Uchenna Awoke

Uchenna Awoke lives and writes in Nsukka, Nigeria. His short stories have appeared in Transition, Elsewhere Lit, Trestle Ties, Oyster River Pages, The Evergreen Review, and other places. He received fellowships from MacDowell and the Vermont Studio Center in 2017 and 2019 respectively. He is an Artist Protection Fund Fellow and the inaugural Arkansas International Writer-at-Risk Residency Fellow, currently living in Fayetteville, AR. He is also a 2019 Graywolf Africa Prize finalist. The Liquid Eye of a Moon is his debut novel.